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Diving - the starting position

Pilgrims 3-1 Burton Albion

Dr Martens League

The Pilgrims produced a performance today to warm the hearts of their supporters on a bitterly cold day punctuated with showers of sleet. A well advertised "surprise" saw forgotten striker Andy Kiwomya make his first appearance for the first team since coming on as a substitute in the match at Halesowen back in September. He took the place of David Norris, playing on the left wing behind the front two - Lee Power and Mickey Nuttell. For the first twenty minutes of the match it was Boston who were making all the chances. First Power broke through down the right wing and his cross had to be put behind for a corner. Then Andrew Stanhope put a shot wide following a free kick. Andy Kiwomya then gave a hint of his class. He evaded a reckless challenge from Burton's Darren Stride and broke clear down the left. He fired in a good cross, but it somehow managed to evade the incoming Boston forwards. Lee Power then turned his marker in the penalty area and his shot was only just cleared by the Burton defence. On twenty three minutes Boston gave the Brewers an early Christmas present. In no great danger, Gowshall intercepted a through ball, wrong footed Bastock and knocked the ball goalwards. Bastock made a desperate lunge to stop the own goal but could only divert the ball into the path of STRIDE, who forced the ball into the net with a diving header, at the Town End, where the Burton fans had been forced to stand by the segregation policy. Boston now started piling on the pressure in search of an equaliser. David Rennie came close when his header from a free kick forced an acrobatic save from Nick Goodwin in the Burton goal. Five minutes before half time Boston finally broke through. It was a piece of pure magic from Kiwomya.

Bastock threw the ball out to him on the left wing. First he beat one defender, then moved inside to beat another. A burst of pace saw him break clear, then he drew the keeper over to the left side of the goal before shooting but the keeper could only parry the shot into the path of Lee POWER to tap in. There were a flurry of chances at both ends before the end of the half. Stride got under a dangerously swirling cross but could only head it tamely straight at Bastock. Then Power got involved in a goalmouth scramble but couldn't find a way through to goal. Next Gary Childs ran through the heart of the defence and drilled a fierce shot just wide of the left upright. The second half was all Boston. On fifty minutes they won a penalty, when Goodwin brought down Lee Power, a crime for which he was also punished with a yellow card. Paul Wilson blasted the spot kick over the bar. Burton's joy was short lived as two minutes later Boston went in front. Kiwomya spotted Costello free on the right wing and found him with an inch perfect pass across the full width of the pitch. Costello then whipped the ball into the area and Mickey NUTTELL headed home, to send the large crowd wild. Boston clinched the points when substitute Kevin NOTEMAN rifled home a Stanhope cross with twenty minutes left on the clock. Two late substitutions saw Watts and Charles come on for Power and Childs respectively to waste a few seconds. But nothing was going to stop the Pilgrims beating their nearest rivals and going ten points clear at the top of the table.

United team: 1. Paul Bastock, 2. Joby Gowshall, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Colin Hoyle, 5. Peter Costello, 6. David Rennie, 7. Andrew Stanhope, 8. Gary Childs, 9. Mickey Nuttell, 10. Lee Power, 11. Andy Kiwomya, 12. Paul Watts, 14. Kevin Noteman, 15. Steve Charles.

Click here to see Lee Power's goal.