Jason Svanthorsson played 60 minutes as the Mariners were beaten by Boston United in the Lincolnshire FA County Senior Cup final.
A strong Town line-up was named for the county showpiece at the Jakemans Community Stadium, with Svanthorsson stepping up his return from injury and Christy Pym, Jayden Sweeney, Sam Lavelle, Henry Brown and Jude Soonsup-Bell also among the first-teamers on show.
But when the deadlock was broken just before the break, it was a youthful Boston side who took the lead as Sam Warburton struck from close range.
Brown hit the bar as Town looked for an equaliser after half-time but Luca Alonzi went on to add a second goal and Alfie Perry grabbed a late third as Boston secured the trophy.
Pym started in goal for a Mariners XI featuring a mixture of youth and senior players, as Josh Edwards, Lavelle, Charlie Elliott and Alex Graham formed the defence. Sweeney and Charlie Hatton sat behind Brown, Soonsup-Bell and Svanthorsson in midfield, with Elliot Smith leading the attack.
Seb Auton, Kristian Catchpole, Harvey Booth, Ted Sharp, Kian Hawley, Lennon Peterson and Mamudu Jalloh made up a young bench.
Victories over Scunthorpe United and Cleethorpes Town booked Town’s place in the final, while their hosts beat Grimsby Borough and Lincoln United to get this far.
The game came the night after Town’s Sky Bet League Two defeat at Chesterfield and Boston were also in league action 24 hours earlier.
It was a completely changed line-up from Tuesday’s National League away draw with Wealdstone for them, with ex-Town youngster Billy Bradley wearing the captain’s armband.
FIRST HALF
Brown won the game’s first corner on five minutes but it was cleared, before Svanthorsson drew a foul on the right edge of the Boston penalty area after a great cross-field ball from Hatton. Soonsup-Bell’s free kick flew off-target.
Soonsup-Bell was involved again soon afterwards as he won a corner on the right but Lavelle’s header from it was blocked.
Pym was called into action for the first time on 12 minutes as he made a comfortable catch from Alonzi’s 18-yard shot, before the striker headed over the bar from a left-wing cross as Boston attacked again.
A low ball into the box by Elliott proved just too far ahead of the run of Smith, then Svanthorsson linked up with Soonsup-Bell in Town’s next attack but the Thailand international’s low shot was blocked.
Graham won a corner on the left on the half-hour and after it was initially cleared, Town worked the ball back into the box, where Lavelle was denied from close range by Boston goalkeeper Louis Chadwick.
Elliott saw the first yellow card of the evening for a foul on Will Langford but Ed Daffern’s 25-yard free kick flew over Pym’s bar.
Boston’s Josh Doran was the next to be booked after he brought Sweeney down midway inside the home half on 35 minutes, although Town were also unable to make the free kick count.
Lavelle needed treatment after going down five minutes before the break and he left the pitch soon afterwards to be replaced by Jalloh in the game’s first substitution.
A foul by Soonsup-Bell on Daffern gave Boston a free kick on their right on 44 minutes and it led to the opening goal as Perry’s delivery was not dealt with and WARBURTON pounced to score from close range.
Three added minutes were played at the end of the first half and with no further chances coming for either side, Boston went in at half-time with the advantage.
SECOND HALF
No further substitutions were made before the restart and Alonzi sent an early header wide, before Chadwick dived to stop a cross-shot from Smith at the other end.
Rufus Brooks replaced Daffern in Boston’s first change on 53 minutes, then Sweeney linked up with Brown in a promising Town move down the left but the low cross was behind Smith.
The Mariners were inches away from an equaliser just before the hour from their best chance so far, as Soonsup-Bell sent Brown through one-on-one with Chadwick. The midfielder beat the keeper but could only watch the ball bounce back off the bar.
Soon afterwards, Town were made to pay for that miss as Boston made it 2-0, with ALONZI firing high into the net after a low ball into the box was not dealt with.
The goal came after Svanthorsson and Sweeney had been replaced by Catchpole and Booth and Boston continued to apply pressure as they looked for a third goal, with two corners in quick succession both dealt with by the Grimsby defence.
Peterson came on for Soonsup-Bell in the latest Town change on 67 minutes, with the visitors pushing forward in search of a way back into the contest.
Three corners came in quick succession, although Chadwick was not troubled as Boston’s two-goal advantage remained intact.
The keeper was called into action on 72 minutes, however, as Booth burst into the box from the right and let fly with a strike which Chadwick pushed away for a corner.
Reuben Fogg came on for Jake Thompson in Boston’s latest substitution, then a late challenge by Ezra Aaron on Booth gave Town a free kick on the right. Catchpole’s whipped delivery to the near post was cleared.
Aaron made way for Lewis Greenfield as Boston looked to their bench again with 11 minutes to go, with Sharp and Hawley replacing Smith and Hatton in the red and blue of the Mariners moments later.
Bradley and Warburton were both booked after Town won a free kick on the left and it led to an opportunity for Jalloh, although he was unable to hit the target from the edge of the box.
Peterson headed at Chadwick from another corner with three minutes remaining, then Langford became the latest to see the yellow card after his foul on Peterson stopped a Town break.
Four added minutes were played at the end of the game and there was time for a third Boston goal, as PERRY’S ball into the box from the right found its way into the net.
It proved to be Perry’s last contribution as he made way for Ellis Perry-Burdett and Boston saw out what was left of the game to ensure they would lift the trophy.
Town: Pym, Edwards, Lavelle (Jalloh, 41), Elliott, Graham, Hatton (Sharp, 81), Sweeney (Booth, 68), Svanthorsson (Catchpole, 60), Soonsup-Bell (Peterson, 67), Brown, Smith (Hawley, 81)
Sub not used: Auton
UTM
