Boston United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers

Boston United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers

Pre-Season Friendly

Tuesday 11th July 2023

A midweek trip to Boston United and a pleasure to be there to witness Keaton Ward score a goal which he’ll remember for quite a while.

Having bagged twice against Step 5 outfit Boston Town on Saturday (cue a few jokes about finally finding his level), it was a case of last one out the tunnel, first one on the score-sheet in this game because his beautifully cushioned shot from the edge of the box on the quarter-hour mark; as sweet as you like, had the Pilgrims 1-0 up for a short while.

It was a goal made more special by the fact that he scored it infront of his old gaffer at Kettering last year, Lee Glover, who is now involved in a scouting capacity at Doncaster Rovers and was on the touchline for this game - and every player in football wants to score infront of their old managers!

Keats learned plenty at Kettering last year; getting regular game-time on probably the worst pitch in England - for anyone who hasn’t been, Latimer Park is a proper quagmire and Sunday League standard. The entire experience toughened him up physically (which was needed) and was good for his development and having followed his career from the highs of earning his first pro contract at Mansfield on the back of scoring a hat-trick against Morecambe in a reserve team fixture, to the fun and games in Barnsley’s U21s, plus his EFL debut away at Barrow for Mansfield two years ago and all the loans which have happened as well, I couldn’t be happier that he’s got this move. 

Playing on a better pitch with better players and in a proper environment (no disrespect intended at all to Kettering - just speaking facts here) will hopefully get the best out of him. It’s a good fit, this is his chance to ‘kick on’, he couldn’t have started pre-season any better and he’s absolutely flying right now.

Unfortunately for Boston, Keaton’s opener was as good as it got because although they looked bright in the opening stages; Jimmy Knowles (another player who was at Kettering last year and has a similar background to Keaton with his own Mansfield connections - and a top lad too) having a few bright moments including one instance where he burst away from his man down the right, they couldn’t build on their 1-0 lead.

The difference between National League North and League Two standard slowly began to show and after Joe Ironside equalised in straight-forward style when he found space inside the area, the turnaround was completed as Tommy Rowe’s shot caught a deflection and went in. And by half-time I was starting to fear the worst as Donny looked in the mood to rack up a cricket score with trialist Deji Sotona being a handful, and they’d made it 3-1 with Joe Ironside claiming it, plus they’d had other chances as well!

Both teams made changes at half-time and Rovers’ second half line-up was far more youthful with Jack Degruchy being probably the best of the bunch amongst the young lads who came on; energetic, working tirelessly in his CDM position, covering ground, being very precise with his passing and executor of some penetrative low balls and a couple of crosses too. He had a good, eye-catching 45 minutes with how he performed.

That said, it was Boston who enjoyed more of the territory and created the most chances after half-time albeit they couldn’t beat Ben Bottomley. Martin Woods, ex-DRFC midfielder back in the day and now employed in the DRFC academy set-up, shook the upright with a shot very reminiscent of one he hit in his Rovers days against Blackpool in a 0-0 draw (there’s only probably me and him who can remember that, but you can watch it here if you’ve forgotten it). And then soon afterwards, Oliver Wilson, released by Mansfield’s U18s at the end of the season just finished - and impressive in this game for the Stags about 18 months ago when I had an argument with gravity, was narrowly off-target with a header when he used every bit of his height to get on the end of a left-wing cross.

Rovers did have the ball in the back of the net up at the other end but Tavonga Kuleya didn’t look the line when he was played through so was flagged offside, and when Jack Goodman - dropping back very deep at times, slipped him through into a one-on-one with a perfectly-weighted and delicious though ball, Kuleya was this time thwarted by Boston’s young ‘keeper.

The Pilgrims were the better team in the second half and eventually got something to show for their efforts when Adam Long conceded a penalty. Martin Woods strode forward and looked as if he was about to take it initially - and I did wonder if he’d had a few flashbacks to that penalty at St James Park back in his DRFC days (ironically, the only spot-kick he’s ever missed in his career) but instead duties were left for Michael Gyasi, one of the most direct and full-on attack-minded players in the National League North last year - proven in the Kettering vs Gloucester game when he scored in injury-time, and he sent Ben Bottomley the wrong way to make it 3-2.

Ultimately, there wasn’t to be any equaliser despite five minutes of injury-time which Darren Deadman allowed, and the eventual scoreline was a fair outcome - not that pre-season results mean all that much.

Donny were better in the first half and it’s in the 30-minute period from Keaton Ward’s opener up to the half-time whistle where they showed their quality and did the damage, but Boston can still be pleased with their night’s work and at least preventing Rovers from running away with the game. They had their chances too and, combine a few players from each half’s team together, and you’ve probably got the XI for the opening day game at Buxton - although there’s plenty of time yet for Ian Culverhouse and Paul Bastock to figure it all out.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the stadium having not been since it opened - unfortunately I missed Bobby Faulkner’s appearance in a Boston shirt on trial last summer as I was up in Scotland at the time, but it’s clear the infrastructure is there for the Pilgrims to use it to attract players and get back up to the level they were before they spectacularly crashed out of the EFL in 2007.

They haven’t been higher than the National League North since those days and once the fourth stand is added behind the goal, plus if the far side terracing is ever extended, they’ll have a tidy little stadium which they can be proud about. The supporters bar at the ground - part of the Main Stand is also one of the best I’ve been in for a while; modern, clean, spacious and everything you’d want in that respect too.

All in all, an enjoyable night, good to catch up with quite a few familiar faces and see Keaton Ward score, learn about Jack Degrucy (quietly impressed up to a point) and I’ll no doubt be at a few more games at some point during the season doing it all over again.

You never stop learning in this game!

I just never want to see the yellow Nike dunks again that Keaton Ward was wearing afterwards - even if they do partly go with the Boston United tracksuit, they’re honking, and if any of his team-mates read this, they’ve got my permission to nail them to the dressing room floor!