By Nathan Jackson
December 26 2006

City secured their first ever home win over Boston United in the football league with a brilliant goal seperating the sides. A goal from Mark Stallard had been cancelled out by Kennedy before an inspired substitution lead to Jeff Hughes rounding off a brilliant passing move.

City started the match and quickly carved out a chance as the ball bounced to Martin Gritton, the striker had been left unmarked and he ran onto the ball but hurried with his shot and volleyed well wide of the target despite having time on his hands. City weren’t wasting time and were quickly on the attack again as Amoo’s cross found Forrester, he played the ball to Stallard but he couldn’t gather the ball before a Boston defender quickly closed in on goal.

The game slowed down after this but City were still controlling the game but failing to get past a stubborn Boston defender until just after the 15 minute mark when Martin Gritton held the ball up well before playing the ball to Forrester, he sent a magnificant through ball to Stallard, the striker ran towards goal and when Andy Marriott didn’t come out to meet him, the finish from Stallard was easy as he curled the ball around Marriott from the edge of the area and into the net to give City a deserved lead.

City were encouraged by this goal and Stallard almost assisted Forrester in getting a goal but the Imps leading goalscorer couldn’t make the most of this as his speculative effort went well wide of the target. City were having a comfortable first half and Stallard wasted another chance when his shot went wide just before the half hour mark. Martin Gritton almost grabbed his first goal since September when Marriott spilled a back-header and only just managed to be able to recover before Gritton could pounced.

Gritton’s play on the right almost resulted in a spectacular own goal as his cross was volleyed over by Miller, the ball was quite literally just centimetres away from going in. However, as City were wasting chances at one end, Boston quickly took the ball down the other end and Jason Kennedy sent a thunderous volley onto the bar, it bounced down over the line to bring Boston level. It wasn’t the only time in recent weeks that the opposition have scored with their first shot on goal.

Neither side could create any more chances before the end of the half and it had stunned Sincil Bank and with news that everyone around us (barring Wycombe) were winning, meant that the second half had to see the Imps improve their lethal shooting up front.

Boston started the second half very brightly and it was obvious that the goal was still having an effect on the Imps players and the management duo knew this and after a poor 7 minutes of the second half, Lee Frecklington and Jeff Hughes came on for Gritton and Nicholson.

City quickly conceded 2 corners but fortunately, neither came to anything. Ex-Imp Francis Green hit his shot onto the roof of the Imps Stand from close range. It was the only bit of pressure Boston had really applied and they won yet another corner but this didn’t have the desired consequence. The ball came in and the ball found it’s way to Forrester, he waited with the ball and ran out right before crossing to Frecklington, he chipped the ball into the path of Hughes who sent a beautiful header past Marriott to give the Imps the lead, and to round off a beautiful team goal.

City almost made it 3 within a minute but Forrester headed just wide before two of Boston’s better players, Dany N’Guessan and David Galbraith were replaced by Brad Maylett and David Farrell. Forrester sent a weak effort into the arms of Marriott before Ellender was booked for fouling Frecklington. Lee Canoville won Boston a corner after his long range shot hit a defender and went out for a corner that was inevitably wasted.

Forrester’s afternoon didn’t get any better when he was set free by a defensive mistake but he mishit his shot and it trickled out for a goal kick. It would turn out to be his last contribution as he was replaced by Moses. City were thanking Paul Morgan and Lee Frecklington soon after when former Lincoln City youth player, Anthony Elding, rounded Alan Marriott and it looked certain that he would score but thankfully, his shot went straight to Morgan who cleared the ball.

The finally chance of the game was in the first minute of the three in injury time. Andy Marriott went up for a Boston corner, however it found it’s way to Ryan Amoo who now had the entire pitch to work with as there was only a defender between himself and an open goal. He tried shooting from just inside his own half but the defender got in the way of a shot that seemed to going wide of the target anyway. The game finished 2-1 soon after.