​Hot-shot Harry Green’s hat-trick fires Scarborough Athletic to 3-0 home win against Hereford

New signing Dom McHale made an impressive debut, following his arrival from Brackley, while Hereford included Tom Pugh, who played twice for Boro in a brief loan spell from Scunthorpe last season, writes Steve Adamson.

On top for most of the game, Boro kept a fourth successive clean sheet, with the visitors not registering a shot on target, although they were hampered by an early injury to Alex Babos, and a red card for Jason Cowley five minutes before the interval.

The early stages were keenly contested, Alex Babos laid off to Tom Pugh, just outside the area, but Alex Purver slid in to block the shot, while a couple of mazy dribbles from impressive debutant Dom McHale won applause from the home fans, then Luca Colville’s pass set up a shooting chance for Alex Wiles, but Hereford keeper Curtis Pond saved easily.

Wiles, who had a terrific game, sprayed a pass to Harry Green on the left, and he cut inside and fired wide of the right-hand post.

Boro went close on 17 minutes when Kieran Weledji won possession, passed to Wiles, who then sent Rutledge through on goal, but keeper Pond made a superb diving save.

Boro were now well on top, playing some lovely passing football, and Green fired wide from 30 yards, before the deadlock was broken in the 25th minute, when keeper Ryan Whitley gathered a high ball, and sent a long kick upfield towards the pacy Green, who shrugged off the challenge of Pugh, and cleverly lobbed the keeper for a well taken goal.

Aidan Rutledge, Wiles and McHale combined to send Weledji racing down the right, but his low ball into the goalmouth was hacked clear by Jordan Lyden.

Hereford were reduced to 10 men when an off-the-ball clash between Bailey Gooda and Jason Cowley left Gooda on the deck, and the referee sent off the Hereford striker for violent conduct after consulting with his linesman.

McHale set up Green, whose 25-yard strike was tipped over by keeper Pond, then just before the interval, Purver battled for the ball and passed forward to McHale, who turned and laid off to Rutledge, and the Gateshead loanee forced another fine save from Pond.

After an action-packed first period, a quieter second half saw Boro content to keep possession and deny the visitors any attacking options.

In Boro attacks, Green squared to Rutledge, whose shot was blocked by Hereford’s imposing skipper Nathan Cameron, then another Green ball into the area fell to McHale, whose shot was pushed wide by Pond.

Hereford felt they should have had a penalty when the lively Yusifu Ceesay went down under a heavy challenge from Gooda, but the ref ignored their pleas, and Boro doubled their lead a few minutes later when the outstanding Green was fouled wide on the left by Ollie Southern, and he took the free-kick himself, firing into the top right corner from an acute angle.

Hereford did create some half-chances, Aurio Teixera set up Adam Livingstone, whose hard-driven cross was cleared by the excellent Bailey Gooda, Pugh made a surging run to the edge of the Boro area, but was halted by Purver’s strong tackle, and Ceesay sent a 30-yard free-kick wide of the left-hand post.

Luca Colville had a fierce shot blocked by Cameron, and in stoppage time Dom Tear burst into the visitors’ box and was fouled by Cameron, Green stepping up to complete his hat-trick from the spot, sending Pond the wrong way, as he slotted into the bottom left corner to round off a fantastic individual and team show, every Boro player earning the standing ovation at the final whistle.

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Brown, McHale (Durose 80), Thornton(c), Gooda, Purver, Wiles, Rutledge (Tear 65), Green, Colville

HEREFORD - Pond, Skinner, Lyden (Tolley 68), Teixera, Babos (Livingstone 19), Downing (Derricott 80), Southern, Ceesay, Cowley, Pugh, Cameron.

REFEREE - Ben Tomlinson

GOALS - BORO - Harry Green 25, 61, 90 (pen)

CORNERS - BORO 4 HEREFORD 4

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 10 (6 on target) HEREFORD 3 (0 on target)

RED CARD - HEREFORD - Jason Cowley 40 min

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Kieran Weledji; HEREFORD - Ollie Southern

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Harry Green

ATTENDANCE - 1,575 (65 away)