Harriers conceded goals away from home for the first time in a league game since September 30, throwing away a two-goal lead and a seemingly comfortable three points and had to hang on for just a solitary point.
Jan Molby decided to go with a more conservative formation again playing Andy White alone in attack against one of his former clubs with Dean Bennett in the gap between attack and a four-man midfield. Boston played a very direct style of game and in the opening stages of the game forced Harriers to defend a series of long range shots. Harriers themselves made a few forays into home territory but were unable to force Paul Bastock in the Boston goal into action. Stuart Brock was called upon after 21 minutes to block a long range shot from Neil Redfearn that took a nasty bounce in front of him and he pushed away for a corner. The resulting corner was cleared and Harriers launched a quick counter-attack, Bennett carried the ball forward and found John Williams on the right, he carried on his run but Williams' low cross was just a little too far ahead of him.
Harriers took the lead ten minutes before the interval; Andy White, playing his best game in a Harriers shirt, broke into the penalty area on the left where he was brought down by Mark Greaves and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. After some waiting as if Harriers didn't know who was to take the penalty Craig Hinton stepped forward adn despatched a kick that flew in just below the crossbar to Bastoc's right with Bastock himself having dived in the right direction. In the closing minutes of the half Harriers could have doubled their advantage, Steve Burton's right wing corner was half cleared and fell to Sean Parrish who struck a 25-yard volley that went narrowly over the bar.
Shortly after the break Boston had the chance to level the scores when they were awarded a free kick 20 yards out from Brock's goal, Redfearn took the kick and blasted it well wide of the far post. Harriers then doubled their advantage; White, taking abuse from the home crowd, nipped in between the home team's central defenders as they left the ball to each other and curled a shot round Bastock into the far corner to silence his critics in the best way possible.
With a two-goal advantage Harriers seemed to ease off a little and Boston were able to force their way back into the game, another long ball from the back was not cleared properly and fell to Adam Boyd who tucked it inside Brock's left-hand post. Bouyed by good backing from their supporters the home team were on top now and nearly drew level soon after wards: a corner from the left found Paul Ellender at the far post and his goalbound header was cleared by the head of Adie Smith for another corner. Harriers did break out of their own half and went close to restoring the two-goal advantage; White broke clear on the left and his pull back picked out Matt gadsby but the latter was stretching to reach the ball and could only steer it wide of the far post.
The second Boston goal came just seven minutes after the first; again the ball came to Boyd, this time outside the penalty area, and his shot looped off Hinton and over hte stranded Brock into the back of the net. Once the scores were level there was only likely to be one winner, boston's Boyd almost completed his hat-trick seven minutes from the end but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was blocked. Harriers had no answer and were unable to create anything that would have regained them the lead, the midfield became anonymous, the industrious White suddenly found himself isolated in attack and they did well to hold on for a draw. |