It was only a couple of years ago that the Pilgrims from Boston were playing in the Football League and they will have to wait a little longer if they are going to go back up as the Pitmen produced the display of the season to send the large crowd home very unhappy.

In the opening minute a ball from a throw in enabled Sean Platt to curl the ball in from the right to Tyrone Barnett who glanced a header just wide of the far post.
 

After at least five minutes of Pitmen pressure the Pilgrims first attack nearly produced a goal. A good ball in from the right was met by Ollie Ryan who with a free header placed the ball straight at Stuart Brock.
 

Brock was again in action seconds later when a header from Jon Rowan forced him into a diving save to his right. The chance had been created by a deep cross from the right from a free kick on the half way line.
 

Tyrone Barnett amused the home crowd when his speculative shot from 25 yards went out for a throw in on the left wing. Another header forced Brock into another save.
 

In the opening quarter of an hour the Pitmen played the ball around the Smartstaff stadium and looked every inch a top of the table side. The only thing missing was a goal so it came as a surprise to the travelling supporters when Boston took the lead. In the 15th minute Kieran Leabon chipped the ball over the top of the Pitmen's defence for the Pilgrims leading goal scorer Ollie Ryan to run onto and slot the ball into the net.
 

Ross Draper was cautioned in the 19th minute for a foul. It was his fifth caution of the season and he will now have a one match ban which will mean he will miss the home match against Cammell Laird.
 

The lead only lasted seven minutes as a Sean Platt free kick was headed on to Ross Dyer who chested the ball down and then hit an unstoppable volley into the far side of the net. It was a certain candidate for goal of the season.
 

After Brock had made another low save to stop another Rowan effort, the Pitmen responded by switching the play up field. A Maguire cross from the left found Dyer in a similar position to where he had earlier scored from but on this occasion his volley went well wide.
 

Elliott Durrell had a chance to continue his fine scoring record after a Ross Draper pass had found him ten yards from goal but he tried to tee up the shot and by over playing the ball the chance was lost.
 

Durrell was unlucky with a lob after a Decio Gomes long pass found the midfielder on the edge of the box. His first time effort was just caught by the keeper who at first had looked to be too far off his line.
 

Boston's former Aston Villa star David Farrell had to be substituted after half an hour with what appeared to be a groin strain. He was replaced by Tom Matthews.
 

In the 33rd minute good play on the right by Dyer and Platt created another chance for Barnett. Dyer drew two defenders to him as he chased the ball to by the corner flag. He then back heeled the ball to Platt who sent a cross for Barnett who got the slightest of touches on the ball but his effort went wide of the left hand post.
 

After his recent goal drought Dyers goal certainly lifted his performance and before half time he had a couple of chances to put the Pitmen in front. The first chance came after Mark Briggs had won the ball on the half way line. He slipped the ball down the middle for Dyer who turned and hit a looping shot which dipped just past the left hand post. Dyer went closer still with a header after a sweeping move across the pitch saw Ant Maguire with the ball on the left. He made an attacking run before setting up Platt to cross into the box which Dyer headed just over from the edge of the six yard box.
 

The Pitmen's passing game finally reaped its reward in the 55th minute when Tom Marshall hit a pass over the top of the Pilgrims back line. Tyrone Barnett chased down the ball and managed to get between the defender and the goalkeeper to send a clever lobbed shot into the net despite the desperate efforts of a defender on the line who in the end could only help the ball into the net.
 

Durrell went close shortly after when with a shot from outside of the box which went just past the right hand post.
 

Boston players began to lose the plot and three home players were cautioned in a six minute spell, ant Maguire was also cautioned during this period for two wild attempts to halt a Boston player on a flowing run.In the 75th minute Boston's Ryan Clarke was sent off with a straight red for a crude challenge on Elliott Durrell on the right side touchline, the young midfielder was able to continue after a couple of minutes treatment.
 

Tom Marshall became the sixth player to be cautioned when he halted a break down the right with a lunging tackle.
 

A break out of defence by Maguire saw the full back hit a great ball forward for Barnett to run on to and from the left he hit a firm shot which the keeper did well to hold onto. Barnett went close again with another shot
 

With Durrell still shaken after the bad challenge from Clarke Chad Sheppard came on as an 83rd minute substitute and soon conceded a free kick which Marshall headed clear.
 

Boston's Kieran Leabow missed a good chance to level the scores late in the game, a cross from the right by sub Lee Beeson was half punched clear by Brock. The ball fell to Leabow who somehow in a packed goal mouth managed to pull his shot inches wide of the left hand post.
 

Barnett had a couple of firm shots late on the game which went just wide and would have made the final minutes of the game a little easier but with resolute defending and an all round good team performance the Pitmen held on for the three valuable points which took them back up to second place.