Injury-ravaged Scarborough Athletic pegged back by late goal at Needham Market

With Duckworth, Gooda, Maloney and Maltby injured and Weledji ill, Boro had Alex Brown alongside Will Thornton at centre-back, midfielders Luca Colville and Dom Tear filling in as full-backs, writes Steve Adamson.

On a heavy pitch, a game of few chances with neither keeper really tested, was closely contested, and a draw was probably a fair result.

The only save of the game came in the seventh minute, when Needham’s Bermudan International Reggie Lambe teed up Adam Mills, whose powerful shot was beaten away by Ryan Whitley, then Luke Ingram headed over from a Lambe corner.

In Boro attacks, a Frank Mulhern shot was blocked by Tommy Smith, and Richie Bennett burst into the area and went down under a challenge from Dan Morphew, but penalty appeals were ignored by the referee.

Brown‘s strong tackle halted a run from Kyle Hammond, a Mills strike was deflected wide by Alex Purver, and Brown blocked a fierce Ben Hunter shot.

Boro’s makeshift defence, led by skipper Thornton, stood firm, and Jono Greening’s side went ahead on 39 minutes. Kieran Glynn hoisted a free-kick towards the back post, where a calamitous mix-up between 19-year-old keeper Danny Callum and left-back Smith saw Smith direct his header into the net past his stranded keeper.

Boro could have increased their lead early in the second half, as Mulhern fed Glynn on the right, and his low cross was volleyed just over by Bennett, then a Purver free-kick evaded the outstretched leg of Thornton and flashed past the back post.

Needham levelled on 78 minutes when a free-kick close to the corner flag on the left was whipped over by Tevan Allen, and deflected off the head of Brown into the bottom right corner of the Boro net. Then a Kyle Hammond free-kick was scrambled clear by Glynn.

Cam Wilson and Alfie King were introduced from the bench, and added urgency to the attack as Boro bossed the latter stages. King and Colville combined to send Mulhern into the box, but impressive skipper Kieran Morphew hacked clear, a Mulhern shot struck Bennett, a Colville cross just evaded a lurking Dom Tear in the area, and Colville and Alex Wiles both drilled shots wide as the hosts hung on to earn a share of the points.

NEEDHAM - Callum, Dye (Tomlinson 87), Smith, D.Morphew, K.Morphew (c), Hammond, Lay (Chambers 55), Mills (Fraser 79), Ingram, Hunter, Lambe (Allen 55)

BORO- Whitley, Tear, Colville, Brown, Thornton (c), Purver, Glynn (King 81), Bennett, Mulhern, Green (Wilson 66), Wiles

REFEREE - Ashley Clarke

GOALS - BORO - Tommy Smith 39(og) NEEDHAM - Tevan Allen 78

GOAL ATTEMPTS - NEEDHAM 5 (2 on target) BORO 6 (1 on target)

CORNERS - NEEDHAM 4 BORO 2

OFFSIDES - NEEDHAM 2 BORO 2

YELLOW CARDS - NEEDHAM- Reggie Lambe BORO - Alex Brown

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Will Thornton

ATTENDANCE - 426 (80 away)

​