Double Match report: Town graduate over Scholars and Boss Boston to move into the top 3

By Matt Jones

Sat 3 Oct 2026
Nuneaton Town 3-1 Loughborough Students
(Sawyers 41(p), Hendrie 56, Somel 59 : Salsby 90+1)
Att 705

Tue 6 Oct 2026
Nuneaton Town 2-1 Boston Town
(Stretton 32, Shilton 75 : Munton 10)

Att 452

Nuneaton Town earned their 4th and 5th straight victories to end Tuesday night in the top 3 for the first time this season, as they earned an impressive double over fellow play off contenders Loughborough Students and Boston Town.

Loughborough Students report:

Finn Osborn continued in goal for the home side, with Stuart Hendrie a surprise inclusion up front. Debutant Osazuwa Nsue made the bench. Nuneaton struggled in the early minutes as the pace and press of the Loughborough team surprised the home side, and Town struggled to keep the ball. However, after a difficult opening 10 minutes they grew into the game, and on 12 minutes a combination on the left between Harry Chesterton and Eesa Sawyers saw the former whip a dangerous cross into the box which Loughborough goalkeeper James grabbed before anyone could get on the end of it. 

The wing play was working to beat the press, however the Scholars were dangerous on the break, and after just surviving a corner on 19 minutes, the first big chance of the game came on 25 minutes as March zigzagged his way through the defence and although he miskicked his shot, it almost sneaked in as with Osborn rooted to the spot, it clattered off his right post and all the way back across the goal line before he and his defence recovered to prevent the rebound finding the net. 

Loughborough had another chance on 31 minutes as Ikegwuonu got away on the right, but hesitated enough for the defence to catch him up, and his effort was sliced wide. The striker had another effort two minutes later, this time on target as he brought a save from Osborn, before having the rebound cleared off the line by Luke Softley. 

Bradley Stretton won a dangerous free kick on 39 minutes, but his effort was over the bar. However two minutes later the game changed in Nuneaton’s favour, as Eesa Sawyers, who had changed the game 5 days earlier at St Ives, did the same again as he beat the keeper to a loose ball, and with the goal gaping was pulled down for a penalty, with the keeper seeing a straight red card. Sawyers dusted himself down to ensure the substitute keeper’s first action was to pick the ball out of the net as he was sent the wrong way from the spot (1-0).

Half time: Nuneaton Town 1-0 Loughborough Students

With the extra man, Nuneaton went into the second half with confidence, and in front of the highest crowd of the season so far, looked to put the game beyond their opponents. Two goals in three minutes did the trick, as first on 56 minutes Stuart Hendrie did brilliantly to anticipate the keeper’s miskicked clearance, and just as brilliantly to lob the ball back over him and into the net (2-0), then afterwards Chesterton was put away on the left, and as he drove into the box cut the ball back to the onrushing Declan Somel who prodded the ball first time into the far corner (3-0).

Loughborough threw caution to the wind in the final half an hour of the game looking for a consolation, as following Corey Currithers replacing goalscorer Somel, McGovern had an off target effort from the edge of the box, while shortly after the same man was prevented by Jacob Shilton. 

Nuneaton thought they had a 4th as Luke Softley was denied a goal for an apparent foul on the keeper, though many disagreed with that decision. Further subs came as Bradley Stretton and Stuart Hendrie were replaced by Liam Murphy, and Osazuwa Nsue was given his debut. And Nuneaton thought they were on their way to a clean sheet, however Currithers gave a penalty away with a mistimed challenge as the clock ticked into added time. Salsby made it one each on the penalty front as he reduced the arrears, but there was no late comeback.

Full time: Nuneaton Town 3-1 Loughborough Students

Man of the Match: Brad Stretton

Team: Osborn, Shilton, Roberts, Softley, Chesterton, Elliott, Somel (Currithers 66), Jones, Stretton (Murphy 81), Sawyers (Atem 79), Hendrie (Nsue 81)

Subs: Nsue, Bajrami, Atem, Murphy, Currithers

Boston Town report:

Gabriel Bajrami returned in goal for Nuneaton, and Corey Currithers the other change with Caine Elliott on the bench.

A timid start to the game in which both sides struggled to keep the ball, came into life on 9 minutes as Currithers mistimed his tackle on the edge of the box. Munton hit it perfectly into the top corner in the next minute giving Bajrami no chance of his first clean sheet (1-0).

An end to end game saw the dangerous Sawyers on 18 minutes win the ball back up high and fizz a low cross towards Hendrie, however it was cleared by the defence before it got to him. At the other end last season’s top scorer Matthew Cotton somehow put a squared pass wide from only around a yard outside the net. Further chances for Nuneaton saw Chesterton’s cross headed on target by Stretton but the defender’s deflection took the pace off the effort, then Hendrie was fouled just outside the box, but Stretton couldn’t replicate the Boston goal with his chance. Van Lier brought a good save at the other end shortly after as he got away from Currithers and fizzed a shot across goal that Bajrami tipped over.

Nuneaton would get back on terms on 32 minutes, as Sawyers used his body to win a corner, and Stretton took it short to Somel. His pass found its way back to Stretton via a deflection, and he found a way through the crowd to fire in at the near post (1-1).

Boston could have gone back in front before half time as Softley slipped and lost possession, but Cotton again failed to capitalise and Softley recovered to see him off.

Half time: Nuneaton Town 1-1 Boston Town

The second half started like the first with a lack of quality possession for either side, and the first 15 minutes’ only effort was a tame one from Cotton. Nuneaton nearly got themselves in front on 62 minutes as Stretton drove across the box and unleashed a goalbound shot that almost wrong footed the keeper and looped up off his body, before he recovered to prevent the ball dropping over the line. 

Three subs saw Terry Atem, Caine Elliott and Liam Murphy replace Hendrie, Currithers and Stretton. And they made the difference as with 15 minutes to go a long crossfield ball from Aaron Roberts found Murphy in the box, and he chested down for Somel but the defender just managed to get there first and clear the ball for a corner. However from the corner Elliott’s ball to the far post was headed in by Jacob Shilton for his first Nuneaton goal (2-1).

Boston had to step it up, and made it a physical game. A good save was brought out of Bajrami again on 77 minutes, before Gibbons curled an effort inches wide from the edge of the box on 84. Charlie Jones was booked on 87 minutes, with Gibbons going into the book for Boston, after pulling down former Boston man Terry Atem on the break. A foul was somehow given for one of the Boston players slipping on the ball with no touch from his opposite man, to which Russell Dodd saw a yellow card for his protests. However, Nuneaton saw out the game to earn a fifth straight win, and move up into third, having been 18th at the start of the run.

Full time: Nuneaton Town 2-1 Boston Town

Team: Bajrami, Shilton, Roberts, Softley, Chesterton, Currithers (Elliott 64), Somel, Jones, Stretton (Murphy 68), Sawyers, Hendrie (Atem 64)

Subs: Nsue, Osborn, Atem, Murphy, Elliott