And so the hoodoo goes on.
Boston Town have still yet to register a single win against Grantham in 16 attempts.
The Poachers have only ever managed three goals against their Lincolnshire rivals in all those games dating back 60 years.
Their latest defeat came in a tense and tetchy derby against a streetwise Grantham team who defended stubbornly to blunt the most potent attack in the league.
Chris Funnell’s side lacked their usual sharpness in front of goal, but didn’t deserve to lose in front of the biggest crowd of the season at the Mortgages For You Stadium.
Their best chance came early on when a dangerous low ball from the right squirted through to Fraser Bayliss at the back post, but Jack Steggles was able to block his shot at point blank range.
The Gingerbreads managed very few efforts on target either, but took the lead out of the blue after 33 minutes when Andy Wright’s pot shot from distance swirled in at the far post.
Worse was to follow for the Poachers on the hour mark when they suffered a second red card in successive games – and again it was hotly disputed.
Richard Ford’s foul was belatedly deemed to have prevented a goalscoring opportunity and referee Robert Bunting eventually gave him his marching orders, but only after consulting with a linesman.
A sense of injustice seemed to galvanise the Poachers as they switched to a back three and pressed for an equaliser.
But the visitors, marshalled by the veteran Nathan Stainfield, held firm as they increasingly resorted to timewasting tactics.
Urged on by a boisterous away following, numerous Grantham players went to ground in need of treatment from their physio.
Stainfield then got himself sent off for a brainless second yellow card but the home side couldn’t take advantage of parity being restored, despite 10 minutes of added time being played.
At the final whistle, the Gingerbreads celebrated as if they’d won the title – a sign of how far Boston Town have progressed if that’s how prized a scalp they’ve become.
Back-to-back defeats for the first time in the Chris Funnell era is a bitter pill to swallow. But they remain top of the United Counties League Premier North table, for now at least – and Grantham, among the pre-season favourites, are still 6 points behind in 4th place.
One boost last night was the return of the talented midfielder Layton Maddison, who has rejoined the Poachers after a brief spell at Skegness Town.
The Poachers now have a run of four away games in a row, starting on Saturday (25 October) at Gresley Rovers. On Tuesday 94 November) they travel to Harrowby to play Newark & Sherwood United.
Town: Portas, Gibbons (Zaluzinskis), Smith (Worthington), Tate (Munton), Ford, Hudson, Bayliss, Priestley (Wilson), Gurney (Maddison), Limb, Cotton
Words: Simon Ashberry
