Vanarama National League North
The Jakemans Community Stadium
Saturday 5th March 2022

Dan Turner’s fourteenth goal of the season earned Leamington a useful point on the road at Boston.

Brakes travelled to Lincolnshire with the squad that took to the field for the victory over Chester the previous Saturday, with the recovering Simeon Maye the only injured absentee.

Leamington found themselves penned into their own half for the first five minutes or so, only a couple of heavy challenges from the hosts breaking up play; but it was the visitors who fired the first shot of the afternoon with ten minutes played, Dan Turner breaking into the penalty area on the right and taking a touch before firing in a fierce low drive that stung the palms of Marcus Dewhurst.

With Boston trying balls through the Leamington defence that weren’t quite coming off Kelsey Mooney had the next opportunity on 17 minutes. Turner did well to charge down an attempted clearance and play in his team mate on the right, but unfortunately he was forced wider than he would have liked and could only find the side netting with his shot.

It was the hosts who were struggling to get out of their own half now, and two minutes later they fell behind. Mooney and Turner combined again inside the box, the latter chesting the ball down before drilling a low strike beyond Dewhurst into the net to the delight of the small band of travelling supporters on the away terrace.

The atmosphere inside Boston’s new Jakemans Stadium, which would no doubt have been crackling the week before with the visit of manager Paul Cox’s former club Kettering, was a little flat, despite the home fans on the terrace behind the goal doing their best to get a song or two going, while Leamington were clearly lifted by the goal.

There was a glimmer of a chance for the Pilgrims on the half hour but it was gone in an instant as Scott Pollock swiped at the ball when in a great position inside the Leamington penalty area.

Turner wasted the opportunity for another Leamington counter attack as he overcooked his pass forward after Dan Meredith had played him in, but the ball swiftly ended up behind the Brakes goal as another forward pass for the hosts was carried out of play in the wind.

Callum Hawkins had seen plenty of the ball despite not having a real save to make, and after a spot of juggling with his first touch his handling was confident, and he did well to watch a high hanging cross from the right by Brad Abbott at his far post before claiming among a clutch of amber shirts. He then got down to Boston’s first shot on target of the afternoon from Scott Duxbury on 43 minutes.

The first corner of the afternoon did not arrive until a couple of minutes into the second half, and it was won by Adam Walker. Devon Kelly-Evans whipped a vicious ball in to the six yard box which Dewhurst was forced to push away from under his crossbar.

Boston pushed upfield and forced their first corner moments later, and utilised it to the full as the ball was played in from the right, and with the Brakes defence almost statuesque the Pilgrims captain Luke Shiels stole in to power home a header to level things up and register his fifth goal in successive home games for his side.

Buoyed by the goal and with their fans finding their voices, Boston almost went ahead minutes later, Danny Elliott getting goal side of Meredith and forcing Hawkins into a save before the keeper followed up bravely to prevent Scott Pollock from firing in the loose ball.

Brad Abbott was the first name into Referee Ben Wyatt’s notebook as he scythed down Jack Edwards from behind as the Brakes captain shaped to play a pass just outside the box. Steph Morley stepped up to fire in the free kick, and forced an unorthodox save from Dewhurst.

Kelly-Evans screwed a volley over the fence into the waste ground behind Dewhurst’s goal as Walker sent in a cross following Boston’s failure to clear their lines in their left back position.

The home side were certainly more effective going forward in the second half, but Brakes enjoyed their own spells of pressure as the game edged towards its closing stages. There were plenty of little battles going on all over the pitch, particularly veteran striker James Hanson against Kyle Morrison and Jack Lane.

There was a brief flashpoint in added time when Walker and Joe Leesley collided in front of the Boston bench, who had been less than impressed with some of the decisions in the second half, but to the Referee’s credit he waited for the pushing and shoving to stop and for treatment to be administered to Leesley before showing a yellow card to Walker.

The remaining moments were played out leaving both sides to settle for a point in what was a fairly even game all told.

Attendance: 1,440 (29 Leamington)

Boston United: 28 Marcus Dewhurst, 3 Scott Duxbury, 4 Tom Platt, 5 Scott Garner (2 Matt Tootle, 46), 6 Luke Shiels, 14 Danny Elliott, 18 Brad Abbott (21 Fraser Preston, 75), 22 Joe Leesley, 23 Shane Byrne, 26 Scott Pollock, 30 James Hanson (27 Ntumba Massanka, 80).

Subs not used: 7 Andi Thanoj, 31 Ben Sault.

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Stephan Morley, Joe Clarke, Kyle Morrison, Jack Lane, Dan Turner (12 Joe Parker, 80), Adam Walker, Kelsey Mooney (17 Junior English, 88), Jack Edwards ©, Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 14 Sam Widing, 15 Callum Gittings, 16 James Mace.

Referee: Mr Ben Wyatt

Assistant Referees: Mr Tom Hales & Mr Ian Jackson

Brakes Man of the Match: Jack Lane.