Midfielders Alex Purver and Olly Dyson star as Scarborough Athletic win five-goal thriller against Boston

The returning Lewis Maloney and Harry Green applaud the home fans after the 3-2 win against Boston. PHOTO BY ZACH FORSTER

To add to the drama, Kieran Weledji had to pull out of the team aftersustaining an achilles injury during the warm-up, so regular left-back Alex Brown switched to right-back, Luca Colville slotting in at left-back, writes Steve Adamson.

Centre-backs Bailey Gooda and Will Thornton were superb and York loanee Olly Dyson made a superb debut alongside Alex Purver in midfield.

Boston began brightly, Keziah Martin flashed a shot wide, Sam Smart sent a pass into the area towards Jimmy Knowles, but Boro keeper Ryan Whitley saved at his feet, Jordan Richards blazed over, and Olji Sotona had a shot saved by Whitley and another blocked by Gooda.

In early Boro attacks, a Purver through-ball found Dom McHale, who fired at keeper Aaron Chapman, Dyson laid off to Aidan Rutledge, who scuffed his shot wide, a Rutledge strike was blocked by Martin, and Alex Wiles had a fierce volley saved by Chapman.

New boy Dyson set up the opening goal on 32 minutes, sending a precise pass out to McHale on the right, and he raced forward and passed into the goalmouth, the ball being cleared towards Wiles who smashed his shot into the net.

Dyson had a shot deflected wide by Martin, then another blocked by Tommy Leak, and Harry Green dinked a shot wide as Boro ended the first half on top.

Both sides contributed to a terrific game, McHale having a shot blocked by Brad Nicholson early in the second half, then at the other end, Boro old boy Jacob Hazel, who was kept in check by Gooda all game, fired straight at Whitley.

Two-goal hero Aidan Rutledge tracks a Boston player. PHOTOS: ZACH FORSTER

Boro doubled their lead on 52 minutes, when Colville passed to Rutledge, who wriggled past two defenders and fired inside the left-hand post.

Boston reduced the arrears when Whitley clattered into Olji Sotona, and the Doncaster Rovers loanee sent Whitley the wrong way from the penalty spot, but Boro restored their two-goal advantage when Harry Green passed forward to Rutledge in the area, and though his shot was saved by Chapman, the ball rebounded into Rutledge and flew into the net.

The excellent Brown blocked a Sotona shot, before Rutledge almost completed his hat-trick, when he latched onto a ball from Brown, and fired past the keeper, but Jai Rowe cleared off the goal-line.

Then Dom Tear shot inches wide, but the visitors fought back late on, Nicholson shot into the side-netting, Kelsey Mooney (son of ex-Boro striker Tommy) headed straight at Whitley and Michael Gyasi had an effort blocked by Purver.

Bailey Gooda delivers a fist-pump to the Boro fans after their superb home win.

United grabbed a last-gasp consolation when Nicholson blasted a stunning 25-yard free-kick inside the left-hand post to round off a fantastic game between two evenly-matched teams.

BORO - Whitley, Brown, Colville, McHale (Durose 80), Thornton(c), Gooda, Purver, Dyson, Rutledge, Wiles (Maloney 84), Green (Tear 70)

BOSTON UNITED - Chapman, Rowe, Nicholson, Bostwick(c), Leak, Martin, Richards, Smart (Ward 59), Hazel (Gyasi 76), Knowles (Mooney 59), Sotona

REFEREE - Gareth Thomas

Sub Dom Tear in action for the Seadogs against rivals Boston.

GOALS - BORO - Alex Wiles 32, Aidan Rutledge 52, 66; BOSTON - Olji Sotona 59 (pen), Brad Nicholson 90

CORNERS - BORO 6 BOSTON 4

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 12 (6 on target) BOSTON 9 (5 on target)

RED CARD - BOSTON - Joe Simpson (coach) 44 min (delaying a Boro throw in)

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Harry Green, Olly Dyson; BOSTON- Olji Sotona, Keaton Ward

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Purver

ATTENDANCE - 1,226 (71 away).