Photo by Tom Poole
York City were beaten by Boston United for the second time this season, on Saturday afternoon.
Tyrese Sinclair gave City an early lead with an incredible strike, but Connor Teale ensured that the hosts were on level terms going into the break.
The second half saw Jimmy Knowles turn the game around with a finish into the top corner to edge Boston in front, before Jacob Hazel came off the bench to put the nail in the coffin.
Following Tuesday’s excellent 2-0 win at Oldham, manager Adam Hinshelwood made three changes to the starting eleven, with Josh Stones, Billy Chadwick, and Ricky Aguiar coming in.
The Minstermen got themselves ahead after just seven minutes, Sinclair scoring with an unreal 35-yard strike.
A good build-up saw Ollie Pearce receive the ball centrally and play an accurate pass over to Sinclair on the right, who cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the top corner.
On the hunt for an equaliser, the Pilgrims won themselves a corner, and after Callum Howe headed clear initially, Frankie Maguire latched onto it and drove one wide of the post.
City had more of their own chances to add to the advantage down the other end around the twenty-minute mark, with Pearce shooting off-target on the turn and Alex Hunt’s dangerous cross forcing Cameron Gregory to divert over the bar.
Boston weren’t making it easy for York though, demanding a couple of unbelievable reflexes out of Harrison Male.
Firstly, Jimmy Knowles hit his shot into the ground, requiring the goalkeeper to tip the looping effort over the top.
The resulting corner caused mayhem in the box, as it bobbled around for a few seconds before the eventual effort was deflected wide for a second set-piece.
This one also saw the hosts go close, as Dylan Hill kept the chance alive, knocking it back into the mixer where a yellow shirt was waiting to head at the target from point-blank range, however once again, Male reacted excellently to somehow prevent the ball from going in.
There was only so much that City’s number one could do before the leveller came in the 28th minute. Teale brought the ball down inside the box, and fired home into the bottom corner.
That goal would send the sides in as equals at the break, despite good chances coming the way of the Minstermen.
Pearce’s close-range strike was well blocked by the leg of the Pilgrims’ stopper, before Malachi Fagan-Walcott had an attempt cleared off the line.
An injury during Boston’s goal forced a half-time chance – Rory Watson replaced Male between the sticks.
The substitute ‘keeper was quickly called into action in the second half, having to pull off a one-on-one save against Knowles.
Boston then turned the game on its head, and found the lead in the 67th minute – the ball was played across to Knowles in the area, who smashed into the top corner.
They could have made it three soon after, through Coates and his low strike which rolled wide across goal.
Multiple Minstermen changes were made in an attempt to claw back, but John-Lewis could only offer a tame header straight into the arms of Gregory.
Hazel came off the hosts’ bench to put the game to bed in the 86th minute, steering home from an angle, potentially helped in by a white shirt sliding in, condemning City to a second league defeat against Boston this season.
BOSTON UNITED: Gregory, Green, Woods © (78’ Richards), Rowe, Teale, Gallagher (88’ Gallagher), Knowles (80’ Hazel), Maguire (88’ Weston), Mills, Hill, Gale (73’ Coates).
UNUSED SUBS: Marriott, Donaghy.
YORK CITY: Male (46’ Watson), Howe ©, Sinclair, Hunt, Pearce, Chadwick (74’ John-Lewis), Aguiar (68’ Batty), John (68’ Nathaniel-George), Felix, Stones (68’ Armstrong), Fagan-Walcott.
UNUSED SUBS: Hernandez, Grumley.
ATTENDANCE: 2,362 (606 away fans).
