Get the lowdown on the U’s next opponents: Boston United.

The Opposition

Boston United have enjoyed a remarkable change of fortunes in recent weeks, and look on course to secure their place in the fifth tier for another season should their form continue.

With promotion to the Vanarama National League being secured for the first time ever last term, the Pilgrims will have entered the current campaign looking to shock their step one counterparts, although it took time for the club to find their feet at the top tier of non-league football.

After a difficult start to life in the National League, manager Ian Culverhouse was replaced by Graham Coughlan, and they have subsequently embarked on a superb run of form in recent weeks, winning four of their last five including notable victories over play-off contenders Rochdale and Southend United as well as relegation rivals Dagenham & Redbridge and Braintree Town, and have overall lost just four games since the turn of the year.

Led by top goalscorer Jacob Hazel, the Pilgrims possess enough talent and grit to get over the line, and have added goals from all of the pitch from the likes of Jimmy Knowles, Jai Rowe, Keaton Ward and Zak Mills. They will now hope they can maintain their form into the final stretch, currently sitting in the drop zone on just goal difference.

Recent Form

Southend United 3-0 Boston United

Hartlepool United 4-1 Boston United

Rochdale 2-3 Boston United

Braintree Town 0-1 Boston United

Yeovil Town 0-3 Boston United

Boston United 2-2 Woking

The Manager

Graham Coughlan

Former defender Graham Coughlan has taken the reins at the Jakeman’s Community Stadium since November, and has guided the Pilgrims to within touching distance of safety.

The Irishman had enjoyed a successful two decades in professional football, notably turning out as a player for Plymouth Argyle with over 150 appearances to his name, as well as appearing frequently for Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Shrewsbury Town and Southend United, before hanging up his boots in 2013.

When Coughlan had joined Southend, he took over at Reserve Team manager alongside his playing career, and subsequently ended his time at Roots Hall as player/assistant manager, before taking on the role of First Team Coach upon the expiry of his playing contract.

Looking to pursue a career in coaching, he later joined Bristol Rovers as a defensive coach, but was appointed as caretaker manager following the departure of Darrell Clarke and Marcus Stewart, and was made the Gas’ permanent boss after picking up ten points from a possible 15 during his spell in temporary charge. He would subsequently secure Rovers’ League One status come the end of the season, and subsequently guided the club into the play-off places the following season.

However, despite a spectacular change of fortunes at the Memorial Stadium, Coughlan opted to move to Mansfield Town towards the end of 2019, taken on the role for a year before departing the One Call Stadium following a poor start to the season.

This was followed by a stint as a coach at Sheffield United’s Under-23’s, which preceded a return to senior management with a move to Newport County in 2022. His time in Wales saw him guide the club to two mid-table finishes, along with an appearance in the FA Cup Fourth Round where the Exiles were defeated by Manchester United, before departing the club by mutual consent last summer.

Coughlan subsequently spent a few months out the game, but returned to management once more when Boston were looking for a replacement for their former promotion-winner Ian Culverhouse in aid of their survival bid. Taking over with the Pilgrims sat 23rd in the division and seven points from safety ,the Irishman has subsequently guided the club to 21st, with just goal difference separating them from Dagenham & Redbridge in 20th.

One to Watch

Jacob Hazel

Experienced forward Jacob Hazel has proven to be a thorn in Sutton’s side already this season, and will no doubt be a difficult prospect once again.

Born in Bradford, Hazel began his career with Chesterfield and spent four years at the Technique Stadium, embarking on loan spells at Matlock Town, Workington, Sprint-Jeløy, Buxton, Bradford (Park Avenue) and FC United of Manchester. This was followed by a move to Ashton United, preceding more successful stints at Mickleover Sports and Frickley Athletic, where he scored 18 goals in 32 appearances for the former before following that up with 19 goals from 42 appearances for the latter.

A brief stint at Gainsborough Trinity followed and was succeeded by a loan spell at Farsley Celtic, where he scored six goals in 12 appearances and subsequently joined Scarborough Athletic, where he continued his fine goalscoring form with 13 goals in 20 appearances.

While the Saint Kitts and Nevis international had bounced around a whole host of clubs up until this point, 2017 saw him return to Frickley where he remained for a further three years, racking up more than 100 appearances for the club as well as 88 goals. Hazel had firmly established himself as one of the most dangerous goalscorers towards the lower end of the football pyramid, with a further 31 goals in just 50 appearances for Whitby Town seeing him earn a move into step two, making the switch across the North-East to Darlington, where he finished the 2022/23 season as the club’s top scorer with 21 goals in all competitions.

After a little over a season with the Quakers, Hazel was on the move again midway through the 2023/24 campaign, making the switch to Boston contributing five goals to the Pilgrims’ promotion-winning campaign via the play-offs, before adding 13 goals this term.

Last Time We Met

Sutton suffered a second successive home defeat at the hands of a Boston United side who claimed their second win of the season since their promotion in May.

Jacob Hazel gave the Pilgrims a shock lead when he met Frankie Maguire’s low cross on 23 minutes, before the the U’s lost their way badly in the second half and by the end could have few complaints about the result, with Hazel securing a brace after Zak Mills had doubled the advantage to bring all three points back to Lincolnshire.

Head-to-Head

Sutton United 0-3 Boston United (07/09/2024)

Played for Both

Jordan Adebayo-Smith

United States-born forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith spent three years in England, and included brief stints at both Boston United and Sutton United.

Hailing from California, Adebayo-Smith initially came to the UK with trials at Cambridge United and Watford, before joining Lincoln City on a two-year scholarship. After making his First Team debut for the Imp – a start in a 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley – the forward embarked on a handful of loan spells, joining Grantham Town, Boston and Gainsborough Trinity. His single goal for the Pilgrims came against former club Grantham in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup Semi-Final, before having his contract at his parent club terminated the following year.

He subsequently dropped into non-league with a move to Sutton, where he appeared just once for the club before returning to America after just four months at Gander Green Lane.

Adebayo-Smith later turned out for Tampa Ray Rowdies, New England Revolution II and Minesota United, where he currently resides, appearing for both the First Team and the Reserve Team of the Loons.

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin