Lloyd at double
IN-FORM County marked boss Jim Gannon’s 50th game back in charge at the club with a fine 2-0 win at Boston United on Saturday.
A goal in each half from top scorer Danny Lloyd, linked with a move away from the club during the week, secured County’s fourth league win in five as Gannon’s resurgent side continued their march towards play-off spots.
The win also marked four months since The Hatters last tasted defeat in all competitions away from home, as well as signalling County’s first ever league win at the home of The Pilgrims.
It was largely a comfortable afternoon throughout at York Street, with Boston being condemned to their first defeat under new boss Adam Murray, and going the duration of the clash without a single shot on target.
There was just a singular change from the side which suffered late disappointment against Harrogate on New Years Day, when a freak own goal from midfielder Gary Stopforth denied County all three points - and a win which would now have helped propel County into the National League North play-off spots following the win at the Jakemans Stadium on Saturday.
Skipper Mark Ross came back in to the starting eleven in place of Courtney Meppen-Walters and remained at right-back, with Sam Minihan pushing up to a more attacking role on the same flank. The move continued the theme of Gannon’s more defensively solid away starting line-up, with the same eleven starting as in County’s previous two away fixtures - both 1-0 wins at Gloucester and Harrogate respectively.
The hosts’ best – and only real – chance came just seven minutes in, when dangerman Jay Rollins spun around around Ross on the edge of the area to find the route opening up to goal.
The winger was held back by County skipper Ross, but with the advantage played by the official, Rollins could only produce a weak effort which was blocked by Chris Smalley.
With Boston’s one chance wasted, The Hatters settled into the tie with all the confidence of a side which has conceded just once in seven and a half hours of league football.
Full-back Scott Duxbury, gradually returning to form after his horror head injury in September against Fylde, breezed past two Boston defenders in the shape of Kalern Thomas and Ben Gordon before getting to the byline and shooting at onrushing ‘keeper Ross Durrant – but, with the shot blocked, the loose ball fell to Lloyd who blazed over into the 228 travelling County fans from an acute angle.
Lloyd’s whipped corner was cleared off the line by legs of Durrant minutes later as County’s goal getter began to find his feet in proceedings, before a Sam Minihan piledriver flew over as County stepped up their hunt for first.
Boston, desperately missing the presence of big target man Gregg Smith up top after a horrendous ankle dislocation last week, toiled as Chris Smalley and Michael Clarke continued their solid defensive partnership by providing a foundation for The Hatters to push on.
The energetic Stopforth – who is now likely to feature in County’s trip to Halifax on 28th Janury after delaying his departure for Australia by an extra week – stopped Adam Hilliard in his tracks, before the outstanding Lewis Montrose took control and curled a delicious twenty yard through ball into the path of the pacy Lloyd.
Lloyd raced clear of the chasing defence to drill low past Durrant - and, although the fizzing effort came at the ‘keeper’s near post, the sheer power of Lloyd’s strike sent it crashing in via the upright.