Rushden & Diamonds 0 Boston United 0

Match Report courtesy of Unofficial Rushden & Diamonds Website (1997-2001)

8rd October 2000 – Nene Park (Attendance: 4570)

Webmasters MoM: Turley

Match Report by Conference News

Rushden and Diamonds got a valuable point after Tuesdays disappointing defeat at Leigh RMI, battling to a 0-0 draw at home to Boston. In a scrappy affair, in which neither side took control nor created any real clear-cut chances the Diamonds managed to get the ball in the Boston net twice, but were thwarted on both occasions by a linesman’s flag. After just 6 minutes sponsors man of the match, Jon Brady, volleyed home from close range from a Gary Butterworth cross but was deemed off side.

In probably their only good footballing attack of the game after half an hour, the Diamonds worked the ball well down the right hand side through Mustafa, Darby and Jackson before Jackson found Mills in space on the edge of the area, but he blasted his effort well over.

The game lacked any sort of rhythm and the referee’s constant use of the whistle did not help in any way. The Diamonds were further hindered on 62 minutes when top scorer Duane Darby was sent off for Violent conduct in an off the ball incident. From this point on the Diamonds offered very little in terms of pressure or goal mouth chances. Jackson worked tirelessly as a lone striker but was restricted to one telling shot all afternoon.

However in injury time, Boston should have snatched all three points as Charlery turned the Diamonds defence, his cross shot parried by Billy Turley but somehow, through a combination of poor finishing, Gary Setchell heroics and his own player, ex-Diamonds Mark Rawle failed to put the ball into the empty net.

Manager Brian Talbot commented afterwards, “I am not disappointed with my team today. Although the performance was not the most attractive they battled well in a hard fought game”

1.Turley 2. Mustafa 3. Setchell 4. Mills 5. Rodwell 6. Warburton 7. Butterworth 8. Brady 9. Jackson 10. Darby 11. Burgess [Collins]