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Boston United have faced fellow Lincolnshire rivals Scunthorpe United many times over the years. Up until Scunthorpe joined the Football League in 1950, both sides played in the Midland League, and since then there have been frequent encounters in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup. This classic game comes from the end of the 1956/7 season when the two sides met in the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup. Boston had had a successful season, finishing in third place in the Midland League, well behind Rotherham United Reserves and runaway leaders Peterborough United. In the FA Cup they had reached the 1st round proper, where they had come up against League opposition in the form of Bradford Park Avenue. A narrow home defeat in front of a crowd of 8794 had prevented further progress. To reach the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup they had already disposed of one League side, having beaten Grimsby's regular Second Division side earlier in the season. They now faced Scunthorpe United's full Division Three North side, who had finished the season in 14th place, in the final.
Boston took a bit of time to settle in the first half, but once they did, they produced the better football. An early scare occurred when defender Tommy Deans tried to dribble around Doug Fletcher and lost possession, but fortunately the Scunthorpe forward then shot wide. Andy Graver then almost won a penalty when he was brought down by Jack Brownsword on the edge of the area, but the referee adjudged it was outside the box. The resulting free kick was wasted by a poor delivery that saw the ball sail above everyone's heads and out for a throw-in on the far side of the pitch. Scunthorpe now had a chance when John Davies headed goalwards, but Ray Middleton made a fine save. In the 34th minute Boston took the lead when Derek CLARK scored with a well taken goal with the Scunthorpe defenders fruitlessly appealing for an offside decision. Boston finished the half well on top with good chances to increase their lead. First Scunthorpe keeper Ken Hardwick had to rush out of his area and head the ball clear of the incoming Brian Dunn. Then, following a clever piece of play by Graver, Johnny Birkbeck's header looked set for a goal, but Hardwick managed to make the save. There was a sensational start to the second half. Tommy Lowder lobbed a ball into the Scunthorpe goalmouth, and there didn't appear to be any danger, but the home defence got itself in a mess and as Hardwick rushed out, Alan BUSHBY chested the ball into his own net. The Boston goal now came under constant pressure as Scunthorpe tried to reduce the deficit and get back into the game. The Boston side was pegged back for long periods, but Scunthorpe's attack couldn't find a way through. They won thirteen corners in this half, but it wasn't until a minute from the end that they pulled a goal back when Len SHARP finally got the ball into the net. But straight from the kick-off, a raid down the right wing ended with Brian DUNN scoring a simple goal to make the cup safe. At the end of the match Mr. Matt Brewer, chairman of the Lincolnshire Football Association, presented the cup to Boston.
Scunthorpe Utd: 1. Ken Hardwick, 2. Brian Whitnall, 3. Jack Brownsword, 4. Len Sharp, 5. Brian Heward, 6. Alan Bushby, 7. John Davies, 8. Andrew McGill, 9. Doug Fletcher, 10. Ron Waldock, 11. Mervyn Jones.
Boston Utd: 1. Ray Middleton, 2. Geoff Snade, 3. Tommy Deans, 4. Don Hazledine, 5. Dave Miller, 6. Tommy Lowder, 7. Andy Graver, 8. Derek Clark, 9. Johnny Birkbeck, 10. Geoff Hazledine, 11. Brian Dunn.
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