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Grantham Town 2
Boston United 1
Grantham Town made it five wins out of five with a solid victory over Boston United as their pre-season campaign continued to gain momentum.
It was a good workout for both sides, with an unrelenting pace throughout despite a quite warm, muggy Meres atmosphere.
The Pilgrims made nothing of a few early set-pieces and it was Jamie McGhee who ignited the fuse to put Town in front in the 17th minute, with a fine individual effort beating keeper Sam Vince from all of 20 yards.
The Gingerbreads had a chance to double their lead within two minutes, but Deon Meikle was unable to get a shot off from close range. And Paulo Pillerio had the ball in the net on 25 minutes but the flag was already up for offside.
Grantham goalkeeper Dan Haystead deftly plucked a good cross by Niall Delahoy to safety in the six-yard box, with Charley Sanders breathing down his neck.
Town’s search for a second goal continued in the 27th minutewith Pillerio stabbing a short cross into the 18-yard box where Greg Smith rushed in but knocked the ball over the target. Four minutes later, Smith shot off target again after a good build-up by Massiah McDonald.
Speculative efforts came from Grantham’s McGhee in the 33rd minute and Boston’s Elliott Green three minutes later, but both missed the target from distance. Haystead kept Town in front going into half time, saving with his feet when one-on-one with Ricky Miller.
Despite multi-substitutions at half time and more throughout the second half, the game continued in the same vein with Grantham generally dominating.
Emeka Nwadike put his half-volley over as Boston struggled to clear their lines five minutes into the second period, and United failed to equalise three minutes later when Indi Aujla curled his free kick over the wall land the bar.
The Pilgrims drew level on 55 minutes when Miller opened up the Town defence and slotted past the Grantham keeper when one-on-one.
Boston looked to capitalise on their goal, with Billy Bennett whipping in a corner kick across the face of goal in the 58th minute, but Sanders was unable to get the slightest of touches it would have needed.
Grantham substitute Kallum Smith’s 70th minute back header forced a good dive from Vince, although the linesman’s flag had already saved United, and another Smith strike, a low screamer, brought another good stop from the Boston keeper.
The Gingerbreads re-established their lead in the 77th minute. Karl Demidh lined up his 25-yard free kick to the left of the penalty area and his effort managed to elude his own players, the Boston defence and keeper, and drop into the bottom corner of the net.
Grantham went close to increasing the advantage three minutes later when Rhys Lewis headed Sam Purcicoe’s cross just over the bar.
Boston’s keeper denied Nathan Watson from close range in the 82nd minute, and Town’s final real attempt on goal saw Adie Hawes’s header go not far off target from a corner kick.
Grantham Town: Haystead, Kean, Ridley, Meikle, Lister, Nwadike, Towey, Pillerio, McDonald, G. Smith, McGhee. Subs: Purcicoe, Hawes, Demidh, K. Smith, Lewis, Watson, Chambers, Graham, Turner.