Corner treble helps Boro beat Barton

The 5-3 scoreline at Barton Town looked a good deal closer than the game actually was, as after leaping on the gas in the first half, Boro slowly lifted their foot from the pedal.

But the overall feeling from a frenetic first 90 minutes of pre-season was one of positivity, especially surrounding Boro’s supreme attacking threat.

Bosses Bryan Hughes and Paul Foot were forced to withdraw new skipper Leigh Franks due to a calf injury, but new boys Steve Mallory and Joel Dixon slotted in at centre-half, while fellow signing Dominic Rowe showed off his ridiculous pace in attack.

It took Boro just two minutes to break their duck, as Ryan Blott lofted an effort against the bar and Tom Corner nipped in to gobble up the pieces.

Corner was proving to be a huge threat to tha Barton back-line, and when he was taken down in the box soon after, the big striker brushed himself down and comfortably finished.

Barton showed a threat of their own when the ball smacked against Rory Skelton’s post and bounced to safety.

But it was Boro who continued to flex their attacking muscles when Corner took advantage of a dancing Dan Clayton run and rolled home off the post.

Corner’s strike-partner Blott was the next to register when the frontman stooped to head home and give Clayton his second assist of the evening.

The half-time whistle signalled a chance up top, with Alex Peterson, who spent time on loan from Doncaster Rovers last season, arriving in place of hat-trick hero Corner.

After some initial probing, Boro broke the Barton resolve once again. Blott rolling into the path of the lively Rowe and he made it 5-0 in confident style.

Hughes and Foot began to shuffle their pack after this and maybe the lack of continuity invited Barton back into the fixture.

It also gave the managerial pair the opportunity to check out trialists Ryan Sciberras, Josh Pilmoor, Stephane Djedje and George Wilson, as well as youth player Josh Venner.

Barton finished the better though, with the cushion at the final whistle being shrunk to just the two goals.

Andy Burford and Brad Ricketts both hit the net, while Jez Hartley netted the hosts’ goal of the evening, letting fly with a screamer that sailed over the head of Rory Skelton.