Carshalton Athletic 1-4 Boston United

The Pilgrims navigated a tricky tie at in-form Isthmian League outfit Carshalton Athletic and led 2-0 at half-time courtesy of Thanoj's 33rd minute free-kick and Luke Shiels' 37th minute header.

Christie Pattisson reduced the arrears during a sustained spell of Robins' pressure but Thanoj and substitute Jake Wright scored stoppage time clinchers to see the Pilgrims safely through.

United were purposeful from the off and did not allow their hosts to settle into an early rhythm.

Martyn Woolford curled an early free-kick wide while Dominic Knowles fired home from an offside position on the end of Brad Abbott’s precise throughball as the deadlock remained unbroken.

Abbott made an incredible chested goalline clearance to deny Bobby Price, with Peter Crook beaten, as the Robins threatened a shock lead.

The Pilgrims took full advantage and went in front 12 minutes before half-time when THANOJ stepped up to bend home a 20-yard free-kick after Demeaco Duhaney had been upended.

The Pilgrims doubled their lead four minutes later when Woolford delivered a deep corner which was nodded back across goal by Tom Platt and SHIELS pounced to power home a close-range header.

United lost the services of Simon Ainge at half-time due to a tight hamstring, with Alex Penny emerging as his replacement, and Carshalton proved to be a different animal after the break with an attack-minded mentality.

Crook made a fine save to deny Tommy Bradford, while Paris Hamilton-Downes headed two close-range efforts off target.

The hosts did cut the deficit with 18 minutes to play when PATTISSON tapped home from close-range after Crook had parried Ricky Korboa’s effort.

United gradually re-asserted their authority and killed the contest with two stoppage time strikes.

Wright teed up THANOJ to bury a brilliant left-footer from 18 yards as United re-established their two-goal lead.

In the final minute of stoppage time, WRIGHT capped his comeback from a long-standing hamstring injury with an angled effort into the bottom corner to apply the icing to United’s cake.

Carshalton (5-4-1): Kleton Perntreou; Bobby Price, Luke Read, Daniel Pappoe (Tommy Bradford 42), Danny Dudley (Peter Adeniyi 65), Paris Hamilton-Downes; Ernold Haxhiu, Lennart Hein (Omar Koroma 46), Kershaney Samuels, Christie Pattisson; Ricky Korboa. Subs (not used): Michael Kamara, Jordan Cheadle, Dario Centenera-Perez (gk).

Boston (4-3-3): Peter Crook; Demeaco Duhaney, Luke Shiels, Simon Ainge (Alex Penny 46), Alex Whittle; Brad Abbott, Tom Platt, Andi Thanoj; Jordan Thewlis (Jake Wright 85), Dominic Knowles (Jay Rollins 78), Martyn Woolford. Subs (not used): Ashley Jackson, Shaun Tuton, Jonathan Wafula, George Willis (gk).

Referee: Tom Reeves.

Attendance: 1,859.