Scarborough Athletic bounce back as Dom Tear hits winner at Marine
Boro bounced back from two successive home losses to earn a battling 1-0 win at Marine, to climb to within two points of the play-off places, Dom Tear notching his 10th goal of the season, a day after his 25th birthday.
It was a competitive, closely fought game, with Boro dominant for much of the first half, while Marine improved after the break, and created a number of good chances, but a combination of poor finishing and good defending saw Boro hold on to take the points, writes Steve Adamson.
The opening half-hour was very much one way, as Jono Greening’s side played some terrific passing football, pinning the hosts back into defence.
A Frank Mulhern shot forced a diving save from keeper Matty Coran, the lively Alex Wiles burst into the area but was tackled by Kristi Montgomery, and James Bultler halted a run from Tear with a superb interception.
Kieran Glynn was booked for simulation after going down under a challenge from the keeper, and a Richie Bennett shot was saved by the keeper’s legs.
Marine’s first attack saw Alex Purver dispossess Montgomery before he could get a shot away, then on 36 minutes Owen Robinson’s cross to the back post was volleyed by Harvey Gregson, but Ryan Whitley reacted quickly to tip the ball over, then Alex Brown hooked a Robinson cross clear.
Just before the interval, a medical emergency in the crowd led to a lengthy hold-up while stewards and medics rushed to help a spectator who had fallen on the concrete terracing.
Boro began the second half brightly, Wiles had a shot blocked by James Brown, then Purver and Glynn combined to set up Mulhern, who flashed a 30-yard shot narrowly wide, and a mazy run from Glynn saw him lay off to Mulhern, whose strike was blocked by Chris Doyle.
Marine also created chances, Regan Griffiths raced into the box, but Will Thornton kicked clear, then Enoch Lusiama twice pounced on sloppy back-passes, but both times he fired wide when through on goal.
The deadlock was broken when Bailey Gooda’s long ball forward was flicked-on by Bennett to Harry Green on the left, and he passed across the goalmouth, for Tear to slam in at the back post.
The hosts pushed forward looking for a leveller, but Boro defended stoutly, with Whitley, Thornton and Gooda winning everything in the air, and Brown and Kieran Weledji getting in some crucial tackles.
Thornton kicked clear when Fin Sinclair-Smith surged forward, keeper Whitley stretched to push away a Montgomery cross that was curling under the bar, and Sinclair-Smith shot feebly at Whitley after running onto a through-ball from Leigh Whelan.
Late on, Bennett skied a shot over for Boro, and Luca Colville had a low shot saved by home keeper Coran.
MARINE - Coran, Butler, J.Brown, Thomas, Gregson (Charley Doyle 79), Robinson (Zimba 75), Murphy (Chris Doyle 53), Lusiama (Sinclair-Smith 75), Montgomery, Atcheson, Griffiths(c) (Whelan 79)
BORO - Whitley, Weledji, A. Brown, Purver, Thornton(c), Gooda, Tear, Glynn (Colville 75), Mulhern (Green 65), Bennett, Wiles
REFEREE - Shaun Taylor
BORO GOAL - Dom Tear 69
GOAL ATTEMPTS - MARINE 6 (3 on target) BORO 8 (4 on target)
CORNERS - MARINE 5 BORO 5
OFFSIDES - MARINE 3 BORO 0
YELLOW CARD - MARINE - Harvey Gregson; BORO - Kieran Glynn, Dom Tear, Alex Purver.
BORO MEN OF MATCH - Will Thornton.
ATTENDANCE - 1,391 (c125 away).