Boro roar to stunning 4-1 victory at play-off rivals Radcliffe
Brilliant Boro avenged a 3-0 home defeat by the same opponents last month, and climbed back into the play-off places with a stunning 4-1 win at Radcliffe, after a rampant first-half performance blew away their rivals.
Boss Jono Greening made three changes from the home loss to Kidderminster, with Ste Walker, Rio Allan and Harry Green replacing Jack Waldron, Richie Bennett and the injured Michael Duckworth in the starting eleven
Boro dominated the first half, playing some terrific football on the lovely playing surface.
Walker had a shot blocked by Rick Smith, an Alex Brown strike was deflected wide by Callum McFadzean, and Walker chipped forward to Green in the box, but McFadzean headed clear.
It was one-way traffic, with Radcliffe chasing shadows, and the deadlock was broken with a wonder goal from Walker, who took possession wide right, cut inside, went past three defenders and clinically fired into the bottom right corner.
In rare Radcliffe attacks, Kieran Weledji tackled Jordan Hulme when he set off on a run, Will Thornton deflected a Dan Gardner corner over the bar, and David Ball headed a Gardner cross wide.
Allan skipped past two defenders before forcing a good save from home keeper Mark Halstead, Smith hacked clear when the lively Green jinked into the box, and Alex Wiles passed to Dom Tear, who was tackled by McFadzean before he could shoot. Lewis Maloney sent a 25-yard free-kick into the keeper’s arms, before Boro scored twice in quick succession.
A Maloney corner was cleared to Weledji, who fired goal-wards, and Allan slammed into the net from close range, then Weledji glanced in a header from a Maloney cross on the stroke of half-time.
The hosts were much improved after the break, and enjoyed far more possession, but found it difficult to break down the solid Boro defence, superbly marshalled by skipper Thornton.
A George Glendon shot was blocked by Alex Purver, Brad Roscoe headed over from a Gardner free-kick, Purver tackled Afuye when he charged forward, and Tear closed down Ball on the edge of the area.
Weledji blocked a shot from Jon Taylor, then Ryan Whitley pulled off two superb saves, diving to push wide a Taylor free-kick on 69 minutes, then from the corner, flicking away a goal-bound header from Anthony Dudley.
Purver had a fierce shot blocked by Hulme, before Radcliffe got forward again, and Scunthorpe loanee Kian Scales fired over, then Green scrambled a Rio Clegg cross to safety as Boro absorbed the pressure, before adding a fourth goal on 78 minutes, when Weledji sent a low ball from the right towards Walker, who volleyed past substitute keeper Mat Hewelt to wrap up the points.
Radcliffe looked for a late consolation, with Purver halting a run into the box from Hulme, Dudley fired over, and Maloney blocked a Danny Greenfield strike, but they did pull one back from Afuye’s inswinging corner that sneaked past Whitley to spoil his clean sheet.
RADCLIFFE - Halstead (Hewelt 46), McFadzean, Smith, Glendon (Clegg 72), Hulme (c), Afuye, Taylor (James 72), Roscoe, Gardner (Greenfield 64), Scales, Ball (Dudley 64). Unused subs - Jackson, Thornley.
BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Brown, Hull, Thornton (c), Purver, Green (Bennett 82), Tear (Waldron 75), Walker, Maloney, Allan. Unused subs - Walpole (GK), Gibson-Booth.
REFEREE - Kavan Hurn.
RADCLIFFE GOAL - Michael Afuye 81, BORO GOALS - Stephen Walker 18, 78, Rio Allan 40, Kieran Weledji 45.
GOAL ATTEMPTS - RADCLIFFE 10 (4 on target) BORO 10 (6 on target).
CORNERS - RADCLIFFE 5 BORO 3.
OFFSIDES - RADCLIFFE 2 BORO 1.
YELLOW CARDS - Alex Brown, Harry Green, Jake Hull, Will Thornton (Boro).
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Stephen Walker.
ATTENDANCE - 624 (63 away).