Saturday 25th October 2008 - Boston 2-3 U's: Thank Heaven for Late Bloomers
It happens every year about this time. No, apart from the appearance of advent calendars in Tesco and sofa companies promising delivery by Christmas, credit crunch permitting.
The clocks go back. They go back to the Magic of the Cup, a time for plucky underdogs, postmen who double as tricky wingers, supporters with rattles and cardboard toppers with rosettes affixed, patronising media coverage and balls drawn out of proverbial hats. And being the twilight world of the fourth qualifying round, it was United who were cast as the giants against the fallen Pilgrims of Boston.
The hosts have fallen on hard times, partly, it must be said, for self-inflicted reasons under a previous chairman and a light-fingered manager who has now, ironically, taken Crawley to the top of the Conference with his uniquely charming brand of maximum-volume histrionics and paranoia. And that very same Conference has, in its wisdom, ensured that Boston now ply their trade in the Unibond League alongside the illustrious likes of Prescot Cables, Cammell Laird, Leigh Genesis and the Bjorn Again of non-League, tribute club FC United of Manchester. What larks.
Boston is at least a reasonably short trip from South Cambs, through the flattest landscape on the planet, dotted with fields of black sheep and cabbages, wind farms and disused railway stations, the horizon always seeming just out of sight, over that distant hedge. The town looked unchanged from our last visit on New Year's Day 2005, still crumbling gently while attempting a slightly unconvincing cheesy grin to hide some unrevealed inner turmoil. And it still smells faintly of creosote.
The same could be said for the football club's York Street ground, although it has now taken some much-needed sponsorship and calls itself 'The Staffsmart Stadium.' The same mature, thickly bespectacled gentleman still sells programmes from his little wooden kiosk outside the away end (well, it is the away end when the big boys visit) and the supporters' club is still as busy, cheap and cheerful as its drink and its staff. I would imagine.
Another impressive turnout from the amber army created a tremendous atmosphere on a huge roofed terrace, with rival chants emanating from one end of the terrace lining one side of the ground, populated almost entirely by a raucous band of young teenagers who were swiftly dubbed the 'chav army' by the travellers from Cambridge. The opposite side was occupied by a rather sparsely populated seated stand, while the far end was a quaint mix of terrace at the front and seats behind, dominated by two large flagpoles from which fluttered a BUFC ensign plus a Union Flag which, like the country's economy, had seen better days.
The grass on the pitch was on the distinctly long side; presumably the club sheep was on its annual week's break in Torremolinos. There were several familiar faces in the programme: Pilgrims boss Tommy Taylor, U's boss thirteen years ago until he jumped ship to Orient and seems to have been working his way down the Pyramid ever since, youth team boss Steve Welsh, mostly unused cover centre-back at the Abbey in the early Nineties, and Boston skipper Matt Bloomer, who was so impressive for the U's when on loan from Lincoln in 2005-06 but whose form slipped so dramatically the following season when he signed permanently and was appointed club captain by Rob Newman.
Our Gary reverted to 4-4-2 after the televised draw at Forest Green, dropping Ben Farrell and Danny Brown in favour of Felino Jardim and Paul Carden, returned from injury. Both of the former made the bench, however, as for some reason the FA Cup now permits the naming of seven substitutes, although only three can play. Fortunately, Boston's dugouts appeared to have been granted extensions either side so there was room for everyone; any more and clubs will be needing a separate stand just for staff.
On a day more blustery than a Steve Evans team talk, the teams changed ends from those at which they had been warming up and United attacked the away end, sporting all white against Boston's yellow and black. They were wearing amber last time we played them, so their colours appear to have faded along with the club's fortunes.
From the get-go it was all United. Good use was made of the wingers, Jardim on the right and Robbie Willmott on the left, and the visitors played good passing football with a view to getting the ball down the flanks and into the danger zone at every opportunity.
Jon Froggatt netted from a breakaway for the hosts on 4, but only long after the whistle had gone, and first real chance came on 8 as Wayne Hatswell picked up possession wide on the right after a cleared corner, arrowing a cross into the middle where Jon Challinor's clever looping header was tipped acrobatically over the top by home keeper Martyn Margarson.
United's pressure told from the follow-up flag-kick, however, and astoundingly, they scored from that most reviled of (Satan's) set pieces, the short corner. Willmott and Mark Beesley interchanged, the U's winger drove a low cross to the near post, and there was Danny Crow making an intelligent run to divert it into the far corner with the faintest of touches. 1-0.
At this stage, the result looked a mere formality, with Boston having hardly got a look in against their dominant 'giant' visitors. Challinor screwed a shot over on 12, Boston top scorer Ollie Ryan drove wide at the other end, and Taylor made a bold early change on 14 in withdrawing left-back Liam Parker, moving namesake Wes across in his place, and introducing Kieran Leabon wide right. His introduction was heralded by another quaint old school touch, the waving of manual number cards rather than the sophisticated electronic equivalent to which we become so accustomed. You see, some clubs are more non-League than others...
Some nice interplay down the right saw Jardim jink into the box but saw his shot blocked, and Carden's follow-up was deflected away for a corner. With most of the team committed upfield, United were caught completely cold when Boston broke away from the cleared flag-kick, and Froggatt sprinted into the U's half with only Dan Gleeson in attendance and Leabon haring unmarked down the middle. Mercifully for United, Froggatt's would-be through ball was hopelessly overhit and the chance was lost. But Taylor's change in strategy had already been proved to be sound, using the pace of Leabon and his strikers to catch their visitors out by way of swift breaks whenever possible.
The contest was becoming more even and Boston's crossing was of a decent standard. On 20 Jon Rowan flicked on a Parker long throw and Stewart Talbot stabbed a shot goalward but Danny Potter was down quickly to smother. Two minutes later some intricate passing in the hosts' box saw Beesley slip the ball through to Challinor to poke home, but the offside flag stifled any premature celebrations from the noisy amber hordes.
The pressure from the hosts grew, Potter saving from Ryan on 27, and a minute later they were level. Ryan lofted a free-kick into the box from the right touchline, and there was Leabon rising between the centre-backs to power an unchallenged header home from close range. Not great defending: 1-1.
Boston remained on top for a while afterwards as a stream of crosses made things hairier than Richard Keys' hands for the harassed United defence. Duly ruffled, United lost their composure on the ball and instead of playing the ball through midfield they began to loft lazy long balls towards the forwards. Tonkin appeared to handle a Ryan cross on 32, but the officials saw no evil, and what at first had looked like being a walk in the park was rapidly becoming a rather nervous tiptoe across Jesus Green at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Challinor set up Carden for a shot from the edge of the box on 42, a couple of yards over, then the United back line was caught out by a simple ball over the top for Ryan to run onto, but Anthony Tonkin covered back well with a fine saving tackle. And the last word of the half went to the visitors, with a Willmott corner that Hatswell nodded narrowly wide of the far post.
Some home truths were needed from Our Gary during the interval, having to talk his players back into the mindset that had dominated the first quarter of an hour and to have the courage to play good football again in the face of doughty opposition which was belying its mid-table position two divisions below them. No room for complacency here.
As the floodlights began to flicker into life (only five lamps on each one), 'former Boston legend' Billy Howells was introduced to wander around the pitch and shake a few supporters' hands. It was doubtful that many - OK, any - U's fans had ever heard of him, his heyday being mid-60s to mid-70s, but they gave him a sporting if perhaps good-naturedly tongue-in-cheek cheer as the sexuagenarian walked a little stiffly past them. His club record of 572 games was only beaten by ex-U's keeper Paul Bastock five years ago, although his goals total was recorded in the programme as 'unknown,' the relevant records perhaps having met the same fate as Steve Evans' receipts. Boston are still a long way from out of the woods financially, and fundraisers with buckets marked 'Save The Pilgrims!' rattled amongst us during the break.
Any thoughts of being giant-killed were quelled within three minutes of the restart. Willmott gained possession on the halfway line out on the left, forged forward, cut inside and unleashed a shot from 25 yards which took a deflection off defender Michael Wood to wrong-foot Margarson and trundle almost apologetically into the far corner of the net. 2-1.
It was Robbie's first goal for the 'big boys' and thoroughly deserved, too. A couple of minutes later United might have sealed it with a breakaway from Jardim down the right. The U's had two against one in the box, and the little Dutchman's cross fell perfectly for Beesley to nod inside to Challinor, arriving unmarked in the centre. Unfortunately his first touch was up there with Iceland's national debt in the heaviness stakes, and a simple tap-in turned into a rather sorry run-through to the keeper.
A breathless start to the 45 continued with another lightning break, this time from the hosts. Tonkin allowed himself to be dispossessed sloppily from a Challinor throw-in deep into the Boston half, and all of a sudden the mercurial Leabon was sprinting clear down the right channel. Arriving in the box, he beat Hatswell and crossed to Ryan, unmarked in front of an open goal ten yards out. Astonishingly, he fired his shot wildly over, to a mixture of relief, incredulity and mocking laughter from the amber hordes behind the goal.
Ryan, however, had the last (or at least the next) laugh on 57. In another direct attack from the hosts, Talbot arrowed a cross from deep to the far post where Froggatt climbed to beat Gleeson and head down to the unmarked Pilgrims marksman, who rammed home at the second attempt past an exposed Potter from point-blank range. 2-2.
Again, the United defence had been found wanting against the gutsy hosts. How ironic that now the team is starting to score more than one goal per match, it no longer seems to be able to keep a clean sheet. Don't you agree, Alanis...?
Now it was end-to-end stuff. A Willmott corner found Gleeson at the far post , but his attempted shot flew back across goal and eventually fell to Beesley to fire wide. Then another simple through ball down the middle sent Ryan haring past Hatswell, but as he entered the area, his slightly heavy touch was just enough to permit Potter to sprint from goal and block bravely.
Chris Holroyd replaced Crow on 65, and he was inches below a fine cross from Willmott soon after coming on. The U's winger then had a shot of his own blocked, and the match remained finely balanced. It even threatened to get a little 'tasty' for a time and the only yellow card of the afternoon was shown to Wood on 74 for a cynical clattering of Challinor as he threatened to break past him in the centre circle.
Parker withdrew through injury a couple of minutes later, replaced by Adam Millson, and on 80 Carden came the closest he has yet come to getting on the scoresheet with a thunderous drive from twenty yards that was well tipped away by a diving Margarson. The lively Holroyd also forced a save from the Pilgrims keeper, then TT introduced a third striker, Ewan Clarke, in place of Talbot as he went for broke. Sorry Tommy, you already got to 'broke' a couple of years ago, that's why you were relegated...
Three minutes later, United were in front for the third time, and again its creators were Willmott and Lady Luck. Sign her up. The U's winger made a similar run to that which had created his side's second goal, cutting inside and this time lofting a cross goalward. Bloomer rose to attempt the clearance and got it horribly wrong, glancing his header backwards, past Margarson to lodge unerringly into the far corner of the net. Unbelievable: 3-2!
Now, could United hang on to their rather fortunate lead this time? They might actually have increased it against a slightly shellshocked Boston, Margarson saving from a Willmott drive to his near post, then Beesley set up Holroyd for a blast that was also well saved by the home keeper.
Still Boston came back at them, Ryan almost bursting through but shooting over as he was hassled by Hatswell, but United saw out the four added minutes without any further alarms. Mission accomplished.
There was a certain feeling of having got out of jail, with some rather fortunate goals and bad misses by the hosts. And there was no doubt that rather too many players (Beesley, the whole defence) had fallen some way short of their highest standard. But Boston were deserving of great credit, belying their lowly status with a highly spirited display full of energy, organisation and no little good football, and one hopes for TT's sake that they can raise their game like that on a regular basis and not just for the (ahem) glamour games.
For United, the result was all, and there were plenty of plusses (the gradual improvements of Willmott, Crow and Holroyd, flashes of Jardim) to go with the biggest one, the result and a place in the first round proper. Now let us hope that we can turn the clock back to at least a year ago and that splendid run that took us from giants to - almost - giant-killers. That's what we all want for Christmas...
Statto Corner
The last player to score an own goal for the Mighty U's was Mark Preece of Forest Green Rovers in last season's 2-0 victory at the Abbey. A United player has not notched an o.g. since 30th December 2006, when Andy Duncan helped Burton Albion to a 2-1 away win, Daryl Clare hitting the winner from a penalty in added time.
Matt Bloomer did not score at either end in his 26 games in Cambridge black'n'amber. His own goal today, however, meant he was on the losing side against the U's for the first time in his career; he played against United for Lincoln City four times between April 2003 and February 2005 and obtained two wins and two draws.
Stev Angus made 159 appearances for the U's, but scored only once, at Boston's York Street on 17th September 2003. His goal a minute from the end, a toe-poke from near the penalty spot at a corner, was the winner in a 2-1 victory after Simon Weatherstone had equalised Luke Guttridge's first-half opener.
Angus' full-back partner that evening was current United coach Stuart Bimson. Goal machine Stev has since managed one goal each for Grays and Torquay, and was last seen this season at Braintree Town.
Player Ratings
Potter 7. Not a lot he could do about the goals and otherwise looked safe.
Gleeson 6. Looked subdued and off the pace for much of the time.
Bolland 6. Mostly adequate, but capable of much better.
Hatswell 7. The best of an off-form back four.
Tonkin 6. Linked well with the wingers when going forward, but not his greatest display defensively.
Jardim 7. An absolute menace when stationed on the right in the first half, not so productive in part two when Boston put two or even three men on him.
Carden 7. Industrious as ever and came his nearest yet to breaking his scoring duck.
Challinor 7. Steady and busy without truly dominating the midfield.
Willmott 8. Great to see a young player blossoming and improving before our eyes.
Beesley 6. A few splendid touches as always, but for much of the time he looked a shadow of the player we know he is.
Crow 7. Continuing to improve along with his fitness, and the goals are now starting to flow.
Holroyd 7. Excellent, lively sub who was unlucky not to find the scoresheet.
Match Summary
United made heavy weather of their first cup game of the season against a spirited Boston side, but thanks to the generosity of an old boy they are in the hat for the first round proper after a performance of distinctly variable quality.
Man of the Match
Robbie Willmott. With dynamic, positive running, penetrating crossing, and now his first goal, Robbie jumped to a new level today, and if he can continue this progress the world is his lobster.
Ref Watch
West 8. Apart from a flash of fussiness in the second half, the man in black was unobtrusive and decisive and only flashed the card when absolutely necessary. Proper reffing.
Becky's World of Wit and Wisdom
"Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." [Grimsby, 18/1/92]
Hello... Goodbye
This day in 1988 saw the United debut of tricky winger Brian Croft, in a 2-2 home draw with Scarborough; both U's goals were scored by future club managers, John Beck and John Taylor. He only appeared in 23 matches before returning to Chester, but he managed to score five goals in three different competitions: two League, two FA Cup (in a 4-1 win at Woking) and one in the Sherpa Vans Trophy.
This day in 1992 marked the first and last game in black'n'amber for Warren Patmore, in a 1-1 draw at Southend. His strike partnership that day with Devon White must have been one of the heaviest and least subtle pairings ever. After spells with Millwall and Northampton and in Cyprus and Ireland, he found a home at then non-League Yeovil and notched 100 goals for them in six years before going full-time again with Rushden, then moving to Woking and then Margate so he could concentrate on his estate agency business. He said of his time as a pro "In a nutshell, I couldn't hack it full time. I had six years being part-time, I always had a problem with my weight and Rushden weighed me twice a week, which didn't go down too well."
Soundtrack of the Day
The Hold Steady 'Stay Positive'
Parky's Pick of the Pops
Andy Parkinson lends an ear to the York Street sounds. "All right, lads and lasses? Today's report is shorter than Felino Jardim in his bare feet, 'cos what with all the Boston PA man's talking and some long silences, I only heard one piece of music all afternoon! And that was in about three parts while it kept getting interrupted!
"Anyway it was 'Take Back The City', the new one by Snow Patrol, and it's OK as far as chugging Irish pop-rock goes, I s'pose. Not in the same class as the Bunnymen, like! Let's hope there's more music next time, ey? Never walk alone!" PPP verdict: 6/10
Andrew Bennett
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