Returning Lewis Maloney stars as Scarborough Athletic net late draw at Spennymoor Town
Boro battled to secure a 1-1 draw from their trip to FA Trophy finalists Spennymoor Town, a sixth successive draw between these sides, after another closely fought encounter, neither keeper having a difficult save to make on Good Friday.
Alex Purver played his 100th competitive Boro game, Lewis Maloney made his first start since Boxing Day, and Richie Bennett returned after his two-game ban, but injured duo Stephen Walker (ankle) and Frank Mulhern (knee) watched from the stands, writes Steve Adamson.
The first shot was on 10 minutes when a Rob Ramshaw strike was blocked by Boro skipper Will Thornton who had a terrific game marking Spennymoor’s 24-goal top scorer Glen Taylor.
The hosts began on top, without testing Ryan Whitley, Ramshaw headed onto the roof of the net, Thornton tackled Corey McKeown as he raced into the area, and Junior Mondal fired over.
Boro then enjoyed a good spell, a superb passing move involving Maloney, Jack Waldron Alex Wiles and Luca Colville, culminated in an Alex Brown ball into the goalmouth being scrambled clear by Michael Ledger, then a fabulous ball forward from Maloney sent Wiles through, but Matty Dolan got back to tackle.
Maloney was in terrific form, and his cross was headed wide by Mackenzie Maltby, then Bennett flicked a header towards Wiles, but Ledger slid in with a timely tackle.
Spennymoor had the ball in the net on 38 minutes when a Shrimpton shot came back off the left-hand post, with Taylor slamming home the rebound, but the linesman flagged for offside, then a Taylor run was halted by a strong Maltby challenge shortly before the interval.
Early in the second half, Brown’s long diagonal pass was flicked on by Colville to Bennett who headed into the path of Dom Tear, who slipped on the boggy surface as he turned to shoot.
The hard-working Bennett then chased back to dispossess Mondal as he burst down the right flank.
A Colville corner to the back post was plucked off the head of Maltby by home keeper Brad James, then the excellent Colville jinked past two defenders and teed up Maloney, who fired narrowly wide.
The deadlock was finally broken when a low ball across the area from Ramshaw on the left, found Fin Shrimpton, who lashed his shot into the net to give Spennymoor the lead.
Boro immediately fought back, Brown fizzed a volley wide, Bennett fed Sam Reed who fired into the chest of keeper James, and a clever back-heel from Harry Green sent Colville into the box, but Olly Dyson kicked clear.
Colville teed up Brown, whose shot was blocked by Dolan, but the equaliser came when a Green cross glanced off the head of Bennett and nestled in the bottom right corner.
Both sides had chances for a late winner, Brown blocked a Reece Staunton shot and Shrimpton fired wide for the hosts, while for Boro, Green drilled a shot over, and a Maloney strike was blocked by Dolan.
SPENNYMOOR - James, Dyson, Ledger, Staunton, Beals, McKeown (Hancox 82), Dolan, Shrimpton (Rutledge 88), Taylor (c), Ramshaw, Mondal (Harris 62) (Pollock 90), unused sub - Johnson.
BORO - Whitley, Waldron (Weledji 82), Brown (Marshall 90), Maltby, Thornton(c), Purver, Maloney, Tear (Green 66), Bennett, Wiles (Reed 72), Colville, unused sub - Duckworth.
REFEREE - Shaun Taylor
GOALS - SPENNYMOOR - Finlay Shrimpton 70; BORO - Richie Bennett 88
GOAL ATTEMPTS - SPENNYMOOR 8 (3 on target) BORO 9 (2 on target)
CORNERS - SPENNYMOOR 0 BORO 3
OFFSIDES - SPENNYMOOR 2 BORO 2
YELLOW CARDS - Glen Taylor (Spennymoor), Alex Purver, Lewis Maloney (Boro)
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Lewis Maloney.
ATTENDANCE - 1,598 (244 away).