Scarborough Athletic back on top form in home win against previously unbeaten Brackley

Lewis Maloney celebrating the crucial second goal for Boro in their 2-1 home win against Brackley Town on Saturday. PHOTOS BY ZACH FORSTER

This was a high-quality game between two very good teams on a baking hot afternoon at the Flamingo Land Stadium, writes Steve Adamson.

An ankle injury ruled out Will Thornton, Ash Jackson and Alex Wiles both impressing in their first starts of the season, and Lewis Maloney played his 100th competitive game for the club.

Brackley made a bright start, George Carline sent a couple of long throws into the Boro goalmouth, which were headed clear by captain for the day Bailey Gooda, then Ryan Qualter, and skipper Gareth Dean headed inches wide from a Tyler Lyttle corner to the far post.

Curtis Durose races away after scoring the opener for Boro against Brackley.

Boro’s first attack saw Curtis Durose shoot just wide, then the excellent Luca Colville laid-off to Wiles inside the area, and keeper Danny Lewis dived to turn his fierce shot away.

Wiles fed Alex Brown, whose shot was blocked by Riccardo Calder, before Boro opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Frank Mulhern passed forward to Wiles, to the right of goal, and he raced to the bye-line, and flicked the ball into the goalmouth, where Durose slammed home from close range.

Both sides were passing the ball around, with Alex Purver pulling the strings in the Boro midfield, and Danny Newton shining for the visitors. Calder had a goal-bound strike blocked by Colville, then at the other end, Colville sprayed out a pass to Durose on the left wing, he raced forward, but his 20-yard shot was charged down by Lyttle.

Brackley dominated possession in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but the Boro defence was rarely threatened.

Midfielder Maloney looks to evade a challenge by a Brackley player.

A James Armson shot was blocked by the hard-working Wiles, Newton fired wide and a low drive from the edge of the area from Cosmos Matwasa was saved by the diving Joe Cracknell.

After a short break for drinks, Boro began to get on top, with Mulhern’s energy and non stop running paying dividends on 71 minutes when he battled for possession and the ball broke to Lewis Maloney, who produced another of his specials - sending his 20-yard shot into the top right corner, past the despairing dive of keeper Lewis.

Zak Lilly had a shot blocked by Qualter, who was superb at the back for Boro, while Maloney accepted a pass from Michael Coulson, but fired just over, then a surging run from Brown ended with Maloney again firing over.

The visitors grabbed a late consolation, when the ref harshly judged that Boro talisman Purver had fouled Dom McHale, and Danny Newton sent Cracknell the wrong way from the penalty spot, but Boro held on for a deserved win, and both sides were applauded off after a fabulous game of football.

BORO - Cracknell, Brown, Jackson, Maloney, Qualter, Gooda, Purver, Wiles (Tear 63), Mulhern (Marshall 82), Durose (Coulson 70), Colville

BRACKLEY - Lewis, Lilly, Carline (Matwasa 61), Newton, Armson, Dean, O’Sullivan (Roberts 70), Murombeodzi, Lyttle, Crawford (McHale 46), Calder

REFEREE - Matt McQuillan

GOALS - BORO - Curtis Durose 10, Lewis Maloney 72; BRACKLEY - Danny Newton 86 (pen)

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Ryan Qualter, Alex Brown; BRACKLEY - Zak Lilly

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Wiles

ATTENDANCE - 1,415 (33 away).