Buxton 0 Boston United 1
Unibond Premier Division
Monday Oct 5th

Silverlands is an odd place. It manages to combine the charm of rustic old school stadia, with a couple of fairly impossing stands, all the while making you think of what could be. No doubt the infrastructure is in place for a succesful team. On nights like tonight, one can see the potential.  The stadium has a capacity of 5000+, so the 350-odd hardy souls who braved the first wooly hat evening of the season were fairly rattling around the highest football ground in England. Lord only knows how it looked in the not-too-distant NCEL days, when single figure away attandances are not unknown.

One factor that continues to confuse your correspondant is the issue of pitchside drinking, and nowhere is issue murkier than in deepest, darkest Derbyshire. The welcoming clubhouse backs onto the ground, and is buttressed to the large covered stand behind one of  the goals. Patrons are free to come and go as they please, drinks in hand, and need no second invitation to do so. All very civilised. Except this action against the edits of most other clubs at this level, and lower, who expressly forbid the consumption of alcohol within the environs of the pitch, and oftentimes within sight of the pitch. It matters not one jot to me, on a personal level. But it is yet further demonstration of the inability of those at the head of our game to effectively run the operation. I am not saying Buxton are right or wrong, merely that it wouldn't hurt the Powers That Be to give definitive directions to one and all.

He wasn't so pacey on the night

Having seen Retford overturn both these teams on their own turf, I was interested to see if their game plans had changed much. And truth be told, they hadn't. Buxton tried hard, but continue to look as potent John Wayne Bobbit, whereas the visitors have the look of a half decent side, but just lack a bit of muscle. That, and a semblance of an idea of how to win games. Whilstt the hosts didn't deserve to lose, only Boston ever looked likely to win. Or indeed score. Balls were played down the channels with unerring regularity by both teams, and whilst the idea can't be faulted, the plan does require at least the formulation of the ability to cross a ball, or spot a run, once the corner flag is in proximity. With both teams lacking a winger worthy of the name, attacks all too readily petered out into goal kicks or corners, from which both keepers took full control of their areas.

The number of attempts I made at this shot does not bear repeating

Upfront for Boston was a gangly youth, who a harsher observer may compare to bambi on ice, such were the unpredictable movements of his limbs. If ever a team was set up for crosses, it was one with this guy in it. As we moved into the second half, his inability when the ball was on the deck was exposed twice in short succession, and led ultimately to his replacement. The self-same replacement who snatched the winner with five minutes to go. It was rough justice on the home keeper who,along with the skipper, had looked the class acts on the field. Certainly more classy than Buxton's number 6, who spent most the game moaning at others for his failings. Of which, I assure you, there were many. Listening to the home fans, it does not appear to be the first time, nor has it gone unnoticed.