Pilgrims 3-0 Kidderminster Harriers

Coca Cola League

With their tiny squad already depleted by injuries to David Noble and Lee Thompson and Paul Ellender serving the second game of his two match suspension, the last thing the Pilgrims needed was to see striker Jason Lee sent off just before half-time after head-butting Harriers' captain Mark Jackson. But a very poor Kidderminster side - containing former Pilgrims Tom Bennett and Mark Rawle - effectively gave up their place in the Football League with the only sign of a fight being the brawl leading up to Lee's dismissal. Boston began with two seventeen year olds and a 38 year old on the bench - schoolboy Lewis Brooks making his first appearance on the first team sheet, joining Rob Norris and assistant manager Paul Raynor. Boston opened the scoring on the quarter hour. Chris Holland played a superb through ball to send Danny Thomas surging down the left wing. Thomas crossed the Jermaine EASTER who stroked the ball home from six yards out. Kidderminster then tried hard to get back into the game. Nathan Abbey had to make a good save to keep out a header from Wayne Hatswell, then Mark Rawle shot wide of the post after getting on the end of a knock down from Blair Sturrock. Boston increased their lead on 28 minutes when Jason LEE stabbed the ball home at the far post after Brad Maylett's corner had been nodded on to Lee by Austin McCann.

Boston soon almost went three up when a shot by Easter was stopped by keeper John Danby and Jason Lee's follow-up header went over the bar. Three minutes before half-time Lewis Brooks swapped school homework for Football League action when he took to the field to replace the injured Alan White. Then in stoppage time came the altercation between Lee and Jackson that saw the Boston side reduced to ten men. With their extra man Kidderminster had the most of the early chances in the second half. Sturrock, Dean Keates and Mark Rawle all came close. Boston however wrapped up the points when MAYLETT turned Hatswell inside out before driving the ball home into the bottom corner. Right at the death Abbey denied Mark Rawle a consolation goal as Kidderminster almost certainly confirmed their relegation back to the Conference. After the match Steve Evans commented: "I feel sorry for them, but football's a ruthless business and I don't think I'll be thinking about them tomorrow because they wouldn't be thinking about us if it had been in reverse."

United team: Nathan Abbey, Dean West, Alan White (Lewis Brooks 42), Austin McCann, Brad Maylett (Rob Norris 90), Simon Rusk, Jermaine Easter (Daryl Clare 65), Chris Holland, Danny Thomas, Jason Lee, Courtney Pitt. Subs not used: Paul Raynor, Stephen O'Donnell.