01-09-18 – Report – Boston Utd 0 Kidderminster Harriers 2

Harriers get a Bostin’ win at Boston

Report: Phil Lench

Against most predictions the Harriers came away from Boston today with all three points. At the same time the Reds climbed up to fifth place in the table: their best position so far. First half goals from Ed Williams and Ashley Chambers gave us the win but we sat back a little in the second half although we did look the more likely to score.

With Dan Bradley returned to the side following his three match ban he had to be content with a place on the bench so allowing the same starting lineup for the fourth game running. It was academy rookie Harry Stratford that made way for him.

In the Boston side was a former Harrier from sixteen years ago. Ben Davies signed for the Pilgrims last weekend after a career that has taken in the likes of Derby County and Sheffield Utd but now, at the end of a sparkling career, he finds himself with Boston. I suppose you have to end up somewhere in life.

Harriers started the game as if they meant business with Chambers shooting wide and then Williams doing likewise in the first ten minutes. Brandon Hall, complete with shorn locks,  warmed his gloves with a routine stop from a Craig Westcarr close range effort.

The opening goal came fourteen minutes in when Williams waltzed through the Boston midfield and then the Boston defence with a jink here and a jink there before firing the ball into the bottom corner of the net with the Pilgrims keeper, George Willis, rooted to the spot.

Less than ten minutes later it was 2-0 and game over when Chambers caught Willis off guard with a powerful finish from twenty yards out that the keeper couldn’t stop ending up in the back of the net.

Boston tried to rally but they hadn’t got either nous or the quality to really test Hall and the half ended without any further scoring and it was the Reds who should have increased their lead when Ryan Johnson headed wide of the target from a corner.

HT: 0 – 2

The second period was, as expected, a more tense affair as Boston tried hard to reduce the Harriers lead. Another former Harrier, Cieron Keane, was sent on to try and break us down.

At first it looked like it would be us that should have increased our lead when Williams again went on the rampage goalwards and again left defenders in his wake but this time his shot went wide of the target but then it was down to some last gasp defending that saw the hosts shaking their heads in despair.

Lee Vaughan, making his two hundredth appearance for us, twice headed the ball off the line to keep the Pilgrims out. First from a Davies free kick and then soon after he threw himself in front of a shot from Andi Thanoj.

Boston sensed that they could get something from the game due to us playing too deep and backing off too much but, as well as Vaughan, Brandon Hall was having a fine game too and doing his best to keep them out including a fine stop from Westcarr.

It wasn’t all going Bostons way though with Chambers also having another chance to add to his tally when he rounded the keeper but more on the line defensive work saw his shot headed onto the bar and over for a corner. It was then that we bought on the cavalry in the shape of Dan Bradley and Kane Richards with the quiet Joe Ironside and Chambers making way for them. 

Boston came back at us and a substitute, Andre Johnson, saw his piledriver pushed away by Hall on sixty seven minutes. The pressure came to an end when the Pilgrims went down to ten men following a second yellow card for  only really dissipate as Boston found themselves reduced to ten men nine minutes later, Jordan Gough given his marching orders for a second yellow after a foul on Vaughan.

For the Pilgrims the game had now come to an end and we failed to capitalise on the numbers difference with only Bradley coming close to increasing our lead after he tried to lob the keeper and then in stoppage time Hall made one last save to keep Keane from scoring against his former employers.

We now have the visit of Blyth Spartans to look forward to next Saturday and the chance to build on this good form with a third successive win and, hopefully, take us further up the table and within touching distance of leaders Chorley who could only draw at Brackley Town today.

FT: 0 – 2

Goals for Harriers: Williams 14, Chambers 22

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Boston Utd	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Willis
Davies
Gough
Thanoj
Harris
Qualter
Roberts			46
Abbott
Westcarr			63
Walker
Wafula			72
Subs:
A Johnson			63
Marriott
Lees
Middleton			72
Keane			46
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Vaughan
Taylor			55
Horsfall
O’Connor
R Johnson
Weeks
Daniels
Ironside			71
Chambers			71
Williams
Subs:
Richards			71
Bradley			71
Baxendale
Austin			55
Digie
Referee:
Mr David McNamara
Preston