​Hosts Scarborough Athletic beaten 3-0 by National League North play-off rivals Gloucester City

In probably their poorest display of the season, Boro never really got going, with visiting keeper Brandon Hall not having a save to make all game, writes Steve Adamson.

The visitors almost scored in the first minute, when a right-wing cross from Dom McHale was met with a bullet header from Owen Evans, the ball flying inches over the bar.

Boro’s first attack saw Michael Coulson win possession and pass to Luca Colville, who sent a terrific through-ball to Kieran Weledji, who raced forward and fired narrowly over.

On 12 minutes a Coulson cross was turned into the net by Jake Charles, but an offside flag spoiled his celebrations.

Charles then had a snap-shot blocked by Ben Morgan, and Bailey Gooda glanced a header wide from an Alex Wiles cross, in what was Boro’s best spell of the match.

City then started to take control, and Tommy O’Sullivan sent a long ball forward towards Evans, whose fierce volley was superbly tipped over by Joe Cracknell. Jack James then fired wide, before Boro again had the ball in the net on 36 minutes, when Lewis Maloney sent over a free-kick, and Coulson netted from close-range, but the ref judged he had used his hand.

At the other end, a cross from Evans bounced off the top of the bar, before City went ahead on 41 minutes, with a brilliant individual goal from McHale, who weaved his way past three Boro players before sending his shot into the bottom left corner past the despairing dive of Joe Cracknell.

The anticipated second-half fightback never materialised, and it was the away side who looked to add to their lead.

Dara Dada fired in a low 25-yarder that Cracknell dived to push round the post, then Evans blazed over, before they doubled their lead with a fortuitous goal on 67 minutes.

Gooda was harshly judged to have fouled his man, and the 20-yard free-kick from Ben Morgan took a wicked deflection off Will Thornton in the Boro wall, wrong-footing Cracknell as the ball sped past him in the opposite direction.

Kieran Phillips had goal-bound shots blocked by both Thornton and Ash Jackson, before City had Jack James dismissed on 75 minutes when he fouled Coulson, and was shown a second yellow.

Boro created a couple of half-chances, with Charles firing wide, then Gooda volleyed wide when a Ryan Watson cross was headed out to him. City went close as Phillips’ shot was tipped round the post by Cracknell, but they added a third in the final minute, as Tope Obadeyi burst clear, and clinically fired past Cracknell.

Boro could have hit a consolation, but Watson’s cross was headed wide by Coulson.

BORO - Cracknell, Weledji (Watson 46), Burton (Jackson 55), Gooda, Thornton, Qualter, Coulson, Wiles, Charles, Maloney (Heslop 62), Colville

CITY - Hall, Leadbitter, O’Sullivan (Berkeley-Agyepong 46), Nugent, James, Dada (Hooper 84), McHale (Obadeyi 70), Evans, Tiensia, Morgan, Phillips

RED CARD - CITY - J James (2 yellows) 75.

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Coulson, Gooda. CITY - Dada, Hooper

GOALS - CITY - McHale 41, Morgan 67, Obadeyi 90

REF: Rich Aspinall.

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Luca Colville

ATTENDANCE - 1,378 (50 away).