Boston United 5-3 Lowestoft Town

Greg Tempest, Scott Garner and Rene Steer scored to put United 3-0 up, but two Dayle Southwell strikes after the break were required to secure victory after Town had pulled the scoreline back to 3-2 and then 4-3.

Jack Ainsley, Curtis Haynes-Brown and Jake Reed scored the goals for Town.

The Pilgrims held the upper hand throughout but the visitors' never-say-die attitude ensured some nervy spells for the hosts who had led 3-0 after 33 minutes.

United, with Zak Mills and Mark Jones back in the starting line-up, were in front after 10 minutes. Jones crossed from the right and TEMPEST lashed the ball home from 18 yards with the aid of a slight deflection.

Jones was the creator for United's second 10 minutes later, flicking the ball across for Tempest to deliver from the left and GARNER crashed home a glorious drive from 25 yards.

Visiting keeper Ashlee Jones superbly denied Kyle Dixon a third, while Carl Piergianni's header was blocked on the line from a Tempest corner and Garner's follow-up was charged away.

United's third goal arrived when STEER kept the ball in play on the left before embarking on a mazy run forward and nonchalantly chipping Ashlee Jones from 25 yards.

Town were presented with a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Liam Marrs was penalised for hacking down Dean Mason in the box and AINSLEY coolly dispatched the resulting penalty.

Joel Dixon made an excellent save to deny Shaun Bammant after the break, but Town further cut the deficit from the resulting corner, with HAYNES-BROWN sailing home an 18-yarder beyond the dive of the Boston keeper.

United re-asserted their two-goal lead seven minutes later with SOUTHWELL rounding keeper Jones to score from a tight angle with a great finish.

Town were not done though and REED was afforded the simple task of tapping the ball home at the back post after Adam Smith's cross from the left.

Boston again re-established their two-goal cushion with 21 minutes to play when Mills' long throw was flicked on by Piergianni and SOUTHWELL swivelled to fire home his 15th goal of the season.

United had chances to stretch their lead in the closing stages, with Mark Jones heading over at the near post following Tempest's corner, Garner's glancing header being clutched by Ashlee Jones following Southwell's flighted cross and Southwell himself being denied a hat-trick by Ashlee Jones' chest.

Boston (4-4-2): Joel Dixon; Liam Marrs, Zak Mills, Carl Piergianni, Rene Steer (Jamie McGhee 45); Kaine Felix (Conor Marshall 74), Scott Garner, Kyle Dixon, Greg Tempest; Dayle Southwell, Mark Jones. Subs (not used): Michael Hollingsworth, Marc Newsham, Ollie Price.

Lowestoft (4-4-2): Ashlee Jones; Jack Ainsley, Dan Gleeson, Sam Gaughran, Curtis Haynes-Brown; Dean Mason (Robert Eagle 68), Rossi Jarvis, Erkan Okay (Andrew Fisk 69), Adam Smith (Bradley Woods-Garness 76), Jake Reed, Shaun Bammant. Subs (not used): Jacek Zielonka, Jake Jessup (gk).

Referee: Ian Dudley.

Attendance: 1,219 (45 visitors).

PIC: Tim Hoff.