Changes

Boston United 1-0 Gateshead (National League)

I spent a lovely morning on Monday meeting the daughter and granddaughter of a former Nottingham Forest footballer who served in World War II for the Royal Navy, Arthur Hedley Williams was a seaman who also played for Bilsthorpe Colliery and Huthwaite CWS winning the Notts Alliance league title with both. I wrote a full article on the Nottingham Sport website about his amazing story which can be read here.

Boston United are undergoing change. They have a new manager in Paul Hurst and are slowly building a new team with recent top quality acquisitions. Defender Jake Rooney comes in on loan from Derby County, as does Jamie Grimes from Chesterfield, whilst goalkeeper Andrew Wogan has signed from Stockport County on loan, Tom Cursons makes up the temporary fillings from Harrogate Town. He scored the winner last time out in a 1-0 win over Sutton United.

It's all change at bottom of the table Gateshead too. Rob Elliot has been recently re-appointed as boss and since the last time I saw them play in November at Forest Green, only a couple of faces have survived, star player Kain Adom since moving to Burton Albion, Levi Amantchi, Mark Beck, Ben Radcliffe the most recently added, they have several tonight, who formerly played for Boston United, Brad Nicholson, Keaton Ward, Billy Chadwick, amongst those to previously play in black and gold.

Gateshead's form is poor, 14 matches they have lost in a row since beating AFC Wimbledon in the first round of the FA Cup on 1st November 2025. Over three months of dire straits. They were beaten by Hartlepool last time out 2-1, despite winning the game up until the 81st minute following a twelfth minute Louis Storey goal. That was before the same player got himself sent off.

The Venue

I'm off tonight with a 5pm check on my phone for cancellations, weather hasn't been too bad in these parts over the last couple of days and Boston's new pitch holds up pretty well, so no plans for inspection and I'm confident we'll get a game on, although as I hit Grantham there's fog in the air. I have suffered fate previously at Boston after making a similar journey East which was eventually called off for bad visibility last year.

Luckily all clear by the time I reach Wyberton where I pull up on a side street of recently built houses and walk across to the stunning new Jakemans Stadium, I was only here in January but already works on their empty space behind one goal is taking place, a huge structure that almost dwarfs the rest of the ground is being erected in steel, supposedly it'll hold a gym and function room and at a cost of over £4m will completely finish off this wonderful modern venue.

The Game

I've been told to take a look at Gateshead's Ethan Fitzgugh tonight but he's not in the matchday squad. The visitors starting with an attacking formation which at times feels like 4-2-4 as Aidan Elliott-Wheeler gets forward from right back, Billy Chadwick is an out and out winger on the left, with two big men in attack, Beck and Amantchi, but the gaps in midfield are huge, Jacob Butterfield and Tyrelle Newton dropping deep to get on the ball as goal kicks go short into their centre halves.

Gateshead look to play at every opportunity, mostly in their own third, but don't look particularly good at it. They concede an early free kick on five minutes and as I look down to note that Dylan Hill as gone off temporarily with an injury, I hear a roar as apparently Matty Carson crosses in to Tom Cursons who heads home.

There's a bit of debate about who scored the goal but the radio commentators are confident behind me, crediting Cursons with his second in as many matches since signing on loan.

The game opens out, I'm impressed with the numbers Boston get forward, more attacking these days under Paul Hurst than they were under previous manager Graham Coughlan, Jordy Hiwula is having his best game under my watch up front, Ken Aboh is brilliant on the right, technically superb, physically strong with pace to burn.

The best 'other' opportunity of the half coming when Lincoln loanee Oisin Gallagher takes aim from outside the box, his brilliant thunderbolt right foot drive tipped over by Jameson, Gallagher also has a less lethal attempt on his left foot later that also tests the keeper.

The Score

Boston have several chances in the first half, they hit a post when a spot of pinball has the ball bouncing in the box, Gateshead's best is early on when Beck forces Wogan into a fantastic save from a good header, the Stockport loanee also reacting to end a break which shown promise when Newton was running through.

I'm expecting more open action in the second half but don't really get it, Boston in managing the game, are happy with their lead, they let Gateshead have the ball but chances are few and far between, and in the end it's a home win. A second back to back one nil thanks to Tom Cursons.

The Stars

Boston are terrific defensively and in Jake Rooney, on loan from Derby, they have a youngster who's combative, he dealt with the tricky Mark Beck very well, and aged 22 looks like a footballer who'll have a good career in the game, his family name after all bodes very well.

Next to Rooney at centre half, the experienced Jamie Grimes came in on loan from Chesterfield, he's a player I have always liked, not really getting a sniff these days at the League Two club he's 35 and one that might give some solid service at this level for another year or two.

Matty Carson at left back was good, getting a good run of games now, he's one of the best players in the Pilgrims team when it comes to delivery, a lovely left foot and set piece specialist.

Whilst United's midfield was its workmanlike self, organised and unspectacular, Oisin Gallgher and Jordan Richards working very well behind Dylan Hill, they were lively up front with Jordy Hiwula playing a central figure, he combined well with Ken Aboh who's on loan from Norwich City and is a player who I think can achieve big things in the game.

For Gateshead, they didn't play great, but they didn't play badly, perhaps missing a bit of time to understand each others needs, a new team made up in a matter of weeks, and you can tell by some of the moments in the match, that they don't quite read off the same page just yet.

Left back David Ferguson played centre half, he took corners on the right wing, right back Elliott-Wheeler was often as high as the likes of Beck and Amantchi in attack, centre mid Tyrelle Newton would often come and collect the ball deep in his own half, Jacob Butterfieild quiet, again, far too deep for a midfielder.

I do like the two strikers, Mark Beck was very good, Levi Amantchi hit and miss, whilst sometimes the ball bounced off his chest, he's certainly a player who's difficult to contain.

Gateshead did look lively down the left with Billy Chadwick willing to run at his opponent, and despite wanting him to be a little higher positionally, I did really like the look of Newton who's a good young talent.

The Verdict

It seems certain now that Gateshead will go down, to me they need to find their identity again, before being able to sit on a par at the National League table, they pass it in their own third, but their best assets are two big men who probably want it played up to them, they can't be both, it all feels like round pegs in square holes.

As for Boston, a changing place, they are certainly heading in the right direction right now, up to fourteenth in the table, they are a good eight points ahead of relegation worries, eleven points off the playoff places.

The Teams

Boston United: Andrew Wogan, Connor Teale, Jake Rooney, Jamie Grimes, Matty Carson, Jordan Richards, Oisin Gallagher, Ken Aboh (Marcel Lavinier 87), Jordy Hiwula (Frankie Maguire 66), Dylan Hill (Kieren Donnelly 66), Tom Cursons (Liam Waldock 89).

Gateshead: Pete Jameson, Aidan Elliott-Wheeler (Ethan Moore 76), Ben Radcliffe (Kenton Richardson 88), David Ferguson, Brad Nicholson, Tyrelle Newton (Harry Chapman 86), Jacob Butterfield (Dom Telford 86), Keaton Ward, Billy Chadwick, Mark Beck, Levi Amantchi (Sam Bowen 76).

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 10th February 2026, Jakemans Stadium, Boston (att 1,365).