Boston United 2-0 Gloucester City

Fairclough opened the scoring from an Ian Ross corner on 32 minutes and Ward doubled the advantage in the 65th minute from another Ross flag-kick.

The result was deserved on the balance of play, with the Pilgrims creating the better chances throughout at The Jakemans Stadium.

Gloucester’s woes were compounded nine minutes from time when substitute Scott Wilson was handed a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Nathan Stainfield.

With defender Kevin Austin fit again after illness, the veteran defender replaced keeper Ricky Drury on the bench in the only change to the squad which had defeated Vauxhall Motors in midweek.

Boston were back in action on home soil for the first time inside five weeks and were keen to impress in front of their own supporters.

Gloucester were first to threaten though and Paul Bastock had to be alert to grab a Darren Mullings 18-yard drive early on.

Boston went close for the first time when Spencer Weir-Daley glanced a header over the bar following Fairclough’s left-wing centre.

City forced a succession of corners, delivered by wingers Adam Mann and Matt Lock, as United struggled to get out of their own territory.

The Pilgrims gradually weathered the increasing storm and went within a whisker of breaking the deadlock when Danny Sleath rattled the top of Lewis Carey’s left-hand post, with Marc Newsham shaving the crossbar with the angled rebound.

United’s breakthrough arrived when Ross delivered a corner. Ward’s header was blocked, as was Sleath’s follow-up drive, but FAIRCLOUGH drove the loose ball through a crowd of bodies low to Carey’s left to hand United the lead.

Boston went close again when Weir-Daley’s cutback found Sleath, whose powerful shot deflected wide off Tom Hamblin.

Bastock was then called upon to keep out Mann’s fierce drive from an angle as City closed the half well.

United started the second half strongly and created four openings within a matter of seconds. Weir-Daley’s angled drive was saved by Carey, with Matt Coupe hacking Sleath’s follow-up off the line. Stainfield then had a header blocked by Lock from the resulting Ross corner, while Ward nodded the rebound a fraction too high.

Weir-Daley swivelled to sail a snapshot just wide for the Pilgrims, but the home side were soon two goals to the good.

Ross’ outswinging corner was powered home into the top corner by WARD, with Carey unable to get near the perfectly-placed header.

Ward was fortunate not to concede a penalty immediately at the other end, but referee Alan Young adjudged his tackle on Will Morford to be legal.

Gloucester’s best chances of the second period fell to Darren Edwards who blasted too high from 20 yards and Hamblin who headed wide unmarked on the end of Mann’s corner.

City were reduced to 10 men on 81 minutes when Wilson needlessly lunged in on Stainfield, with the ball already safely through to Bastock, leaving Young with little option but to brandish the red card.

Boston (4-3-3): Paul Bastock; Conor Marshall, Tom Ward, Nathan Stainfield, Gareth Jelleyman; Ben Milnes, Ian Ross, Danny Sleath; Ben Fairclough (Tyrone Kirk 89), Spencer Weir-Daley (Leon Constantine 83), Marc Newsham. Subs (not used): Chris Hall, Jason Lee, Kevin Austin.

Gloucester (4-4-2): Lewis Carey; Mike Green (Sam Rawlings 79), Matt Coupe, Tom Hamblin, Jack Harris; Matt Lock, Darren Mullings (Steve Davies 54), Tom Webb, Adam Mann; Darren Edwards, Will Morford (Scott Wilson 74). Subs (not used): Neil Mustoe, Matt Rose.

Referee: Alan Young