U’s boss John Taylor kept faith with the team that last week destroyed York City, with Luke Guttridge and Andy Duncan returning to the bench. Keeping the 451 system Tom Youngs returned to a central role just off Dave Kitson and Omer Riza moving out wide.

Any United fan that got to the game 2 minutes late will have missed the first of Kitson’s two goals, which came after just 66 seconds. In form winger Shane Tudor beat Boston’s left back Andy Lodge and managed to get an early cross in and although Tom Youngs failed to connect fully with his shot his clearance fell to Big Dave who put the ball past Bastock and into the net like a veteran. Just the start United needed just 70 seconds gone and it was Boston 0 Cambridge 1.

Just seven minutes had gone when United’s pace going forward was starting to show when referee Boyeson handed out the first yellow card of the match when Tudor again got the better of Lodge and Lodge fouled Tudor. 15 minutes had gone when Omer Riza picked up the ball, cut inside and found the side netting with his shot.

United doubled their lead just after the half way point in the half when Big Dave failed to give up on a ball which the Boston defenders were trying to see out for a goal kick. As against Rushden, Kitson kept the ball in and played the ball back to Riza, Riza then brought the ball inside and looked for the cross. The cross never reached its destination thought as the experienced Neil Redfearn got his head to the cross but thankfully his header beat Boston keeper Bastock from twenty yards. Just 23 minutes on the clock and the score line read Boston 0 Cambridge 2.

Not only had United taken a two goal lead away from home again, they had done it with only 10 men on the pitch. Psycho Fred Murray had been of the pitch for a while receiving treatment for a twisted ankle which looks like to rule him out of Tuesdays big game against Sunderland. Before the restart Murray was replaced by Andy Duncan with Terry Fleming moving to left back and Wazza Goodhind moved back to the right. Youngs had another chance for United but found Bastocks arms with his shot.

Up till now Boston had produced little to worry United, playing long balls over the top but the Boston forwards were caught offside almost every time. 43 minutes were on the clock when former Oxford player Simon Weatherstone beat the offside trap and latched onto a long ball over the top and finished cooly to get Boston back into the game. Boston 1 Cambridge 2

Half time couldn’t come quick enough for the boys in blue who had been unsettled by the goal but it could also be looked at as a positive as United seemed to have been relaxing more and more after going two up and possibly thinking of Tuesday.

Half Time Score: Boston United 1 Cambridge United 2

The first chance of the second half fell to the brother of Boston’s scorer Ross Weatherstone who hit his shot just a littlie to high from all of 35 yards. Just minutes later United fans thought the two goal lead had been restored when Tudor climbed above the Boston defender and head home a Fleming cross but the linesman already had his flag up to rule the goal out for offside.

Just over ten minutes had passed when it was the Pilgrim fans who thought they had scored when first half sub Jamie Cook thought he’d levelled things up after bringing a long ball down with his arm he went onto put the ball in the net despite the fact the referee had already blown up for hand ball. Cook’s protest against the decision brought himself a booking for dissent.

David Bridges along with just about everyone else in the ground thought he had added to Uniteds lead after 64 minutes, everyone that is except Paul Bastock who pulled off a fantastic save when Bridgo net Tudor’s cross with his head but Bastock flew across his goal and clawed the ball of the line. Boston went straight up the over end and hit Super Shaun’s post via Ross Weatherstone this time from a closer range of 18 yards.

Chances were coming at either end thick and fast, captain fantastic Paul Wanless came close when he bent a shot just round the post and Youngs could have turned the shot in but he arrived seconds to late. With 75 on the clock Neil Redfearn thought he had made up for his earlier own goal, Costello crossed and when Redfearn connected with the shot it looked like United had let a two goal lead slip again but keeper Shaun Marshall lived up to his nickname of Super Shaun by producing another world class save after seeing the shot very late and pushing the ball wide for a corner.

Ten minutes from time it was time for United fans to start biting nails again when Marshall’s goal came under fire and Boston forced a number of corners. Boston fans must still be asking how the ball didn’t go in. A Boston corner was floated in and Marshall again made a save from close range and then both Kitson and Fleming cleared attempts of the goal line.

There were just three minutes left on the clock when the hosts were reduced to ten men. Big Dave beat defender Ray Warburton who was unable to match Big Dave’s pace and pulled Kitson down on the edge of the box earning himself a second yellow card and virtually killed of Bostons chances.

United picked up two bookings in the last ten minutes when both Guttridge and Goodhind were cautioned when they were deemed to take to long over throw ins. The 90th minute arrived and up went the board saying four minutes were to be added on. This time thought United were able to keep the ball in the oppositions half and more important in the corners.

In the third minute of stoppage time Wanless won the ball in a super tackle and the ball broke free past the Boston defence and the first player to react was Dave Kitson who moved in from the right and found the back of the net despite Bastock’s lunging dive to send the travelling U’s wild with the thought of another away win and also back to back wins for the first time since March last year.

Full time and all United players and management staff applauded the travelling fans (about 700 of them) with the only down side was Fred Murray reappearing on crutches. United fans left chanting ‘Bring on the Mackems!’ ahead of Tuesdays Worthington Cup 2nd round match.

Full Time Score: Boston United 1 Cambridge United 3

Boston Bastock, Monington, Greaves, S Weatherstone, Redfearn, Costello, Elding, Lodge (Gould), R Weatherstone (Burton), Warburton, Douglas (Cook) Subs Not Used Conroy, Thompson

Cambridge United Marshall, Goodhind, Murray (Duncan), Angus, Wanless, Fleming, Kitson, Youngs, Bridges, Tudor (Guttridge), Riza (Chillingworth) Subs Not Used Tann, Brennan

United We Stand Man of the Match:
Paul Wanless Captain fantastic was back to his best and lead by example and created United’s third goal.

Other match reports
MJs Official Report
Andrew Bennetts Report
CFU Report
Boston Rivals
Official Boston

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