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Pilgrims 0-3 Rochdale

Coca-Cola League

The time has come for the good people of Boston to dust off their pitchforks, light up the torches and run the crook in charge of their football team, along with all his Lavaflow chums, out of town. Enough is enough. Any one of being a cheat, or a bully, or a liar would be good enough reason, but a comprehensive and humiliating home defeat by one of the worst teams in Coca-Cola League Two should clinch it. Evans should be kicked out now before he can bring further disgrace to the club and the town. With Lee Canoville, Brad Maylett and Simon Rusk still out injured, Boston used the same playing squad as had been defeated at Accrington a week earlier. The only change to the starting line-up was that Mark Albrighton was replaced by Paul Tait. Rochdale went in front following a corner in the seventh minute. The ball found its way to Chris DAGNELL who put it in the net from close range. Anthony Elding almost levelled the scores a few minutes later when Rochdale's keeper Matthew Gilks saw an attempted clearance bounce off the Boston striker and go just wide. Francis Green was very unlucky to see his long range effort deflected onto the bar before being scrambled away.

Rochdale increased their lead in the 33rd minute when DAGNELL lobbed the ball over Marriott from the edge off the box after getting on the end of a through ball by Gary Jones. Dagnell came close to scoring a hat-trick when he headed over just before half-time. Richie Ryan came on for Jamie Clarke for the second half as Boston switched to a 3-5-2 formation. The change resulted in some good chances being created. A penalty claim was turned down, then Tait headed wide. Rochdale defender James Sharp nearly scored an own-goal following a free kick taken by Tim Ryan, but Gilks made a fine save. Elding should have pulled a goal back near the end when put in the clear, but he fired high and wide. Rochdale completed the humiliation in the 90th minute when John DOOLAN found the bottom right corner with a well aimed shot. The defeat let Rochdale leapfrog Boston and send them down into a relegation slot with only the winless Macclesfield below them. After being booed off the pitch at the end of the match Steve Evans said: "I'm not going to resign".

United team: Andy Marriott, Jamie Clarke (Richie Ryan 46), Tim Ryan, Paul Ellender, David Farrell (Dany N'Guessan 68), Stewart Talbot, Mark Greaves, David Galbraith, Anthony Elding (Bob Davidson 87), Paul Tait, Francis Green. Subs not used: Ben Kirby, Mark Albrighton.


Match report copyright © Ken Fox 2006.