MATCH REPORT

Alford's stamina was the difference in this Div 6NW (NW) East League match. That and the traffic problems in Boston which meant that despite Alford kindly holding back the start time for forty minutes, the visitors still only had nine men on the pitch at the first whistle. Sutton's fourths played an excellent first half with father and son duo Jeremy and Jack Smith very much to the fore. They led at the interval after two goals from skipper Ian White had cancelled out an early Alford strike. The first was a trademark short corner strike, the second a limp shot that had just enough on it to wrong-foot the keeper. The second half though, Sutton visibly wilted and despite a great defensive effort from Stephen Milnes and Lewis Shooter, the home side rattled in enough goals to make the game safe. Hopefully a combination of a bit more fitness and a bit more belief will enable the fourths to have the confidence to see out matches like this where a result was possible and they had worked so hard to create a good position.

As always the results of the fourths must be seen in the light of the team's age and experience. Apart from the two Fathers in the side (employed as drivers mainly), the average age of the other nine players in this team was a fraction over 14 and a half. They will only improve.

Report by Ian White.