Pilgrims beaten by Hall double

Matt Bloomer and Chris Hall

Report by Craig Singleton at The Staffsmart Stadium

PICS: Tim Hoff

Boston United suffered a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday, with striker Chris Hall grabbing two goals in the first half for the visitors.

Hall struck in the 21st and 41st minutes respectively and was the difference between the two sides in a hard-fought encounter played in the swirling wind at the Staffsmart Stadium. An own goal from Mark Haran reduced the deficit in stoppage time.

Clearly a talented side, Bradford fully merited their three-point haul, but the level of gamesmanship demonstrated by the visitors was a source of frustration throughout for the Pilgrims, with persistent acts of time-wasting becoming the norm from the moment Hall had opened the scoring.

Ahead of kick-off, Boston goalkeeper Martyn Margarson was handed his full debut in the absence of illness victim Chris Wright. However, it was not the memorable debut that the former Rushden and Diamonds stopper would have been hoping for after spilling Hall’s header into the net to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Boston threatened inside the first minute, with Liam Green testing Jon Worsnop’s reflexes, following Jon Froggatt’s inviting left-wing cross.

Margarson made a routine save to deny Stuart Rudd’s close-range header, following Chris Bettney’s probing corner.

Bradford almost took the lead in the 13th minute, but Rudd’s effort-on-the-turn flew too high from 12 yards, following excellent play down the left from Roy Stamer.

Boston started to exert some pressure down the Bradford left and successive crosses from Jon Rowan and Froggatt were charged to safety by desperate Bradford defending, with Kieran Leabon ready to pounce.

Bradford took the lead in the 21st minute when Hall steered the ball home from 12 yards after Boston had failed to clear their lines from a Rudd right-wing cross. Rowan was lying injured in the Boston penalty area, but referee Geoff Law allowed play to continue and the Pilgrims were duly punished.

Martyn Margarson

Rowan was unable to continue, when treatment was finally allowed on to the field, and was replaced by Danny Matson.

Hall could, and probably should, have doubled Bradford’s lead four minutes after his opening goal, but drilled tamely at Margarson after surging through.

Bradford continued to hold the upper hand and Stamer drilled wide from 20 yards, as the visitors looked well set to add to the scoreline. Their dominance continued with Mark Haran flicking a header wide of Margarson’s far post, from Bettney’s inswinging free-kick.

Bradford missed a gilt-edged chance in the 37th minute, with Hall heading over from six yards, following good work from Rudd and Stamer.

Hall did double Bradford’s lead four minutes before half-time when his six-yard header squirmed through Margarson’s grasp, following Stamer’s corner.

The Pilgrims made a change at half-time, with Wes Parker replacing his brother Liam in a straight swap at right-back. United were far livelier after half-time, but struggled to find a way through the stubborn Bradford rearguard.

Boston were almost back in the game on 57 minutes when Froggatt let fly from 35 yards, but his effort drifted just wide in the wind.

Ryan Clarke went close when he got between Carl Ruffer and Hall to nod Green’s corner wide. Moments later, good play down the left from Leabon and David Farrell afforded Ollie Ryan a shooting chance, but Worsnop saved well at his near post.

The Pilgrims made their final change when Lee Beeson replaced fellow sub Matson, who had sustained an injury in an innocuous clash with Mark Hotte.

Farrell produced a fabulous cross to create an opening for the Pilgrims and Green was denied from 20 yards, before Worsnop parried well to deny Froggatt’s follow-up.

The Pilgrims surged forward with five minutes left on the clock and Ryan was only denied by a terrific block from Haran.

Haran put the ball into his own net in the second minute of stoppage time to give the Pilgrims late hope, but it was too little, too late, especially after Froggatt headed wide from Farrell’s cross.

Kieran Leabon

Boston (4-3-3): Martyn Margarson; Liam Parker (Wes Parker 46), Ryan Clarke, Matt Bloomer, David Farrell; Steve Melton, Jon Rowan (Danny Matson 23, Lee Beeson 68), Liam Green; Kieran Leabon, Ollie Ryan, Jon Froggatt. Subs (not used): Stewart Talbot, Adam Millson.

Bradford PA (4-4-2): Jon Worsnop; Darren Hockenhull, Carl Ruffer, Mark Haran, Mark Hotte; Chris Bettney (Tom Baker 52), Stuart Graves, Steven Connors (Ged Murphy 51), Roy Stamer (Mike Moseley 75); Stuart Rudd, Chris Hall. Subs (not used): Luke Gibson, Neil Hall.