Injury-ravaged Scarborough Athletic slide to 4-3 Boxing Day loss at in-form Darlington

​The hosts, who deserved the win to extend their unbeaten run to seven league games, began on top, a Scott Barrow cross was headed wide by Cedric Main, then Caden Kelly glanced a header wide from a Kallum Griffith cross, before they took the lead when Matty Cornish on the right, passed inside to Main, who pulled the ball back for Hatfield to sidefoot into the bottom corner, writes Steve Adamson.

Boro were gifted a comical equaliser soon after, when a Barrow throw-in, to fellow defender Elliott Forbes was turned into his own net by Forbes, who tried to pass back to his keeper, without looking to see where he was positioned.

A Luca Colville flick sent Harry Green clear, but Darlington keeper Peter Jameson fisted his shot away, then at the other end a fierce Kelly shot forced a superb diving save from Ryan Whitley.

Richie Bennett teed up Dom Tear, who fired wide for Boro, who then took the lead when Colville laid off to Sheffield United loanee Jack Waldron, who burst forward from the centre-circle, shrugging off three challenges, before sending over a cross to the back post, that drifted into the top corner past the stunned keeper.

But the hosts levelled before the interval as Kelly played a one-two with Main before finishing neatly past Whitley.

The fog thickened as the second half began, and Boro created two half-chances, a 20-yarder from Colville found the chest of Jameson, and Lewis Maloney fired wide, before Darlington took control.

Main passed forward to Cornish in the area, but Alex Wiles got back to clear, a Griffiths cross was headed over by Kelly and Kieran Weledji blocked a Main strike, but they took the lead when a Griffiths cross led to a scramble, with 21-year-old Sunderland loanee Kelly smashing the loose ball into the bottom corner.

They went 4-2 up when a Kelly corner from the right was powerfully headed home by Toby Lees on 56 minutes.

An incisive Boro move saw Maloney dink a pass to Michael Duckworth, whose cross was headed wide by Bennett, then a run from Tear was halted by a Cornish tackle.

Visibility deteriorated as the dense fog intensified, but the hosts remained in control, Weledji kicked clear as Main burst through, Will Thornton blocked a shot from Will Flint, who also fired into the arms of Whitley, the latter dived to tip away a Kelly strike, and Duckworth deflected a Jack Maskell shot wide.

Boro grabbed a late consolation, when a Cam Wilson cross was cleared towards Alfie King, who struck a spectacular half-volley past the keeper.

Wiles and Colville then had late shots blocked, but the hosts held on for the win.

DARLINGTON - Jameson, Barrow (c), Lees, Forbes, Cornish (Platt 76), Hatfield, Main, Flint, Lambert (Maskell 68), Griffiths, Kelly (Rivers 83) subs not used - Salkeld, Hedley

BORO - Whitley, Waldron, Duckworth, Weledji, Thornton (c), Maloney (Wilson 83), Green (Glynn 68), Tear, Bennett (King 76), Wiles, Colville. Unused subs - Bancroft, Reeves

REFEREE - Shaun Taylor

GOALS DARLINGTON - Will Hatfield 12, Caden Kelly 39, 51, Toby Lees 54; BORO - Elliot Forbes 19 (og), Jack Waldron 33, Alfie King 90

GOAL ATTEMPTS - DARLINGTON 13 (8 on target) BORO 9 (4 on target)

CORNERS - DARLINGTON 8 BORO 2

OFFSIDES - DARLINGTON 3 BORO 5

YELLOW CARDS - Will Hatfield (Darlington), Richie Bennett, Alex Wiles (Boro)

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Luca Colville

ATTENDANCE - 2,429 (279 away)