Enterprise National League North high-flyers Scarborough Athletic battle back to earn 3-2 victory at King's Lynn Town

It was an entertaining game, played on a boggy pitch, with good passing football from both sides, and a couple of contentious refereeing decisions adding to the drama.

With Kieran Weledji suspended, Jack Waldron made his first (impressive) start of the season, while Will Thornton made his 200th competitive appearance for the club.

The hosts went ahead from the first attack, when Jack Lambert passed to Ross Crane, who squared for Reece Hall-Johnson to strike a low shot past Boro keeper Ryan Whitley.

With a strong wind at their backs, Boro responded quickly, Harry Green, who had a terrific game, skipped past his marker and fired wide, then connected with a Luca Colville pass, and again shot narrowly wide.

On 11 minutes the outstanding Alex Purver teed up Colville, whose fierce strike came back off the base of the right-hand post, then Dom Tear had a shot blocked by Tom Wilson.

The equaliser arrived on 18 minutes when a Colville corner was headed out towards Purver, who swivelled to lash in a half-volley from just outside the area.

A ball forward from Crane, sent Jack Lambert through for the hosts, but Michael Duckworth’s strong tackle averted the danger, then Alex Wiles fouled Morgan Williams who went down in the area, but the ref enraged the home side, by awarding a free-kick on the edge of the box, with Whitley diving to pull off a brilliant one-handed save from Williams’ free-kick.

Boro then went ahead when Thornton headed forward to Wiles, who passed out to Ste Walker on the left, and he cut inside and fired past keeper Louis Chadwick.

A Wiles volley was blocked by Tom Dickens, a Green strike was also blocked by Dickens, with Waldron blasting the rebound just over, and a jinking run from Green was ended by a Hall-Johnson tackle.

For King’s Lynn, a Jo Nyahwema cross drifted past the back post, Alex Brown cut out a through-ball towards Gold Omotayo, and Lambert fired into the arms of Whitley.

King’s Lynn had the wind in their favour after the break, but Purver and Wiles were dominant in midfield, and the Boro defence, superbly led by skipper Thornton remained solid.

Williams flashed a free-kick wide for the hosts, then Boro created further chances.

The hard-working Walker had a shot blocked by Dickens, and another Walker effort was held by the keeper, before Boro went 3-1 up, when a Colville corner was headed into the six-yard box by Thornton, and Tear netted with an acrobatic overhead kick, then Wiles fed Walker, whose shot was saved by the legs of Chadwick.

King’s Lynn fought back in the latter stages, Duckworth tackled Lambert as he ran into the box and

Lewis Maloney cleared an in-swinging cross from Crane. They pulled a goal back from a free-kick, awarded after Tear appeared to be fouled, and handled the ball as he fell, but the ref blew for handball, and Williams curled the free-kick into the top left corner.

In stoppage time Wilson headed wide, as Boro held on to claim a well-deserved three points.

KING’S LYNN - Chadwick, Hall-Johnson, Clements, Wilson, Clunan (c), Gyasi (Omotayo 36), Nyahwema, Dickens, Williams, Lambert (Collins 72), Crane, unused subs - A. Chapman (GK), Fleming, Forde-Brown, Smith.

BORO - Whitley, Duckworth, Colville, Brown, Thornton (c), Purver, Waldron, Tear, Walker (Allan 82), Wiles, Green (Maloney 72), unused subs - Romero (GK), Myers, T. Chapman.

REFEREE - Lewis Dawson.

KING’S LYNN GOALS - Reece Hall-Johnson 2, Morgan Williams 80; BORO GOALS - Alex Purver 18, Stephen Walker 30, Dom Tear 61.

GOAL ATTEMPTS - KING’S LYNN 7 (4 on target) BORO 14 (6 on target).

CORNERS - KING’S LYNN 2 BORO 3.

OFFSIDES - KING’S LYNN 1 BORO 4.

YELLOW CARDS - Bailey Clements, Tom Dickens, Tom Wilson, Reece Hall-Johnson, Ross Crane, Gold Omotayo (King’s Lynn), Alex Purver, Will Thornton (Boro).

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Purver.

ATTENDANCE - 1,230 (78 away).