Scarborough Athletic beat Gainsborough Trinity to edge closer to NPL Premier Division play-off place

After a cagey first half in which few chances were created, Boro turned on the style in the second half, to secure a crucial three points to remain on track for the play-offs, with two clinical finishes following long-throws into the area by Ash Jackson sealing a 2-0 win against a battling Gainsborough Trinity on a glorious afternoon at the Flamingo Land Stadium, writes Steve Adamson.

For much of a scrappy first half many of the spectators enjoyed the sunshine more than the football, with little goalmouth action to get the crowd excited.

A Ryan Watson cross was plucked off the head of Bailey Gooda by Trinity keeper Matt Yates, then an Ash Jackson cross whizzed across the goalmouth, with Kieran Weledji unable to connect.

The first shot of the match came on the half hour, when Watson blazed over from 25 yards, and in the best move of the half, a one-two between Luca Colville and Lewis Maloney, ended with Maloney flicking a shot wide.

Gooda and Thornton were as solid as ever, with Gooda blocking a shot from Trinity midfielder Tom Cursons, then on 42 minutes Watson passed forward to Colville who fired a low shot that was saved by the legs of keeper Yates, but the breakthrough arrived in first-half stoppage-time, when a long-throw from Jackson fell to Michael Coulson, with his back to goal, but he clinically turned and fired home to open the scoring.

In the first attack of the second half, Gooda side-footed wide from a Watson corner, then Trinity went close, with Cursons bursting clear on goal, but his shot was saved by the legs of Ryan Whitley, and soon after, Thornton intercepted after Join Makami played a through-ball to the pacy Elicha Ahui.

On 63 minutes a foul on Kieran Glynn led to Lewis Maloney bending the free kick wide of the far post, but Boro doubled their lead on 69 minutes following a long-throw on the right by Jackson, with Luca Colville drilling his shot through a crowd of players.

Glynn, Colville and Watson began to turn on the style as Boro searched for further goals, with Watson having a shot saved by Yates, Gooda heading inches over, and Jake Day glancing a cross from Colville just past the post.

Colville played a precise through-ball to Will Jarvis, who was one-on-one with the keeper, but he shot tamely at Yates, then a cross from Jarvis was flicked on by Day towards Cadman, who fired over.

As the game entered its dying embers, Trinity created two good chances, with Ryan Whitley, who handled confidently throughout, pulling off a great reflex save to stop a shot from Toby Gould, then in the final seconds Isaac Rice fired over as Boro held on for a well deserved 2-0 victory.

BORO: Whitley, Weledji, Jackson, Maloney (Cadman 79), Thornton, Gooda, Plant (Jarvis 67), Watson, Coulson (Day 69), Glynn, Colville

MAN OF MATCH: Bailey Gooda.

ATTENDANCE: 1,507.