Harrogate maintained their unbeaten record at York Street with an emphatic win over a hapless Boston United who were detained in their dressing room by irate manager Graham Drury for over an hour after the game.
Simon Weaver rang the changes before last night’s game,giving starts to Robbie Youhill and Danny Forrest and restoring Chib Chilaka into the attack.
Determined to put Saturday’s defeat behind them,Town roared into the attack.Within minutes Youhill shot over after fine work by Lee Elam and Paul Bolland, and Chilaka fired Adam Nowakowski’s through ball at Boston keeper Dan Haystead.
The overworked Haystead then made a one handed save to deny Chilaka,but no one was at hand to force home the loose ball.
Alan White got into the act when he headed a Dave Merris free kick narrowly wide, but after twenty minutes the anticipated goal arrived.
Youhill drifted out to the left wing and created an opening for Forrest, his fierce drive was spilled by Haystead and Chilaka stabbed home from close range.
Boston’s isolated attacks were easily dealt with by Town’s solid defence, although Craig MacGillivray was called upon to turn a dangerous Spencer Weir-Daley header round the post.
Paul Beesley was introduced to replace the injured Elam after 34 minutes,in Town’s only substitution of the match.
Normal service was soon resumed however, with the unmarked Chilaka heading a Merris free kick wide and Nowakowski having a goalbound header blocked on the line by Ben Milnes.
A one sided half ended with Boston’s Gary Silk and Tom Ward both needed to block Chilaka’s close range effort.
The Pilgrims came out with more purpose after the break.
Marc Newsham turned Shane Killock, but shot wide, and then ex Townie Ian Ross hit a free kick straight at MacGillivray.
Town doubled their lead on the hour when skipper Paul Bolland, who was having an impressive game,squared to Youhill, who made ground down the middle before releasing the overlapping Dwayne Samuels whose low cross was swept in by Chilaka.
Town’s task was made considerable easier with 12 minutes left when sub Charley Sanders,who had only been on the field nine minutes, was red carded for violent conduct,after elbowing, Shane Killock.
Perversely, this heralded the Pilgrim’s best period,as the ten men took the game to Town.
MacGillivray made a brilliant save from a Ross free kick and Killock and the keeper then combined to block the resulting corner on the line.
In the final minute of normal time,Town failed to clear a raid down the left, and Marc Newsham sidefooted past MacGillivray.
However, it was to little to late, for Boston and Town easily negotiated the three minutes stoppage time to record a welcome victory.
Town 1 MacGillivray, 2 Samuels, 3 Merris, 4 Bolland (c) 5 White, 6 Killock, 7 Youhill,
8 Nowakowski, 9 Chilaka, 10 Forrest, 11 Elam (Beesley 34)
Unused subs 12 Baker,14 Bolder,15 Bloomer, 16 Dean
Scorer Chilaka 20,60
Bookings nil
Attendance 770 (11)
