Boston beaten by Brough header

By Peegs
February 15 2004

Cheltenham move up to 13th place in the league after a second half John Brough header saw off Boston United 1-0 at Whaddon Road, however Boston can count themselves hard done by to come away with nothing from the game.

There was one change to the team that drew with Kidderminster in midweek with loanee Peter Hynes starting inplace of Odejayi who dropped to the bench, if I had my way Hynes would be back up the motorway to Aston Villa afteranother quiet performance.

Boston got off to an electric start and their loan striker Adam Boyd from Hartlepool fired 2 shots wide within the first 3 minutes.

It took the Robins until the 8th minute to create the first opening on goal for the home side. Martin Devaney played a ball behing the Boston left back that Paul Brayson ran onto, he charged towards the area andswung in a low cross that for some reason Peter Hynes did not attempt to get on the end of, I think a slide towards the ball would have resulted in Cheltenham going 1-0 up.

Veteran Neil Redfearn nearly gave Boston the lead after 20 minutes, seeing Higgs slightly off his line the ex £1 million player swung in a dipping shot that went inches over the cross bar and into the away end where the 150 or so Boston fanswho made the journey were viewing the game.

Approaching the half hour mark the Robins tested Paul Bastock in the Boston goal with a few high balls into the box, John Brough had a goal bound header cleared by a defender and then when a lose ball ran to the edge of the area Bastock charged out and hacked down Mike Duff, the goalee was lucky to only get a yellow card for his troubles.

Jamie Victory headed home a set piece in the 34th minute, however the whistle happy ref decided that the Cheltenham left back had impeded his marker and disallowed the goal. You could debate whether the lead was deserved but then did we deserve to go behind versus Hull a fortnight ago?

Set piece specialist for Boston Refearn had a good opportunity in first half stoppage time with a free kick from 25 yards, however he got too much power on his shot and it went just over Shane Higgs cross bar.

H/T 0-0

As in the first half Boston started the brighter of the 2 sides, Redfearn hit a tame shot at goal from 18 yards and this was followed shortly after by a weak Boyd header when he really should have done better.

Kayode Odejayi came off the bench for the ineffective Hynes in the 53rd minute and put ina good 40 minutes of play. The ex Forest Green player got on the end of a Grant McCann free kick in the 58th minute but his powerful header went straight at Bastock, either side and it would have opened the scoring.

The Robins took the lead just after the hour mark, a short corner routine between Henry and Devaney down the right hand side saw Devaney make some space and whip in a cross which came to John Brough at the back post and he powered a header in from 6 yards.

With quater of an hour to go Boston sent on Peter Duffield for Adam Boyd, however it was the Robins who created another good chance. Kayode Odejayi who looked livelyin his 40 minute stint upfront was put through on goal down the left side by Henry, the Nigerian born defender charged towards goal but rather tamely shot and the ball trickled across goal, but he was certainly more effective than Hynes.

The moment of what was an ordinary game came in the last 10 minutes when John Finnigan hita dipping volley from fully 25 yards that hit the Boston cross bar with Bastock well beaten, if it had gone in it would have been contender for Division 3 goal of the season, a moment of true quality, but many early season would rather have Yates in the team? Strange!

Boston pressed forward in numbers heading into injury time but could not find the quality to beat Higgs. The Robins now find themselves in mid table and 11 points away from the magic 50 point mark, keep on getting down to Whaddon Road to cheer the lads further up the table.

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F/T 1-0

CHELTENHAM TOWN : Higgs, Griffin, M.Duff, Brough, Victory, Devaney, Henry, Finnigan, McCann, Brayson, Hynes (Odejayi 53)

BOSTON UNITED : Bastock, Balmer, Ellender, Beevers, Thompson, Bennett (Douglas 83), Greaves, Redfearn, Angel (Chapman 65), Jones, Boyd (Duffield 76)

Attendance 3,434