A dramatic second-half comeback at the J. Davidson Stadium saw ten-man Boston United snatch a 2-2 draw against Altrincham, after trailing by two goals. A match that appeared to be heading for a comfortable Altrincham victory was transformed in a thrilling final half-hour.
The first half was a tight affair, with few clear-cut chances for either side. The only significant incident was a yellow card shown to Altrincham’s Lewis Banks for a foul in the 39th minute. Boston United manager made a tactical change just before the break, replacing Samuel Osborne with Keaton Ward.
The second half was a stark contrast to the first. In the 50th minute, Boston goalkeeper Cameron Gregory received a second yellow card, and was subsequently sent off for violent conduct. Altrincham quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage. In the 66th minute, a well-worked move culminated in Alex Newby finding the net, assisted by Tom Crawford. Just a minute later, Altrincham doubled their lead, Regan Linney applying the finish to a Kahrel Reddin pass. With a two-goal cushion and an extra man, the home side seemed certain to claim all three points.
However, despite their disadvantage, Boston United refused to give up. Substitute Keaton Ward, introduced just before half-time, ignited the visitors’ comeback with a goal in the 78th minute. Buoyed by this, Boston continued to press forward, and their resilience paid off in the 84th minute. Fellow substitute Oluwalopemiwa Aderoju, who had come on just after the hour mark, provided the assist for Cameron Green to level the scores at 2-2.
The final minutes were tense, with both teams searching for a winner. Altrincham’s Alex Newby received a late yellow card, but the score remained unchanged. The remarkable comeback earned Boston United a valuable point, while Altrincham were left to rue their missed opportunity. The draw leaves Altrincham 17th and Boston United 19th in the table.