Harriers' season ended on a winning not with a deserved victory over Boston United at gloomy Aggborough. Goals in each half from Simon Brown and John Williams were enough to see Harriers home in a game with a real end-of-season feel to it.
Jan Molby made a number of changes to the line-up with the suggestion that some of the players were making their last appearance in a Harriers shirt while also giving a last chance for some of the out-of-contract players to impress. Stuart Brock returned for the injured John Danby while Abdou Sall came back from suspension and Scott Stamps, Matt Gadsby and Scott Rickards also were recalled.
In a bright start Harriers should have taken the lead as early as the seventh minute when a right wing cross was headed back across goal by Player Of The Season Wayne Hatswell and turned over the bar by Williams. The game soon began to degenerate, however, and although Harriers dominated possession they did very little with it until the 21st minute when they took the lead out of the blue. Simon Brown picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and struck a shot that beat Paul Bastock in the United goal but hit the post and rebounded into the net off the keeper. Soon afterwards Harriers could have doubled their advantage when Stamps and Williams combined on the left with Stamps following up to take the return pass only to drive his shot straight at Bastock.
United began to get themselves into the game and went close to an equaliser when David Nobles free kick deflected off the defensive wall and onto the crossbar with Brock beaten. Then, in the last minute of the half Steve Melton was put in on the left but his attempted lob was weak and Brock was able to tip it over for a corner.
The second half got worse; Harriers continued to enjoy the greater share of possession but still there was little end product. It was not until midway through the half that there was any action of note; Jesper Christiansen, on for the ineffective Rickards, ran on to a ball through the middle holding off the challenge of Stuart Balmer, who seemed keen to take his shirt, and knocked the ball sideways to Brown who saw his chip held onto by Bastock. Shortly afterwards a good passing move on the right wing ended with Gadsby whipping in an inviting cross from the right that just evaded the head of Sean Parrish.
The second goal came during this spell of Harriers pressure and was down to the determination of Gadsby. The midfielder picked up the ball near half-way and ran at the heart of the Boston defence beating several defenders before picking out Williams in support on the right, the striker cut inside and hit a left-foot shot that went just inside Bastock's right-hand post.
As the game and the season drew to a close Harriers could have added to their advantage at the death; Williams made a good run through the middle and set up Parrish who saw his 20-yard drive flash just over the bar and then in the last minute Christiansen received a log ball out of defence and turned and set Williams free on the right, his pace took him away from his marker and he hit a good shot that Bastock did well to hold. |