City kicked off the game but it was Boston who had the first chance when Green won a corner after just a minute but Marriott was well prepared and caught it easily. A midfield battle filled the first 5 minutes of the game but then after a few minutes, City won a free kick about 30 yards out, Mayo’s cross took a deflection into Andy Marriott’s arms. Beevers caused trouble in the Boston box but Stallard’s eventual effort was poor and Boston took the ball up the other end and won a corner, it came to nothing.

The game’s first talking point came when a Frecklington chance was cleared by Ellender but he kicked it in the direction of Andy Marriott who caught the ball, technically this is a back pass but the referee deemed it to be unintentional. The game slowed and a Richie Ryan injury with just under 20 minutes gone saw a break in play before Boston won 2 wasted corners. 5 minutes later and Frecklington came close to scoring but the young midfielder was brought up for a foul by Andy Marriott.

Unsurprisingly, a City corner went straight into the arms of Andy Marriott. Beevers and Albrighton were lucky to avoid yellow cards after a fight broke out between the two. Kerr laid a free kick off to Mayo who sent a hard shot along the ground and it appeared to change direction several times but Marriott made a good save to prevent City from taking a lead.

Hughes wasted a good chance when Kerr played him one on one with Marriott but Hughes tried to lob the keeper but shot miles miles over the net when he had time in his favour. Former Imp Francis Green tangled the legs of several defenders but could only send his shot straight at Marriott. Hughes was booked just before half time for a tackle from behind on N’Guessan despite taking the ball.

Lee Beevers prevented an embarassing goal against the Imps as Marriott and Morgan mis-communicated from a cross and Marriott dragged Morgan to the ground as Francis Green chipped the ball over the 2 and it was heading goalwards before Beevers’ lunging header sent it out for a corner. The referee then blew for half time.

Tim Ryan should have scored within 90 seconds of the restart but he wasted a good chance from 25 yards out. Green then flicked a header wide of the target. Then came the game’s turning point as Hughes crossed the ball in and Andy Marriott missed the ball, it fell to Lee Beevers and with an open goal and time to spare, Beevers shot and the away end started celebrating.....just as the ball trickled past the post and everyone associated with the Imps held their head in their hands in disbelief that an easy chance like that could be missed.

Albrighton was booked for his umpteenth foul on an Imps’ play but within a minute and he was celebrating. A Boston long ball found it’s way to Green, he turned and shot and Marriott got his hands to it and it appeared he’d stopped the ball, he allowed the ball to squirm between his arms and it slowly trundled over the line and it was 1-0 to Boston.

Within a few minutes and City thought they’d equalise when Forrester pounced on a mistake to slot home but the referee had already raised his flag and within a matter of seconds, Amoo replaced the seemingly useless Eaden. Jeff Hughes then got in the way of Stallard, causing the striker to hurry his shot from an angle and he could only hire wide.

Green, who’d be struggling with an injury for the past 10 minutes was then replaced by Davidson. Moses headed a Kerr free kick over and City’s luck appeared to have deserted them and with the midfield seeming content to give the ball away at every opportunity, the defence had to be on their toes. With 5 minutes left and City’s fans of getting a goal faded as Ollie Ryan was brought on, the only consolation in coming on was he was replacing Hughes who appeared to be at the centre of all City’s mistakes. Gritton also replaced Beevers, who despite his miss, had been one of the better players for City.

Gritton was booked before the referee blew for full time and yet another run was ended at Boston.

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