Boston United 2 Harrogate Town 2 Att. 1369 (23)
An equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time denied Town all three points at York Street. Boston suffered a blow in the warm up when keeper Dan Haystead sustained an injury and had to be replaced by reserve keeper Rick Drury.
Second placed Boston made the early running and Mark Cook did well to twice deny Marc Newsham. Town, with Chib Chilaka and Wayne Phillips prominent,began to dominate and took the lead after half an hour, when Adam Nowakowski seized on a mistake in the home defence, and sidefooted home from close range.
Town’s twentythree travelling supporters had further cause for celebration seven minutes later, when a deep cross from Phillips found Richard Marshall, who beat Drury with a powerful drive. The clearly rattled Pilgrims made a double substitution at half time,but it was the introduction of a third sub Spencer Weir-Daley on fiftyseven minutes that made the difference. Weir-Daley’s low drive on sixtysix minutes brough Boston back into the game, and roared on by the large crowd they began to turn the screw.
Tall central defender Shaun Pearson was pushed forward to bolster the Pilgrim’s attack and soon made his presence felt with two close headers. As the final whistle approached,Town’s Mark Cook was booked for time wasting, and Referee Mark Jones awarded five minutes added time.
Two minutes later Phillips curled a shot just wide,but unfortunately Weir-Daley forced the ball home in the ninetyfifth minute to give Boston a fortunate draw.
John Harrison.
