HARRIERS again let a lead slip late on as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Boston United in the FA Trophy.

Fresh from two fine performances, five goals and four points, John Eustace opted to name the same eleven for the third consecutive game at York Street. There was a debut for new goalkeeper Dale Eve on the bench, while Liam Truslove and Joel Taylor were sidelined through injury.

Harriers were in rampant mood against North Ferriby in the previous game and they started in similar fashion here, racking up a whole heap of chances in the first half an hour in particular.

The first of these chances came on eight minutes as Joe Ironside let fly with a shot over the bar, before Andre Brown, on the angle was denied by home goalkeeper George Willis as he struck a low shot.

Elton Ngwatala then had two headers go close before Ironside again hit off target. After, on 20 minutes, former Nuneaton man Ironside was presented with a huge chance to open the scoring and add to his season’s tally when he was threaded through inside the area, though the striker could only watch on as his calmly-taken finish whistled just past the far post.

Two minutes later, Brown again blazed off target when placed to do better, before Croasdale played a neat one-two near the edge of the area with McQuilkin that presented him with space in front of goal – the skipper’s arrowed finish had Willis well beaten but the ball sailed inches wide.

On the half-hour mark, Weeks was played in but saw his finish after rounding the goalkeeper cleared off the line, before the hosts registered their first chances of the half as Thompson nudged a header just wide shortly after Clifton had hit well over the bar.

While Boston were far brighter at the start of the second half, Harriers made their dominance of the game count with two goals in ten minutes. First, Joe Ironside nodded down James Pearson’s cross into the path of Andre Brown who turned and eased the ball into the net, before McQuilkin’s corner was met by Ironside who turned it back across the face of goal and into the top corner.

That seemed to awaken the hosts, though, who ten minutes later had a goal back. After Hemmings and Thompson both had chances, debutant Curry found the net as he was picked out at a corner and aimed the ball past a crowd of bodies and into Hall’s far corner.

Almost from the kick off and with their tails up, Boston scored again to make it 2-2 as the lively Tshimanga found his movement unanswered as he tucked the ball in at the far post with Harriers bewildered. 

From there it was actually Boston who looked the most likely to steal what would have been an unthinkable winner as Brandon Hall kept out Hemmings, but they were held at bay by Harriers who themselves tried to counter late through sub Sonupe, only for his shot to be comfortably held.

HARRIERS: Hall, Austin, Pearson, O’Connor, Horsfall, Croasdale, Ngwatala (Sonupe 67), Weeks, McQuilkin, Ironside, Brown.
Subs not used: Eve, Danko Klukowski

Attendance: 732

Referee: Declan Bourne