The Pilgrims served up another performance littered with defensive deficiencies as Kurt Willoughby, Anthony Dudley and Declan Weeks handed Chester FC an unassailable 3-0 half-time lead.

Peterborough United loanee Gyamfi cut the deficit on his debut and McLintock added a stunning late second as United's rally came up just short.

Gyamfi and fellow debutant Zak Goodson were two of the four players coming into Ian Culverhouse's starting XI, alongside Zak Mills and Jean Leroy Belehouan.

Chester took an eighth minute lead with Kieran Coates being afforded too much space to cross from the visitors' right - and WILLOUGHBY swooping to fire home unmarked at the back post.

The Cestrians doubled their advantage nine minutes later when DUDLEY broke at speed through the centre of the pitch before beating Sam Long from 20 yards.

Mills succumbed to a re-occurence of his hamstring injury and United's afternoon took another turn for the worse when Long made a rare mistake by fumbling a long-range WEEKS drive into his own net a minute before the break.

Ben Pollock soon rattled the crossbar for the Pilgrims, with visiting keeper Harry Tyrer making fine saves either side of half-time to deny Scott Pollock, Jordon Crawford and Goodson.

GYAMFI reduced the arrears when he dispatched Goodson's right-wing cross with 19 minutes to play and substitute McLINTOCK gave them real hope with a 25-yard stunner three minutes from time.

United eventually ran out of time, with Goodson rolling the last chance wide in the sixth minute of added time - agonisingly breaking his wrist in the process as he landed.

Boston (4-2-3-1): Sam Long; Zak Mills (Keenan Ferguson 30), Ben Pollock, Jean Leroy Belehouan, Alex Brown; Tom Platt, Will Atkinson (Sam McLintock 58); Johnson Gyamfi, Scott Pollock (Jake Wright 67), Jordon Crawford; Zak Goodson. Subs (not used): Tom Solanke, Rhys Davies (gk).

Chester (4-2-3-1): Harry Tyrer; Kieran Coates, Harrison Burke, Liam Edwards, Ollie Heywood; Kevin Roberts, Declan Weeks; Anthony Dudley (Darren Stephenson 51), Danny Devine, Iwan Murray (Kole Hall 72); Kurt Willoughby. Subs (not used): Jamie Morgan, Alex Kenyon, Adam Thomas.

Referee: James Westgate.

Attendance: 1,330 (104 visitors).

PIC: Tim Hoff.