NANTWICH Town will be aiming to bury a ‘hapless’ league performance against Boston United and step up for FA Trophy action on Saturday.

The Dabbers host Leek Town in the second qualifying round at the Weaver Stadium, kick off 3pm, after a disappointing home 4-0 league defeat to fellow high flyers Boston at the weekend.

While Town dropped to sixth in the UniBond Premier Division on the back of the loss, Boston made some amends for two 5-0 hammerings at the hands of Nantwich last season to go top of the tree - although they have since been knocked off by Ashton Town in midweek.

Nantwich head coach Peter Hall was understandably deflated with the result and performance.

“We lacked the desire you’d expect from a team at this club and we just didn’t show enough commitment,” he said.

“I’m particularly disappointed that we struggled to pass the ball on what is a quality pitch and just didn’t retain the ball as well as we should.”

Boston were clearly in the mood for revenge and, after a goalless first half, they put woeful Nantwich to the sword.

The Dabbers conceded four goals in the last half hour, leaving their unbeaten home record in tatters and consigning them to the heaviest Continued from back defeat they have suffered at their new ground.

The first half had been something of a scrappy stalemate as the two midfields cancelled each other out.

Nantwich had started brightly and could have taken an early lead had Michael Lennon not slipped after rounding the defence.

Chances were few and far between at either end but Boston’s towering centre half Shaun Pearson had a goal chalked off for shoving in the box after he had headed in a Jamie Yates free kick.

After the interval, Nantwich top scorer Lennon had a shot blocked and Dave MacPherson’s rasping follow-up was palmed out by Tom Evans.

It proved to be a rare chance for Nantwich as the visitors took the game by the scruff of the neck.

In fact the issue never looked in doubt after the impressive Marc Newsham put the Pilgrims ahead just after the hour mark.

Evans’ long goal kick caught the home defence napping, allowing Newsham to nip in and clip the ball over the advancing Lee Jones.

The former Rotherham United youngster then turned provider.

On 78 minutes he cut in from the left to tee up Danny Davidson, who turned and rifled into the roof of the net.

Davidson was then denied by Jones after the two Boston danger men again combined well on the edge of the area.

But on 84 minutes Boston went 3-0 up.

Mark Camm neatly cut the ball back from the by-line, leaving Jones stranded as Davidson rushed in to tuck home his second at the near post.

Jones was now being overworked in the home goal and the stopper denied the giant striker a hat-trick when he spread himself well – but it only served to delay the fourth goal.

Stoppage time substitute Dan Cotton picked up the ball wide on the right and, with his first touch of the game, he unleashed a blistering 30-yarder into the net.

The goal sent the travelling Boston army into raptures and capped a well-deserved win for the Pilgrims.

Nantwich: Jones, Mellor, Tickle (Rhead 64mins), Flynn, Sutton, Sedgemore, Ashley Carter, Blackhurst, MacPherson, Lennon (Madeley 76mins), Dawson.Subs not used: Reeves, Jack, Aaron Carter.

Attendance: 693.