Alex Wiles the late hero as Scarborough Athletic grab dramatic 3-2 victory against Blyth Spartans
Boro had the ball in the net on two minutes, when Ciaran McGuckin sent a ball to the far post, for Dom Tear to slam into the net, but he had drifted offside. Then Luca Colville set up Tear, who fired wide, writes Steve Adamson.
Blyth opened the scoring when Bailey Gooda fouled Will McGowan, and Nicky Deverdics curled the 25-yard free-kick into the top right corner.
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Hide AdBoro had most of the possession, and McGuckin laid off to Lewis Maloney, whose 20-yard strike was tipped round the post by diving keeper Alex Mitchell, but the equaliser arrived on 28 minutes when a header from Colville was deflected out for a corner on the right. Colville sent over the corner, and the ball dropped at the feet of Gooda, who slammed home at the far post.
A few minutes later, captain for the day Ryan Watson played the ball across the goalmouth, and Tear’s low shot struck the right-hand post.
Boro should have gone ahead when Glynn passed to Colville, who raced down the left wing and sent the ball into the six-yard area, but McGuckin sliced his shot wide, and the Rotherham loanee also had a long-range strike blocked, while Isaac Walker fired wide at the other end just before the interval.
Blyth regained the lead early in the second half with a well taken goal, as Cedric Main passed inside to the pacy Walker, who neatly slotted past Joe Cracknell.
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Hide AdThis was the visitors’ best spell of the game, and Jonathan O’Donnell shot just past the left-hand post, then Curtis Round set up Walker, whose shot was tipped over by Cracknell.
A couple of substitutions rejuvenated Boro, and Dan Greenfield laid off to the lively Colville, who shot straight at Mitchell, then a strike from Greenfield was blocked by Matt Dorson.
The equaliser finally came on 78 minutes when Colville sent a through-ball to Kieran Glynn, who struck a superb shot inside the left-hand post, and two minutes later Colville again fed Glynn, who fired narrowly wide.
Skipper Michael Coulson then went close, smashing against the crossbar, and Coulson had another effort blocked, then a Greenfield shot was gathered by the keeper as Boro searched for a late winner.
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Hide AdWith time running out, Watson tried a low shot from distance, keeper Mitchell flung himself to the ground to make the save, but Alex Wiles was on hand to slam in the rebound to notch his first goal for the club and secure Boro’s first league double of the season, to keep the play-off hopes going strong.
BORO: Cracknell, Weledji, Burton, Maloney (Charles 86), Gooda, Watson, Colville, Tear (Greenfield 59), Wiles, Glynn, McGuckin (Coulson 59)BLYTH SPARTANS: Mitchell, Lees, Hickey,O’Donnell, Walker (Chiabi 82), Round (Cornish 82), Main, McGowan, Elsdon, Deverdics, DodsonREFEREE: Darren RogersGOALS: BORO - Bailey Gooda 28, Kieran Glynn 78, Alex Wiles 89BLYTH - Nicky Deverdics 12, Isaac Walker 50‘SCARBOROUGH NEWS’ MAN OF MATCH: Kieran Glynn‘MATCH SPONSORS’ MAN OF MATCH: Ryan WatsonATTENDANCE: 1,514 (110 away)