Hosts Scarborough Athletic edged out by South Shields in league opener
Boro dominated for long periods, creating a host of chances, but just couldn’t break down a solid South Shields defence, as the full-time Mariners held on for a hard-fought three points, despite playing for over half an hour with 10 men, as the Seadogs’ first competitive home match of the season ended in a 1-0 defeat on a sweltering afternoon at the Scarborough Sports Village.
Skipper Will Thornton almost scored in the opening minute, when his hoisted clearance bounced up over the head of keeper Jasper Sheik and just cleared the bar, then Alex Purver laid off to Lewis Maloney, who fired wide of the left-hand post, and Fadera had a strike blocked by Khanya Leshabela.
In early Shields attacks, Cedwyn Scott scuffed a shot into Ryan Whitley’s arms, and Mo Fadera tracked back to tackle Robbie Tinkler when he charged forward, before they took the lead when Sonny Finch raced onto a ball forward from Paul Blackett, and clinically slotted past oncoming keeper Whitley.
For Boro, Luca Colville passed to Fadera who cut into the box but his shot was blocked by Dillon Morse, the loose ball falling to Purver, whose fierce strike was blocked by Leshabela, then Alex Wiles glanced a header wide from a Jack Waldron cross.
A Maloney corner was headed onto the roof of the net by Thornton, Maloney flashed a shot wide, and a hard-driven cross from the battling Alex Brown was hacked clear by Tinkler. Colville then teed up a shot for Luke Hall, but Tinkler was on hand to block.
Shields also created chances, a Thornton sliding tackle halted a run from Finch, Kieran Weledji cleared when Tinkler drove into the box, and just before the interval Blackett squared to Scott who smashed his shot against the bar, with Blackett lashing the rebound wide.
Early in the second half Scott burst forward for Shields but was halted by a Brown tackle, Thornton cut out an Adam Campbell pass towards Blackett in the area, and Finch and Campbell both fired wide, before Boro gradually took control of the game, spraying some terrific passes about and dominating possession.
Maloney had a couple of free-kicks gathered by the keeper, then on 58 minutes Fadera burst forward and was hauled back by Ethan Mann, who was shown a straight red, and from then on it was all Boro.
Brown and Colville combined to send Fadera jinking into the box, and his low shot was cleared off the line by Caden Kelly, another Fadera dribble was ended by a strong Tinkler tackle, a clever flick from Colville towards Waldron was hacked clear by Morse, and a Purver corner was headed out to Hall, who fired over.
A Rio Allan shot was deflected wide by Leshabela and Hall went down under a heavy tackle, the ref ignoring appeals for a penalty.
In rare Shields attacks Sean McGurk sent a free-kick into the chest of Whitley and Campbell shot wide.
Boro then got forward again, Colville fired narrowly wide, an Allan shot was blocked by Morse, Waldron and Allan both blazed over, and in stoppage-time a close-range Dom Tear header was miraculously saved by keeper Sheik with the crowd already starting to cheer a last-gasp equaliser.
BORO - Whitley, Waldron, Brown, Weledji, Thornton (c), Purver, Hall, Maloney (Allan 68), Fadera, Wiles (Tear 80), Colville. Unused subs - Duckworth, Hull, Stuttard.
SOUTH SHIELDS - Sheik, Tinkler (c), Sykes, Leshabela (Ashford 78), Kelly (McGurk 74), Mann, Dodds (Morse 10), Campbell, Finch (Chibueze 66), Blackett, Scott (Onanaye 57). Unused subs - Crossley, Savage
REFEREE - Liam Smith.
GOAL - Sonny Finch (South Shields) 11.
GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 17 (2 on target) SOUTH SHIELDS 8 (4 on target)
CORNERS - BORO 8 SOUTH SHIELDS 1.
OFFSIDES - BORO 3 SOUTH SHIELDS 1.
RED CARD - Ethan Mann (South Shields) 58.
YELLOW CARDS - Kieran Weledji, Will Thornton (Boro), Dillon Morse (South Shields).
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Will Thornton.
ATTENDANCE - 1,969 (310 away).