Hosts Scarborough Athletic edged out by runaway National League North leaders Tamworth

Alex Brown missed his first match of the season after injuring his knee in training last Tuesday, but Alex Purver returned from suspension, and the two new loan signings Cody Johnson and Kole Hall both made their home debuts, writes Steve Adamson.

The visitors came closest to breaking the deadlock in a keenly contested first half, Kyle Finn’s powerful shot blocked by the excellent Bailey Gooda, and an inswinging cross from Callum Cockerill-Millett dipped narrowly over the bar.

Boro’s first attack saw Luca Colville (in his 120th competitive appearance) play a one-two with Aidan Rutledge, before bursting though on goal, only to be halted by a terrific tackle from Taona Sundire.

Tamworth then went desperately close to opening the scoring on 22 minutes, when skipper Ben Milnes passed out to the pacy Kai Williams on the left, and his low cross into the box was met by Dan Creaney, who smashed his shot against the left-hand post.

A minute later, the visitors’ star player, Hartlepool loanee Chris Wreh flashed a shot inches wide of the far post.

Tamworth’s two giant centre-backs Jordan Culliane-Liburd and Jamie Willets dealt comfortably with Boro’s twin strike force of Hall and Rutledge, with Culliane-Liburd blocking a strike from Rutledge, while at the other end, Gooda slid in to block a shot from Williams.

There was a moment of concern on 35 minutes when Boro’s two centre-backs both went down after a nasty clash of heads. Gooda recovered quickly, but Will Thornton required lengthy treatment from the Boro physios before getting back to his feet.

Boro’s best move of the first half saw the energetic Alex Wiles tee up a shooting chance for Colville, who drilled the ball just wide of the right-hand post.

Early in the second half, Purver slid in to block a Finn strike from the edge of the Boro area, before the visitors broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Milnes sent over a corner from the left, a scramble developed and Creaney headed back into the goalmouth, for Culliane-Liburd to head inside the left-hand post.

Boro boss Jono Greening brought on Harry Green and Dom McHale from the bench, and with his first touch, Green fired a 25-yard free-kick high over the bar, then Wiles battled for possession and passed to McHale, who dribbled into the area, but was stopped by a strong tackle from Sundire.

For Tamworth, Creaney slammed a shot wide, Thornton did well to dispossess Wreh as he raced into a through ball from Williams, and a long throw into the box from Tommy Tonks was punched clear by Ryan Whitley.

Gooda then deflected a Creaney shot wide, before Boro enjoyed a late spell of superiority, with McHale having a shot charged down by Willets, a Lewis Maloney corner was headed clear by Creaney,

McHale sent a ball to the back post, where Green flung himself forward, but narrowly failed to divert into the net, then in stoppage time a long-range shot from Maloney forced Tamworth keeper Jas Singh into a routine save, the only save either keeper had to make all game, as Tamworth completed their 22nd clean sheet in 38 league games this season.

Despite the defeat, there were good performances from a number of players, notably, Gooda and Thornton, Wiles, Johnson, Colville, Olly Dyson and another man of the match display from Alex Purver.

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Colville, Johnson (Maloney 74), Thornton(c), Gooda, Purver, Dyson (McHale 57), Rutledge (Green 57), Hall, Wiles

TAMWORTH - Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Willets, Culliane-Liburd, Milnes(c), Sundire (Tonks 76), Wreh (Deacon 88), Finn (Enoru 76), Creaney, Williams

REFEREE - Will Davis

GOAL - TAMWORTH - Jordan Culliane-Liburd 55

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 6 (1 on target) TAMWORTH 8 (2 on target)

CORNERS - BORO 2 TAMWORTH 5

OFFSIDES - BORO 2 TAMWORTH 3

YELLOW CARDS - None

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Purver

ATTENDANCE - 1,635 (181 away)