Paul Hurst frustrated by fine margins after Boston United home defeat

Boston United manager Paul Hurst is frustrated by the fine margins that saw his team lose 1-0 at home to AFC Fylde on Saturday. The defeat leaves the Pilgrims with just one point from their last six home games and sitting 19th in the National League, only two points clear of the relegation places.

Hurst pointed to a familiar problem of missed opportunities. "It's fine margins right now," he said. "I don't want to get carried away on the negative side, but ultimately we've lost a game of football, so you never have nice feelings and thoughts when that's happened." The manager felt his side created enough chances from set pieces and open play to score but were undone by a single moment of quality from AFC Fylde's Danny Mayor, who struck a fine finish in the 51st minute.

Home form a major concern

Boston United's record at home this season now reads four defeats and one draw from six matches. Hurst acknowledged the issue is entirely down to the team's performances. "That's just on us," he said. "It's certainly nothing to do with the fans or anything like that." The immediate focus, however, shifts to a pair of away fixtures, starting with a trip to sixth-placed Yeovil Town this Saturday.

The loss to Fylde followed a midweek 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town, where Luke Wheeldon had given United a first-half lead. That result means Boston have taken four points from their last five league matches, a run that has seen them score 14 goals but concede 15. Hurst admitted his team is consistently falling short in tight contests. "As a team we are falling short and coming out on the wrong side of tight games," he explained. "We need to find a way to be on the right side more often."

Selection decisions

Hurst made one change to his starting line-up, with Jack Holmes replacing Ken Aboah. The manager suggested Aboah's form had dipped, while Holmes was given his opportunity with Ollie Bostock away on international duty with Wales Under-21s. Despite the change, the attacking output remained lacking. Hurst was left scratching his head at another blank scoresheet at home, especially after a late chance went begging following Jake Rooney's red card for the visitors. The Pilgrims must now regroup quickly for the challenge at Huish Park, where they will face a Yeovil side pushing for the play-off positions. Check the latest standings to see how the table shapes up ahead of the weekend.

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