Potato Farm

Boston United 0-1 FC Halifax Town (National League)

A club I have frequented plenty in recent seasons is Boston United, who opened their National League campaign at the weekend with a 3-2 win at Aldershot.

Graham Coughlan has a much changed team from the one that did well to survive relegation during the last campaign, their successful return to level five of the pyramid, they do have injuries to several key players but have acquired smartly in the summer window, and hope to be well clear of danger this time around.

Halifax finished last season in sixth place but were hammered 4-0 in the playoff quarter finals by Oldham Athletic who would go on to gain promotion back to the Football League. Manager Chris Millington departed off the back of that result and newly appointed is Adam Lakeland, who joins from Kings Lynn Town and with him, a couple of Linnets players making the step up from National League North. A tough start however for the Shaymen who have lost both their league matches (at Braintree & Wealdstone) so far.

I'm leaving my house at 5pm to take the A52 towards Grantham, a ring road being built south linking the A1 to the A52 across Lincolnshire is currently under construction, but not yet ready, so I'm stuck in traffic midst Grantham town centre before making my way East towards the Wash, ironically the same route (bit shorter) I took on Friday afternoon as I treated the wife to a Mariah Carey concert at Sandringham.

The Venue

I've pulled up at half six, lucky enough to park in my usual spot across the way, but it's busy in Wyberton as home fans head to the Jakemans Stadium for the first time in the league this season. Originally they were supposed to play Morecambe on the opening weekend of the campaign, but the Shrimps have had their well-documented troubles, luckily though it seems like they will be able to continue after relegation last spring, that game with Boston, still to be re-arranged.

So as it's the first of 23 guaranteed home matches, it feels there's a buzz about the town, everyone getting to ground early doors after a long layoff over post and pre season.

The skies are grey, a bit of drizzle in the air, for the first time since returning to football from my short summer off, it feels like the nights are starting to draw in, the winter is coming and the chills are just around the corner.

I'm through a busy grey car park and indoors to collect my ticket. "You're the last on my list" says a chirpy young girl behind the glass-windowed counter. "Everyone else has already collected theirs". Over an hour to go, it seems everyone is here chomping at the bit.

Inside the modern three sided venue I grab some food, as I love the pie, chips and gravy here, so much so I was thinking about it all journey. I don't know if the chips are locally sourced from one of the many flat fields of potato farms across Lincolnshire or nearby Norfolk, but they taste crisp, with a crunch on bite, are earthy, nicely cut, not too thick, not too thin, the pie may not be pukka, but is more than adequate, meaty and tasty, pastry not too thick, then there's gravy watered down so wet you could probably bathe in it. It's probably a bit too runny in fact, as I take an extra napkin to stop the dripping down the sides of the plastic tray.

Fed and oiled with a cup of tea which is lukewarm at best, I'm up to my seat where I see a local scout, who's a Grimsby fan, he always covers games here and I last seen him last season so it's been a while, he's buzzing because his team have got Manchester United in the League Cup next week. He then tells me of his sides Incredible feat, apparently Wolves v Grimsby in a 1939 FA Cup semi final is the most attended game ever, at Old Trafford. I'm more shocked that in their history, Grimsby have actually reached the FA Cup semi-final.

The Game

The ground has filled nicely and although there's only 95 Halifax fans it's a good atmosphere inside having started with a touching tribute and minutes applause to celebrate the life of former Pilgrims president John Blackwell who served the club between 1978-2016, as the drizzle continues to give the pitch some added zip ahead of kick-off.

Under the lights, Boston start well, in their amber and black Wolverhampton Wanderers style kit. Halifax in all white with purple(ish) trim, not quite Real Madrid, but similar, perhaps, hit back with a succession of corners, and on the break they race down the left through the electric 21 year old David Kawa who beats young defender Ben Grist to the ball, before crossing low to Josh Hmani, one of Adam Lakeland's King's Lynn connects, who arrives late to slide home from his central attacking midfield position.

Another former Linnet is Cody Johnson who looks neat in defensive midfield, he's mopping up everything around him as Boston push for a leveller but are often denied by good defending. The Pilgrims best canter into opposition territory is when Lenell John-Lewis gets the better of Jevon Mills, so much so the young defender has to come off suffering a serious looking shoulder injury. John-Lewis racing into the box before firing a shot low saved and put behind by Sam Johnson.

The Score

At half time there's a feel that Boston have dominated without really penetrating the Halifax defence. In Mills replacement, Adam Adetoro is now on the field, he's big, no nonsense, defends the basics and enjoys his battle with John-Lewis, aerially he's dominant and it's taken the strain off the pressure building from Boston's experienced front man.

Dylan Hill is orchestrating, Greg Sloggett battling away, Boston have a lot of the ball but never look like scoring in the second half. I'm impressed with how Halifax have defended following two disappointing defeats, but less so with each sides attacking qualities on show. The visitors perhaps the nearest side to netting another, but neither keeper is hardly troubled again.

The Stars

Boston do have a lot of injuries, thinking Zak Mills, Jacob Hazel, Frankie Maguire, and new signing Michael Kelly to hand. In Connor Teale I really like their young centre half but playing left of a three without any experience (like Mills besides) to talk him through the game, meant it was a tricky evening for him. Ben Grist on the opposite side, only 20 years old, recently signed from Leicester City, also looked to have quality, tall, leggy, good carrying the ball forward, but he was perhaps at fault for the goal, not getting near enough to the speedy Kawa.

The Halifax winger impressed with his positivity, always looking to beat his man on the outside and get a ball into the box, which worked perfectly for Josh Hmani's goal. The former Southport midfielder had an underwhelming time at King's Lynn, I spoke to one old supporter at the Walks last season who was far from impressed, but he looks to have found his place with freedom of Halifax. Getting forward, getting on the ball, he takes all the set plays.

Behind Hmani, a familiar face from last season was his own ex-Lynn teammate Cody Johnson, scruffy haired, the 20 year old plays a role beyond his years. Off the ball brilliant, destructive, on it simple, constructive, he got around the pitch and dug in as the visitors clung to their clean sheet. Pivotal in that, centre halves Adetoro and Shaun Hobson (an astute signing of experience having spent the last two years at Oldham). Whilst Thierry Latty-Fairweather also impressed at left back.

The Verdict

Boston need their injured assets back, if they are to ensure a repeat of last season or better, to avoid relegation they'll need to add goals and my concern is they don't have enough in the current crop to get them, a long old season however, I'm sure that's priority in their own business interests.

As for Halifax, a team who should be up there, Adam Lakeland has done very well at the level below with both Curzon Ashton and King's Lynn, he is new to the level, but we'll soon find out, if he's capable or not?

The Teams

Boston United: Rhys Lovett, Ben Grist, Connor Teale, Greg Sloggett, Dylan Hill, Kieren Donnelly (Jordy Hiwula 72), Lenell John-Lewis (Manni Norkett 81), Alex Lankshear, Tommy Fogarty, Jordan Richards, Jordan Cropper (Rocco Coyle 31).

FC Halifax Town: Sam Johnson, Will Hugill, Shaun Hobson, Josh Hmani, Jamie Cooke, Jevon Mills (Adam Adetoro 28), Owen Bray (Jay Turner-Cooke 81), David Kawa (Angelo Capello 69), Sean Tarima, Cody Johnson, Thierry Latty-Fairweather.

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 19th August 2025, Jakemans Stadium, Boston (att 2,205)