Boston United 4 AFC Workington 0

It may be a little premature to be bulk-ordering the tins of Brasso, but at last we have definitive proof that Boston United can cut it at this level. Saturday’s four-goal rout of Workington, a useful side who had finished in the play-off positions last season, was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at York Street, full of pride and panache.


Even Danny Davidson was superb; playing as though he had been sprinkled with star dust and undergone metamorphosis overnight into Pele. His was a performance of drag flicks, pirouettes and soul rolls, capped with a fine 20-yard strike to open the scoring shortly before half-time. The Unit had become most useful and as long as he keeps his vice-like grip on a starting position, may this magic continue. We had just got round to slagging him off on the 40 minute mark when he produced the goal and I enjoyed my taste of humble pie, served warm with lashings of custard and a dollop of whipped cream.

Workington had been hitherto unbeaten and their small but merry band of 25-30 supporters must have made the pre-dawn departure from Scotland with great optimism. Their return trip must have seemed never-ending, on the wrong end of a pasting having seen their side’s route one approach fail miserably. Cup encounters notwithstanding, February 19th is the date of the return fixture. I might pack an overnight bag and a selection of extra-warm sweaters – it takes six hours just to get back to Sheffield on the train changing at THE NORTH in general.

Five kamikaze minutes at the beginning of the second-half proved Workington’s undoing, as Spencer Weir-Daley emerged from the shadow of his big strike partner to settle matters. First, our East Midlands homie latched on to Jamie Yates’s pass to finish at the near post before adding Boston’s third with a deft lob over goalkeeper Aaron Taylor.

Taylor made a number of fine blocks to prevent a cricket score but there was time enough for one more. Shaun Pearson can’t stop scoring at the moment and he slammed home from close range after Kieran Murphy’s header hit the crossbar. The fact both players were wearing a number five shirt must have bamboozled the defence or something. No doubt the FA will see cause to punish us for such kit room indiscretions, their minimum punishment usually being demotion and another tinpot tour of the north.

This will be my final visit to York Street until the Christmas decorations go up, so it was an enjoyable way to finish. I would like to personally thank the lads for acknowledging my return to being a student and laying on such a fine display. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll bump into each other at some away venue soon.

Having emphatically ended one unbeaten record, our next task is to halt the runaway momentum of stinking rich Alfreton Town next weekend. All of a sudden, they don’t hold quite as much fear and, off the back of this result, I’m all the more determined that my first act as a student of the University of Sheffield will be to get on a train and come half-way home again. Oh this life.

Next Match: (hopefully) Saturday 18th September – Alfreton Town vs. Boston United