Pilgrims 1-3 Chester City

Coca Cola League

If Sir Alan Sugar was chairman of Boston United then Steve Evans would have heard his "you're fired" catchphrase long ago. Four defeats in the last five games should be enough for anyone to spot the bullshit, but with Jon Sotnick in charge it would appear that Evans' job is safe. When Boston can't even draw at home against the team at the bottom of the table, it doesn't bode well for the remaining games. And with the precarious financial state of the club being publicised before the game, a ten point deduction for going into administration seems a real possibility and a relegation slot is now only nine points away. Never in its entire history has the club been so ineptly managed both on and off the field. With recalled defender Paul Ellender out with a virus the only changes to the side were to shuffle players between the starting line-up and the subs' bench. This time Mark Greaves and Bradley Maylett started and Alan White and Asa Hall moved on to the bench. Chester had two things that Boston lacked - pace and a tactical plan. Former Lincoln hit man Derek Asamoah looked dangerous from the start, often getting past the sluggish Boston defence. Chester almost took the lead on the quarter hour when David Artell produced a header that forced Michel Kuipers to make a good save following a free kick.

Later a long range shot by Jake Edwards was tipped round the post by Kuipers. Chester went in front just before half-time when ASAMOAH took advantage of a mix up between Kuipers and Lee Canoville that left the striker with the simple task of running the ball into an empty net. There were two changes at half-time - Maylett being replaced by Danny Thomas and Chris Holland by Peter Till. The changes made little difference as Chester soon extended their lead when ASAMOAH scored from close range following a corner. ASAMOAH got his hat-trick on the hour after a getting one on one with Kuipers as Chester broke forward. Simon RUSK got a consolation goal three minutes from the end, but that was the end of the scoring. The win gave Chester only their second success in 18 games - a sequence that includes 15 losses. The three points was just enough to lift them off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone. Boston remain eight points off the promised play-off place. After the match Steve Evans said nothing, well nothing printable - preferring to hide from the press after being booed off the pitch by every one of the remaining Boston fans in York Street.

United team: Michel Kuipers, Lee Canoville, Austin McCann, Gary Silk, Mark Greaves, Chris Holland (Danny Thomas 46), Jamie Clarke, Simon Rusk, Bradley Maylett (Peter Till 46), Julian Joachim, Lawrie Dudfield. Subs not used: Asa Hall, Alan White, Steve Melton.