Hurst happy with United rewards

Stoppage time euphoria

Boston United boss Paul Hurst was full of praise for his side after seeing the Pilgrims emerge 2-1 winners against Buxton on Saturday.

Liam Parker struck the winning goal eight minutes into stoppage time as United overcame a one-man disadvantage following Gareth Davies’ first half dismissal.

Hurst was delighted by United’s latest success, which propelled the Pilgrims back into second place in the UniBond Premier League standings.

Asked whether his team got their rewards, Hurst told bufc.co.uk: “I thought so, to be honest. Buxton did not really try to win the game and were wasting time early on.

“That was strange, because they were much the better side early on, but they took time on throw-ins and goal-kicks and their celebration (at equalising) showed how much it meant to potentially take a point home.

“You do not always get what you deserve, but we kept trying to win the game and showed lots of ambition.”

United suffered a blow on 32 minutes when Davies was shown a red card for a tussle with opposite number Michael Towey. Hurst did not see the incident, but the verdict of others left the United joint manager feeling that the red card decision was harsh.

Gareth Davies

He added: “I do not want to sit on the fence, but after Gareth had won the ball, I followed the play upfield. Supporters started complaining and I looked back, but the incident was finished by then. As soon as the ref ran over, I was concerned and rightly so as it turned out.

“Speaking to Gareth himself and having heard from some of the Buxton lads, it did not seem to warrant a sending-off. It is difficult to comment 100 percent, but from what I have heard, I have to go with my player and say it was harsh to say the least.”

Buxton were the better side early on, but the red card seemingly sparked the Pilgrims into life. Hurst felt United always held the upper hand from that point onwards.

He said: “It was not backs-to-the-wall stuff. Tom Evans was a virtual spectator for much of the match. At 10 versus 11, you expect him to have saves to make, but that did not happen.

“We never got started in the first 25 minutes. Danny (Davidson) was isolated and struggled to get into the game. That was made more difficult by the whole team being off the pace.

“However, after going down to 10 men, we battled manfully and Danny did well up front. He set the tone by chasing to win a header over the full-back and put himself about, which is what we expect of the big man.”

Hurst also felt criticism of the Pilgrims being ‘too nice’ in recent weeks had been answered by Saturday’s heroics against Buxton.

“It’s one thing that has been questioned about the lads,” added Hurst. “Are they up for a physical battle? Their ability is not in question and I think they answered their critics. The players kept pushing and competing and got their rewards right at the death.”