DAKIN BRACE

EASTWOOD CFC 0 BOSTON TOWN 2

UCL PREMIER NORTH AT CORONATION PARK

30 MARCH 2024 --- 3PM

EASTWOOD COMMUNITY V BOSTON TOWN OPENING GOAL CELEBRATIONS BEGIN

After the wettest winter weather known football clubs and fans at non league level cannot wait for a respite from the chaos this has befallen them with late postponements, backlogs of games as an aside to the general frustration this has brought on a regular basis.  However for Boston Town they have hit a rich vein of form in the last few months that they are one of the form sides in the UCL Premier Division and they would probably love the season to continue.  They proved that form here again with a 2-0 victory thanks to in form front man Lucas Dakin who netted with two headed goals.

LUCAS DAKIN HEADS BOSTON IN FRONT

Yes again the weeks downpours visited the East Midlands and with many games at the lower levels of the non league structure in doubt, already called off or reversed it was time to take up the saving grace of 3g football for the umpteenth time in recent weeks.  After an early season visit to take a look at Belper United here at Coronation Park today was time to take a viewing of Eastwood Community who sit just below the play off zone after toying with it for most of the season. 

GROUP CELEBRATION AFTER THE OPENING GOAL

Today arrival was via a cheeky taxi again on a lovely afternoon dry and sunny, but for the postponed games the damage had been done in the previous week.  Thankfully both sides were well up to speed with social media and teams were posted with shirt numbers so there was no need to go chasing team sheets.

Oh yea forgot to mention early culinary delights were supplied by the nearby Coop and it was once again all very healthy, not.

Having settled opposite the main stand with the sun shining down on my back it proved to be the right place when Boston took a fifth minute lead the dangerous long throw of Luke Wilson was deployed and with a near post flick on from Richard Ford it was Dakin who headed home with ease at the far post in a move that looked well practiced it went like clockwork.

Eastwood looked shocked and indeed struggled to get any foothold in the game as the visitors dominated and just shy have the half hour mark doubled their lead when Eastwood failed to clear an attack the lose ball was chased out down wide by Will Langford who put in a superb cross to the back post for Dakin to nod home. 

Eastwood looked deflated and at this point you could see little way back into it for them with Boston totally dominant by half time whistle.

End of season feel had certainly visited the red badgers in the first 45 minutes but a triple change at half time including what was to be an impressive appearance from Thomas Hodgkinson so much so that it would win him the man of the match performance.

The second half would prove the theory that football is a game of two halves with roles reversed Eastwood cheered everybody up but turning up to the show and becoming the dominant side in a similar fashion to Boston's first half showing.  The only difference being that the home side could not break through and that owed a debt to the visitors number one Travis Portas who pulled off two superb saves.

WILL LANGFORD CHASES DOWN TO SET UP THE SECOND

Strangely it could have been Tyler Blake also hitting a brace any other afternoon but Portas denied his header just after the re start and then a beautiful shot from the edge of the box was saved by The Poachers keeper at full length.

EASTWOOD FORCEFUL CLEARANCE

On 77 minutes Eastwood had a great chance to set up a grandstand finish when Kamani Wilson looked to put in a deflective close range effort over the line only for the wrong weight to go into his effort and it rolled away to safety across the goal.

LUKE WILSON HEADS CLEAR

The closing stages as Eastwood believed one goal may lead to another straight after keeper Samuel Wilson joined the attack for two corners but it would be Boston who would hold on with a clean sheet with thanks to those two saves from Portas.

TOP BINS

A strange match were Eastwood looked totally out of the game at half time was certainly turned round by the half time substitutions for Boston it never got nail biting but after a superb first half showing they did appear to lose a grip on their attacking game.  However three points and a clean sheet was all they could ask for in a superb finish to the season being witnessed by The Poachers fans.

KAMANI WILSON SEES HIS EFFORT GO ACROSS THE FACE OF GOAL

It was a pleasure to see a game on the 3g at Coronation Park in nice weather but I do hope before the season ends to maybe just maybe see a game on grass it may not be for a few weeks though with the continuing wet weather forecast for the next two weeks.

THE EYES HAVE IT

Return taxi saw a swift arrival at base around 5.45pm, onwards now for tomorrows Sunday League which it goes without saying will again be on 3g.

KEEPER UP FOR LAST MINUTE CORNERS