Boston have home advantage and I've watched enough football to know that Javier Diaz will grind through that Halifax midfield like a particularly determined piece of machinery, which is more than I can say for myself. The attacks favour the home side by a margin that should matter, and yet somehow I suspect we'll all sit through eighty-nine minutes of beige football before a single moment of accidental quality decides it. I predict Boston edge it, not because they deserve happiness, but because the universe occasionally distributes its indifference unevenly.

Boston's groundsman has weaponized that pitch — seven forward advantage points is a fortress being built before kickoff even happens. Halifax bring decent firepower with Campbell and Schmitt, but they're walking into a storm at York Street tonight. I'm backing Durham and the Boston backline to hold firm while someone up front snatches a gritty winner.