Craven's Marks Out Of Ten

GK Darryl Flahavan | Minutes on pitch: 45 | Goals Conceded: 0 | Rating: 3

Flahavan: unintentional? Maybe. Unhelpful? Definitely

Then there’s the problem that he had barely touched the ball – in fact, I can remember just one touch where he collected an aimless Boston punt forward. So he was well out of touch. And then finally I thought, well, it saved a goal. But that one doesn’t mean much – it cost us one with Tes in goal and it could have been a lot more.

Flavs’ actions also mean that Tilly will now have to go out and find another goalkeeper to bring in on loan for a fortnight. If we’re lucky it might be Simon Royce, happy to get a few games under his belt by the seaside. If we’re not it could be absolutely anybody – an unknown without any match practice in the last few weeks. Then we could be in real trouble. And if could be Nick Morgan, promoted from the youth set-up. But he’s probably not ready yet, and it’s all Flahavan’s fault…

RB Duncan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Juppy was having a decent enough game when Darryl was sent off. Once he had gone, he continued in the same vein – it was really a team effort and all of the right back-‘s efforts were just as important as anyone else’s. OK, so there were a few aimless punts up field. Who wouldn’t in the same situation? And more often than not, he was haring down the right to give support to Mark Gower – and that outlet was vital amongst second half pressure on Tes’ goal.

CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8.5

Spinner had an outstanding match, and had it not been for the amount of candidates for the Man-of-the-Match award he would surely have reaped it. From the very first minute, when he was elbowed for the very first time by ex-Southend striker Jason Lee, to the very last, he barely conceded an inch. Between himself and Adam Barrett, there was a wall that Boston were not going to get through, however much guidance God gave the Pilgrim Fathers. When the visitors resorted to hoofing high balls, it was Prior’s (or Barrett’s) head underneath it, and it is testament to their ability that Bramble only let one in.

CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8

Almost as good as his defensive partner, and it seemed from my vantage point in the East Greens that it was Barrett that was doing most of the talking to Tes between the sticks to help him through the game. He was solid, and was not stirred by any amount of pressure barely putting a foot wrong at any stage – or for that matter, his head. Fantastic job at the back, and another fine performance.

LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

If Wilson had a quiet game by his standards, it was because he wanted one! After a couple of rocky rides, it would have been easy for him to allow Danny Thomas or Courtney Pitt or Matt O’Halloran to run all over him. He made a couple of errors in judgement, but only on the odd occasion was he outpaced, and he was able to give the sort of defensive display that proves why he is in the side ahead of Nicky Nicolau, with all the former Arsenal man’s attacking intent.

RM/LM Carl Pettefer | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8

Petts started out on the right-hand side, but as Gower began to control first half proceedings more and more, the former Exeter City loanee switched to the left wing, and it was here that he was able to do a great deal of good work, particularly in the second half. More often than not, Petts was the outlet ball. Sure, Wayne Gray was the man furthest forward, but if there was someone available – and baring in mind that Blues only had ten men on the pitch – then it was he. He couldn’t retain possession all the time, but he battled hard and never gave an inch of ground away without a fight.

CM Lewis Hunt | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

In a way, it was a good thing in the end that Hunt started the game instead of Jimmy Corbett, Michael Kightly or any other attacking force, because although he is not always the best twenty yards from goal – and boy does he try from that sort of distance – he is good a sitting in front of the back line, and that was his job on the night after Flahavan had departed. Hunt, like Barrett, talked Bramble through set-pieces, and his organisational work was as good as anyone. Battled hard.

CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8.5

The obligatory booking for next to nothing, but it was obvious that Boston manager Steve Evans had told the likes of Paul Ellender and Tom Bennett, his big ‘enforcers’, to get up Maher’s nose. When Jason Lee overstepped the mark – and not for the first time – at the end of the first half with Flavs having just left the pitch, it was too much and the yellow card was out.

But in general the Shrimpers captain was outstanding, and if he does receive any criticism it will be unjust. A few comments have already been flung about on other websites, saying that others did more. Codswallop. Maher was here, there and everywhere in the second half, never shirking a fifty-fifty challenge despite his caution. And he led by example.

LM/RM Mark Gower | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 9

That goal against Kidderminster Harriers at least has spurred on his home form, even if he has had a lukewarm reception to the subsequent away matches. Another fine goal, with a simple finish at the end but nonetheless one that against Wycombe Wanderers, when short on confidence, he would not have taken. Gower ruled the game for 45 minutes, bossing the midfield and coming to collect the ball in a manner that he has not down since the end of last season. And then, with the chips down, he responded in the right way by knuckling down and getting his hands dirty. Brilliant.

CF/GK Tesfaye Bramble | Mins on pitch: 90 | Gls: 0 | Assts: 1 | Rtg: 9.5

The head was held high for Bramble this evening

At half-time, who was out there working hard at his shotstopping? Tes of course. He had put his hand up at the end of the first half to don Flahavan’s unlucky number 13 shirt, and now he was living up to it. So, he let one in after four-and-a-half minutes – he’s not a full-time goalkeeper, and besides, even if he did go over too quickly, at least he went.

But after that it was simply inspired stuff. He looked comfortable in the air, even claiming balls that Flavs might not have got to. He dropped one, but got away with it, and looked reasonably comfortable between the sticks. Made two exceptional saves, the first from a Pitt free-kick which swung viciously around the ‘wrong’ side of the wall and Tes had to tip around the post; the second a rapid cross-shot that would have crept into the far corner were it not for Bramble’s fingertips. Again, one Darryl might not have got to!

And that is not to mention his play when he was up front alongside Wayne Gray. From two men who didn’t even look like they knew where they were at the start of the season, two of the last three games – and with a distinct lack of service in the middle one at Darlington – they now appear on the same wavelength, and that can only be good for Blues. The exceptional outside of the right boot chipped pass for Gray to run onto and score was out of this world, and was not the first time that Tes has played a vital part in a goal in such a way.

CF Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 84 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 9

Gray had an outstanding game

For a while, it looked as though, under pressure from Ellender and with Nathan Abbey coming out, that Gray would freeze in front of goal. But his confidence had shot up after a sublime cross for Gower’s opener, and he slotted the ball comfortably into the bottom of the net for a 2-0 lead. From then on it was more gutsy work, including a couple of times when he charged down defensive efforts and was unfairly penalised. This is the Wayne Gray, Steve Tilson and Paul Brush thought they had signed in the summer.

CF James Corbett | Minutes on pitch: 6 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Jimmy was only on for a few minutes but he played just as much a part as anyone else in the closing stages, winning headers, getting flicks to the ball and generally making a nuisance of himself in the Boston half. At times it could have been better, but there was absolutely no time to acclimatise. I’ll be satisfied with what Corbett showed!