Hosts Scarborough Athletic end National League North season with loss to Alfreton Town

Boss Jono Greening made four changes from last week’s thriller at Boston, with Kieran Weledji, Lewis Maloney, Kole Hall and Harry Green replacing Olly Dyson, Cody Johnson, Frank Mulhern and Dom Tear, while Alfreton had ex-Boro duo Jordan Thewlis and Jake Day on the bench, writes Steve Adamson.

Alfreton’s Liam Waldock had a shot blocked by Bailey Gooda inside the first 20 seconds. Boro dead-ball specialist Maloney curled in a free-kick from wide on the left on 12 minutes, and keeper George Willis palmed away.

The visitors then had a spell on top, a Ryan Taylor shot on the turn was blocked by Will Thornton, then the Boro skipper cleared when Harrison Perritt surged forward into the area.

The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute when Perritt hoisted forward into the Boro area, a group of players went up, and 6ft 4ins former Peterborough, Notts County and Port Vale defender Shaun Brisley looped his header over stranded keeper Ryan Whitley into the net.

Boro’s best move of the game almost brought them level on 27 minutes, when Fin Barnes, who had a terrific game, won possession wide on the right and flicked a pass inside to Alex Purver, who burst forward before spraying the ball out to Green on the left, and his fierce shot crashed off the top of the bar.

A Maloney corner was headed just over by Bailey Gooda, then Alex Wiles laid off to Green, whose shot was deflected out for a corner, from which Gooda’s header was saved at full stretch by keeper Willis.

A nice passing move from Alfreton involving George Cantrill, Taylor and Waldock ended when the latter fired straight at Boro keeper Whitley, and just before the interval Purver squared to Maloney, who shot wide from 25 yards.

Green was on top form, and after the break he played a precise through-ball to Wiles inside the area, but Lewis Salmon slid in to challenge as Wiles was about to shoot, then Kieran Weledji raced down the right and passed inside to Barnes, but keeper Willis dived at his feet to snatch the ball away.

For the visitors, Josh Clackstone flashed a left-foot volley narrowly over, and Waldock charged forward, but was halted by a tackle from Luca Colville.

Maloney sent a 22-yard free-kick into the chest of the keeper, and Frank Mulhern, who had briefly played for Alfreton on loan in 2018, rampaged forward, but was halted by Kennedy Digie’s strong challenge.

On 71 minutes Maloney sent a 30-yard free kick round Alfreton’s five-man wall, but Willis dived to push the ball round the post, the only difficult save either keeper had to make all game, then Mulhern laid off to Maloney, who fired just over.

Alfreton brought on Thewlis, and he looked lively in the closing stages, shooting wide from distance, then flicking a shot wide after being teed up by Taylor.

Boro pushed skipper Thornton forward as they chased a late equaliser.

A Barnes corner was headed over by Green and Cam Wilson fired narrowly wide, but the visitors held out to secure the points, extending Boro’s winless home run to nine matches.

Not the greatest of games, but brilliant support for both teams, and on reflection, it’s been a decent season for Boro, ending with a mid-table finish, following a good FA Cup run earlier in the season.

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Colville, Maloney (Dyson 75), Thornton(c), Gooda, Purver, Wiles (Wilson 62), Hall (Mulhern 62), Barnes, Green

ALFRETON TOWN - Willis, Clackstone, Newall, Perritt (Lund 72), Digie, Cantrill, Brisley (c), Taylor, Salmon, McDonagh (Fewster 76), Waldock (Thewlis 78)

REFEREE- Constantine Hatzidakis

GOAL - ALFRETON TOWN- Shaun Brisley 19

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 9 (4 on target) ALFRETON TOWN 7 (2 on target)

CORNERS - BORO 7 ALFRETON TOWN 2

OFFSIDES - BORO 1 ALFRETON TOWN 2

YELLOW CARDS - BORO- Lewis Maloney, Alex Purver; ALFRETON - Liam Waldock, Harrison Perritt, Josh Clackstone

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Harry Green

ATTENDANCE - 1,835 (176 away)