Boston United kicked off their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Alfreton Town on Tuesday night, with two trialists making an immediate impact. The Pilgrims, who finished 12th in the National League last season with 59 points (15W-14D-17L), are looking to build momentum after a recent 3-game winning run (WWWDD) that saw them finish the 2025-26 campaign strongly.
What happened in the friendly?
Alfreton, who were relegated to the NPL Premier Division this season, took an early lead through Charlie Finney on 40 minutes, but Boston responded swiftly after the break. Trialist B equalized just four minutes into the second half, and Trialist D headed home Scott’s long throw-in on 59 minutes to secure the win. The match marked Boston’s first return to Alfreton since their dramatic National League North play-off semi-final victory in April 2024, which they won on penalties.
Why this matters for Boston United
The win comes after a narrow 1-0 defeat to promoted Championship side Lincoln City in their first pre-season friendly, and manager Craig Elliott will be encouraged by the contributions of the trialists. With the new National League season approaching, Boston will be aiming to improve on last season’s 12th-place finish, where they scored 63 goals and conceded 67 (-4 goal difference), finishing 49 points behind leaders York.
What’s next for the Pilgrims?
Boston United will continue their pre-season preparations with a home friendly against Peterborough United on Saturday (3pm). The match will be another key test as they look to fine-tune their squad ahead of the new campaign. Last season’s final result, a 3-1 win over Hartlepool on April 25, 2026, highlighted their late-season form, and they will be hoping to carry that momentum into the new season.
