Boston United were left stunned by a late Hornchurch comeback, falling to a 3-2 defeat at York Street despite a promising first-half display. The Pilgrims led twice through Ken Aboh and Sai Sachdev but conceded twice in the final ten minutes to drop points.
The hosts started brightly and created several early chances. Tom Cursons had a goal ruled out for offside and later fired over from a good position, while Gavan Holohan forced a save from Hornchurch goalkeeper Arthur Nasta. Boston's pressure told in the 35th minute when Terrell Agyemang set up Ken Aboh, who finished with a powerful rising drive to give United the lead.
Hornchurch equalised six minutes later in unfortunate fashion for the Pilgrims. A set-piece delivery into the box caused problems and defender Jake Rooney turned the ball into his own net. United responded before the break, however, with Lewis Shipley heading a ball back across goal for Sai Sachdev to slam home at the back post and restore the lead.
Boston found the second period more difficult as Hornchurch grew into the game. Goalkeeper Louis Chadwick made a key save with his feet to deny Aaron Rowe, but the respite was brief. Rowe, who had a loan spell at Boston in 2019, soon found space at the back post to tap in an 80th-minute equaliser for the visitors.
Chadwick produced another excellent stop to thwart Bobby Kelman shortly after, but the substitute striker was not to be denied. Three minutes from time, Kelman finished from close range to complete a dramatic turnaround for Hornchurch. Nasta then made a brilliant stoppage-time save to keep out a Holohan effort and secure the points for the away side.
The defeat comes as the club prepares for the new National League season, following a 12th-place finish in the 2025 campaign. United ended that season with 59 points from 46 games, recording 15 wins, 14 draws, and 17 losses. Their goal difference of -4, with 63 scored and 67 conceded, was a factor in finishing 49 points behind champions York City. Fans can review the full final table on our standings page.
Manager Steve Evans will be looking for more consistency from his squad after a run of form that ended WWDWD. The club's squad page details the current playing group available for selection as pre-season preparations continue.
Attention now turns to finalising preparations for the upcoming campaign. The late collapse against Hornchurch will provide lessons for the coaching staff as they work on game management. The next scheduled friendly offers a chance to respond before the competitive action begins.
