For Jim’s 50th
After recent transfer talk linking Lloyd to National League side Tranmere, the Hatters’ leading scorer immediately sprinted towards the travelling County fans with a defiant punch of the chest.
Lloyd, buzzing around pitch in the aftermath of his opening goal, then leapt highest to glance Jimmy Ball’s free-kick toward goal with a header which Durrant held onto, but the interval came about with County in firm control.
Perhaps demonstrating the Hatters’ comfort in the tie, Pilgrims chief Murray threw on gangly defender Nat Brown as a target man forward in the second half, but Clarke and Smalley continued to dominate at the back, supported by screening midfielder Montrose.
Boston had still shown very little signs of threatening when they were reduced to ten men through an act of lunacy – defender Josh Robinson sent on his way after remarkably collecting two yellow cards, both for dissent, within the space of five minutes.
Gannon praised his defence afterwards, stating his “delight at the solidity of the back line” – and it was more defensive work which brought about County’s second and sealed another three points on the road.
Smalley rose to clear a long throw-in with a powerful header, and Lloyd took advantage of the space provided by the ten men in stoppage time to collect the ball in County’s half.
With County focussed firmly on a rearguard action, the only support for Lloyd came in the shape of substitute Kaine Felix – applauded onto pitch by former club Boston supporters as he came on to the pitch just minutes prior.
Felix found himself one-on-one with Durrant, but it was Lloyd who had immediately chased his own pass alongside the York loanee to call for the ball back.
Felix duly obliged by rolling it into the path of Lloyd, who scored the easiest of his sixteen Hatters goals with a tap in to the empty net.
Manager of the Month Jim Gannon had avoided any clichéd curse connected to the gong, and County continue to stride towards the National League North play-off positions – and, with a tough month coming up with fixtures against play-off rivals coming thick and fast in January, Gannon will be looking to mark a year back in charge at EP by leading his side into a so far elusive play-off berth.