FA Trophy 3rd qualifying round
Match report Vs Boston UtdVenue: York StreetDate: 25-11-17Att: 732 (away fans: 58)

25-11-17 - Report - Boston Utd 2 Harriers 2

Trophy replay after Boston come back at us

Report: Phil Lench

The Harriers almost lost out in the first round (for us) of the FA Trophy today when they allowed Boston Utd back into the game after going into what many were hoping was an unassailable lead with second half goals from Andre Brown and Joe Ironside. With us two up and cruising we allowed the home side too much room at set pieces and in the space of two minutes Boston had drawn level to take the game to a replay.

The Harriers started the game with the same starting eleven for the third game running but today we only had three usable substitutes on the bench with Liam Truslove and Joel Taylor having to lose out through illness. Andre Wright was also missing from the bench with an unknown injury that had forced him to miss the midweek victory at home to North Ferriby Utd. In his place on the bench another youth team player had been selected to make up the ‘short’ numbers.

With Boston currently hovering over bottom place in the league it was a chance for them to forget all that and go for Trophy glory. In the first forty five minutes that was looking very unlikely though with the Reds fully in charge. Brown, Ironside, Elton N’Gwatala, Ryan Croasdale and Declan Weeks could all have given us a goal to go into the break with but most of the eight chances we were granted either went just wide or were saved by the Boston keeper George Willis.

Out of those it was probably Weeks that came closest when he rounded the keeper only to take too long and allow a defender to get back and clear the ball off the line. The hosts had just the one effort to be proud of when Reece Thompson put his header just wide of Brandon Halls goal. Both players will count themselves lucky after a bust up earlier in the game that saw them trading handbags when Hall had caught Thompson on the head after the latter had put his arms round him to stop him clearing the ball away. 

HT: 0 – 0

As expected Boston came out with a flea in the ear from their new manager Craig Elliott and began to take the game to us. The game was now more even but it was the Harriers that started the scoring off when Andre Brown met Ironsides nod down to turn in the area and slot the ball home.

Ten minutes later and we had scored our second to give, what we thought, was a commanding lead that Boston shouldn’t really have recovered from. This goal came from a James McQuilkin corner that was floated in for Ironside to meet with his head and put back into the far corner of the goal.

We obviously thought that would be enough but a double substitution just after the hour mark by the hosts gave them fresh impetus.

They had already given us an early warning but in a two minute whirlwind they had drawn level after, firstly, Adam Curry scored on his debut with a goal rifled home from a corner and then Kabongo Tshimanga finished the comeback off following another corner that wasn’t cleared properly and fired the ball back in past the shell defenders and keeper.

They could have gone on to win the game when Ashley Hemmings tried to beat Hall but was thwarted after the Reds keeper came out to meet him and narrow the shooting angle. Manny Sonupè, on a few minutes earlier for Elton N’Gwatala, had a late chance to give us back the advantage but his attempt was held easily by Willis.

We now have to do it all again on Tuesday evening at Aggborough but, along with home advantage, we’ll also know who we might be playing in the next round but first we have to beat struggling Boston and this time not give up half way through the game and sit back thinking we have done enough. 

FT: 2 – 2


Goals for Boston Utd: Curry 78, Tshimanga 80

Goals for Harriers: A Brown 56, Ironside 66


Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too

Latest table and stats here


Boston UtdGoalsSubsTimeCards
Willis    
Stabana    
Curry   
McGuire    
Beatson    
McGowan   
Clifton 63 
Keane   
Thompson   
Vince 63 
Hemmings    
 
Subs: 
Yeomans    
Rollins 63 
Tshimanga63 
Smith    
Broadhead    
 
HarriersGoalsSubsTimeCards
Hall   
Pearson    
Austin    
Croasdale    
Horsfall    
O’Connor    
Weeks   
McQuilkin    
Ironside   
N’Gwatala 67 
A Brown   
 
Subs: 
Eve    
Kuklowski    
Danko    
Sonupè 67 
     
     
Referee: 
Mr Declan Bourne
Nottinghamshire