HALF this team were still in school uniform the last time Town won five on the trot - but they are graduating with style this season.

Only four of Saturday's team were in the starting line-up when Town kicked off the campaign; at a time when the focus was solidly on Peter Jackson's essential crop of new signings.

Now, with a play-off place solidly within the club's grasp, it's the young guns who are stepping up to the plate and delighting supporters with their wholehearted enthusiasm, workrate and skill.

Those were the qualities needed topple a determined Boston United side driven tirelessly by Neil Redfearn, but Town also showed commendable patience before Efe Sodje and Anthony Lloyd grabbed their first goals for the club.

At opposite ends of the experience scale, both players were ecstatic - and rightly so for inspiring a fifth straight win.

Sodje has been so close so often this season without actually finding the net, and he would have run a mile in celebration of his 71st-minute header if Nathan Clarke hadn't collared him first.

Sodje was still cheered all the way back to the half way line, where a jubilant Jackson welcomed him with high fives and a massive hug.

There was similar joy to greet Lloyd's first career goal after 85 mintues of his 12th straight start, and he is one of those players on a fast learning curve but looking better by the game.

Lloyd and fellow teenager Andy Holdsworth - doing exams when Steve Bruce's side won six on the bounce late in 1999 - tackled specific marking jobs and played a valuable part in a third clean sheet from five matches.

Phil Senior, in fact, was stretched only once when Redfearn's ninth-minute drive bounced off the inside of a post and back across goal before being hoofed to safety in the stand.

Senior watched Nathan Clarke and Steve Yates repel much of what Boston could offer, while Sodje was indomitable with the captain's armband and his `Against All Odds' bandana for inspiration.

In front of them, Lee Fowler had an excellent first half, Danny Schofield a splendid match and Jon Worthington a fruitless search for his third successive goal - although he went close with a blistering 58th-minute drive after a charging run.

Up front, Jackson could not have asked much more, even though Jon Stead and Nat Brown weren't on the scoresheet.

Brown - effective when defending set pieces Andy Booth style - battled for everything and it was a pity he couldn't score when keeper Paul Bastock failed to hold a Worthington shot.

As for Stead, he was tremendous yet again and confidence flowed from his every touch of the ball.

His taunting of defenders was impudent, his vision first class and his willingness to put in the hard yards an impressive come-on to the watching scouts from Southampton, Newcastle and Fulham.

So, too, was the way he selflessly teed up openings for colleagues and the way he spotted the late run of Lloyd, who calmly slotted the ball beneath the advancing Bastock.

It was a moment to simply savour for the McAlpine, because for all Boston's honest toil and neat passing, they posed little threat apart from Redfearn's well-struck free-kicks.

That was a tribute to the defensive unit, who must also be congratulated for conceiving and scoring the first goal - a Yates cross, Clarke flick and Sodje finish.

It was amazing the breakthrough took quite so long, especially as Town forced seven corners in just over two minutes of sustained pressure before the break, having already seen Schofield's drive tipped over the top and Sodje head wide when it seemed easier to score at the back post.

Worthington, Sodje and Holdsworth all had shots saved while Stead headed over, and Town might have been ahead through Schofield in the second half had referee Paul Robinson not spotted Stead's quick free-kick came from a moving ball.

Stead then volleyed over as Schofield reversed roles and, when the lanky striker fired a cross beyond Holdsworth in the six-yard box, it looked like Town might have to settle for a frustrating point.

The last 20 minutes held due reward, however, and 9,000-plus home fans (who gave excellent support) could reflect on a job well done by a team who not only worked extremely hard, but who played some smashing football along the way.

I received eight different suggestions afterwards for man-of-the-match, and in those circumstances it would be easy to overlook the obvious.

I bet the scouts didn't, because for all the effort of his teammates, Stead was again awesome in all departments of the game.

Game guide: Efe Sodje

TOWN'S captain for the day, Efe Sodje, told his manager Peter Jackson before the game he would score the first goal - and he was true to his word!

Only 20 minutes remained when Sodje stayed up after a corner and benefited as Nathan Clarke flicked on a Steve Yates cross from the right.

Scoring his first Town goal with a stooping header, Sodje said: "It felt great and I was really chuffed for it to be such an important goal.

"I had told the manager beforehand not to worry, I was going to score - and I just knew it was going to be my day.

"I had a good volley in the first half which was deflected straight at the keeper and I had a goal ruled out at Cambridge last week, but I just kept on going and eventually the chance came my way."

Sodje was skipper earlier in the season when Town drew 2-2 at Boston, and he also took the armband at Doncaster.

"I enjoy it, because there is the double responsibility of keeping the side going and doing your own job as well as you can," he said.

"Thankfully we got the win to keep our run going and we are all enjoying ourselves at the moment.

"We don't want to talk too much about what we might achieve. At this stage, it's important to think only about the next match, and that's at York.

"Another clean sheet would be great there and if we play like we can, then I'm sure we can pick up our sixth straight win and keep going strongly in the play-off positions. It's going well for us right now."

Man of the Match: Jonathan Stead

A bag of tricks through the whole game and he gave the Boston defence nightmares. Set up one goal, had a number of close efforts himself and involved in just about everything Town created, this was a performance from a young man at the very top of his game

Town's chance seemed to have gone when a Schofield corner flashed deep, but Steve Yates chased out to the right and, instead of playing a ball down the line, he sent in a cross from which Sodje broke the deadlock

Subs used: Town: Newby for Stead 87. Boston: Duffield for Boyd 69, Weatherstone for Rusk 76, Thompson for Potter 81.

Subs not used: Town: Mirfin, Gray, Holland, Mattis. Boston: Croudson, Hogg.

Boston United: Bastock, Hocking, Greaves, Ellender, Bennett, Redfearn, Rusk (Weatherstone 76), Beevers, Potter (Thompson 81), Douglas, Boyd (Duffield 69).

Subs not used: Croudson, Hogg.

Scorers: Town: Sodje 70, Lloyd 85.

Referee: Paul Robinson (E.Yorks).

Bookings: Town: Fowler. Boston: Ellender.

Shots on target: Town 10, Boston 3.

Corners: Town 11, Boston 4.

Caught offside: Town 2, Boston 1.

Free-kicks awarded: Town 10, Boston 15.

Attendance: 9,603 (Away: 442).