Analysis of Boston United 1 AFC Telford 1

Liam Watson's proud record of never losing a game at Boston United remained intact at full-time last night and it was a more useful point than it looked for AFC Telford United.

The two teams played out a 1-1 draw at York Street in a great advert for Skrill Conference North football and a point apiece was fair on both sides, who each had chances to win the game.

Maybe it was a point proven for the Bucks – their performance was double that of Saturday's 2-1 win at home to Workington and it was still only good enough for a share of the spoils.

On current form, Boston will be pushing to climb the leagues again rather than languishing in the bottom half of the table like last season. Ask Stockport, who were hammered 4-1 on Saturday.

And had Peter Bore not hammered home a 35-yard equaliser that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Premier League, Watson's men would have gone back to Shropshire with all three points.

He said: "It was a great goal and, sometimes, you have to put your hands up. We have one of the best goalkeepers in the league and he's been beaten from 35 yards.

"No one has got any right to question Ryan Young, at all, it was a 'worldy.' But, apart from that, it was a perfect away performance."

Telford had opened the scoring in the sixth minute on Saturday, but they were lucky not to be behind this time.

Bucks old-boy Spencer Weir-Daley had made it his mission to score against his former club and nearly did just that from Ricky Miller's cross, rattling the crossbar with his header.

If that miss wasn't bad enough, Boston really shot themselves in the foot by conceding a penalty five minutes later, after Scott Garner succumbed to pressure from Tony Gray.

Garner had the ball in his possession but lost it to Gray under pressure and crudely opted to hack the Telford attacker down, as both jostled into the penalty area.

Referee Ian Dudley pointed to the spot and, with 13 minutes gone, up stepped Sean Clancy to apply the cool finish to the right and send goalkeeper Ashley Timms the wrong way.

Telford could have been two up through Gray on 38 minutes, as left-back Chris Lever's ball from inside his own half came through cries of hand ball.

It again became a race between Gray and Garner and, for the second time, the striker had his number as he turned onto his right foot but shot wide of the far post.

It was Telford who were made to pay for missing a chance to take command, but there was little they could to stop a bullet from Bore four minutes later.

On 42, Bore picked up the ball near to the away dugout and let fly with an arrowed effort that flew past Young, at full stretch, in the visiting goal.

The Bucks threw on Adam Farrell and Matthew McGinn for Andy Owens and Charlie Barnett at half-time and Farrell nearly restored their lead with his first touch.

Clancy's lofted ball straight from the restart caused havoc in the Boston defence and nearly dropped in, but instead fell onto the foot of Gray at the far post.

Gray pulled it back to Farrell, who somehow lifted the ball over the bar with the goal gaping and Timms hesitant.

Boston had the better chances as the second-half wore on with Weir-Daley playing like a man possessed, but the end product often wasn't up to scratch.

He showed nifty footwork to dance around the Telford defence but he pulled his shot wide on 51, while Young held his near-post shot from Marc Newsham's knock down four minutes later.

Garner missed an even better chance in the 69th minute, Ross' ball from the right landing bang on his foot but his connection was all wrong and he put it wide.

Weir-Daley pulled another wide with seven minutes to go from substitute Ben Fairclough's lay off, before McGinn should have scored for Telford.

Substitutes combined as Phenix fed McGinn to advance into the area on the left and, with time and space, he shot wide of the far post from 18 yards.

Boston hit the woodwork again two minutes into stoppage time as Ben Milnes' corner evaded everyone but Garner, whose header came back off the crossbar.

Watson said: "We had chances, Tony Gray should have got a goal just before they scored. We got our tactics right and probably improved on it after half-time.

"Adam Farrell, 10 seconds after coming on, knees the ball over from two yards out. We thought we would utilise Mike Phenix for the last 20 minutes, his pace is going to be a threat.

"Then, right at the end, Matthew McGinn gets himself in a good position and puts it wide. He needs more match sharpness but it was good to get him on the pitch."

McGinn made his league debut after a one-match ban and witnessed a much-different show put on by the new-look Bucks than Saturday. A draw earned through hard work and skill. Point taken.

By Craig Birch