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Angry Lee

Pilgrims 1-2 Doncaster Rovers

FA Cup

With their nepotistic manager seemingly failing to do the right thing over recent off the field activities it wasn't too surprising that his Boston United side failed to do the right thing on the pitch in this FA Cup encounter. With Simon Rusk out suspended and recent loan signings Michel Kuipers and Francis Green unavailable, the squad was down to the bare bones, especially following Mark Greaves failure of a late fitness test that gave Austin McCann an unexpected start. With Nathan Abbey loaned out to Leyton Orient, it also meant that teenager Chris Wright got only his second first team appearance for the club. Doncaster dominated the early play and could easily have been four up in the first ten minutes. First a long range drive by Sean Thornton only found the grateful hands of Wright, then Lewis Guy dragged his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. Lee Canoville and Stewart Talbot also had to make good blocks to keep Boston on level terms. Boston's first real attack ended when Bradley Maylett tamely headed a cross by Austin McCann towards Rovers' 'keeper Jan Budtz. Doncaster took the lead on 29 minutes after winning a free-kick 20 yards out following a foul by McCann on James Coppinger. Dave MULLIGAN produced a great strike to loop the ball over the Boston wall into the top right hand corner of the goal giving Wright no chance of making a save. Rovers continued to press and Wright had to make a good save to deny Paul Heffernan.

Early in the second half play was interrupted by the appearance of a streaker from amongst the Boston fans, who braved the cold conditions for a few minutes before being escorted away by the police. The draw for the third round was made as the second half got underway and news of an away tie at Port Vale or Bristol Rovers did little to inspire either side. Boston started the second half well, with Ben Futcher heading a free kick by David Galbraith just wide. Doncaster went two up after 57 minutes through another deadly free-kick by MULLIGAN after Futcher had brought down Heffernan just outside the area. Boston almost pulled a goal back eight minutes later when substitute Danny Thomas - on for Galbraith - supplied a superb cross to Jason Lee, but Budtz made a magnificent save to deflect Lee's header wide for a corner. Boston got a consolation in added time when FUTCHER bundled the ball home from close range. After the match Steve Evans said: ""We did have some chances and had we pulled a goal back sooner we maybe could have forced a replay. But we wouldn't have deserved it and overall we didn't do ourselves justice."

United team: Chris Wright, Lee Canoville, Ben Futcher, Alan White, Austin McCann (Lawrie Dudfield 80), Chris Holland, David Galbraith (Danny Thomas 62), Stewart Talbot, Bradley Maylett, Julian Joachim, Jason Lee. Subs not used: Paul Ellender, Rob Norris, Noel Whelan.


Match report copyright © Ken Fox 2005. Photograph copyright © Pat Everitt 2005.