Brad Plant at the double as Scarborough Athletic beat Middlesbrough Under-23s 4-1 in North Riding FA Senior Cup

Plant had scored twice against Dunston in the FA Cup, in his only previous start this season, and he added two more in this game, opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Hassan Ayari closed down the keeper as he attempted to reach a back-pass, forcing him to hurriedly kick towards Plant, who lobbed into the net from the edge of the area, writes Steve Adamson.

Will Thornton sent a long ball forward to Plant on the right, and he crossed into the goalmouth, where Ciaran McGuckin's header was blocked by a defender, then at the other end a Sam Collins cross was met by Nathan Simpson, who glanced his header wide of the right-hand post, and a shot from Jeremy Sivi was charged down by Bailey Gooda.

Both sides were passing the ball about, and creating chances. Ayari blasted a shot narrowly wide, then Dan Bramall charged down the right flank, and fired a low shot that was saved by keeper Oliver Swan at the near post.

Middlesbrough were on top in the 15-minute spell before the interval, and they drew level on 41 minutes when skipper Jack Stott sent a pass into the area, for Aidan Bridge to neatly fire home, and soon after, a fierce shot from Sivi was saved by the legs of keeper Joe Cracknell, playing his 50th competitive game for Boro.

Early in the second half McGuckin sent a through-ball to Ayari, but he fired straight at Swan, while Middlesbrough's Fenton John had a shot blocked by Will Thornton.

A triple substitution saw Lewis Maloney, Kieran Glynn and Luca Colville enter the fray, and from then on, Boro took control.

The lead was restored thanks to brilliance from Plant, who won the ball, skipped past two defenders and sent a pass towards the near post, for Dom Tear to direct his first-time shot past the keeper.

McGuckin headed just over from a Kieran Burton cross, then the visitors went close, as Fenton John cut in from the right and teed up Luke Woolston, whose shot forced a terrific reflex save from Cracknell.

Tear was closed down after rampaging into the area, before Boro went 3-1 up when the keeper scuffed a clearance straight to Plant, who dribbled round him, and slammed home his second goal.

Maloney had a free-kick deflected off the wall, but six minutes from time, the on-form Glynn, in his 75th competitive Boro game, was brought down, and Maloney this time floated over the 30-yard free-kick into a crowded goalmouth, where it evaded everyone, and nestled just inside the far post to round off another fabulous Boro performance, with the whole team contributing, but Plant, Burton, Gooda and Glynn especially impressing.

BORO: Cracknell, Watson, Burton, Heslop (Maloney 56), Thornton, Gooda, Ayari (Glynn 56), Plant, McGuckin, Tear, Bramall (Colville 56)

MIDDLESBROUGH: Swan, Simpson (Samuels 64), Beals, Citau (Traore 64), Lindo, Woolston (McCarthy 78), Bridge, Stott, Sivi, John, Collins

REFEREE: Liam Smith

GOALS: BORO Brad Plant 10, 75, Dom Tear 58, Lewis Maloney 85

MIDDLESBROUGH: Aidan Bridge 41

BORO MAN OF MATCH: Brad Plant

ATTENDANCE: 524 (9 away)/