Scarborough Athletic cling on for victory at Marine

Having moved 2-0 ahead with just a few minutes on the clock, they eventually scraped home, despite some huge scares.

Marine set about their visitors in frantic fashion from the kick-off, pinning Boro back in their own portion of the field and causing all the early problems.

And Boro would have found themselves a goal behind just minutes in had it not been for keeper Tommy Taylor, who sprang across goal and made a fine one-handed save.

It seemed the script had not been read by Luke Lofts though, as he collected the ball and set out on a mazy run. His pin-point ball picked out James Walshaw on the far post and Boro's top scorer made no mistake to make it 1-0.

Michael Coulson forced a save out of Marine keeper Joe Hilton, before the action dried up for a lengthy period.

That was until 10 minutes before the break when, after a large melee in the box, Lofts flicked an effort at goal, but his attempt hit the post and bounced clear.

It was Boro who went into the break with the advantage, though it was hanging by a thread when the second half began, as Marine were consistently within just the one pass of breaking Steve Kittrick's men down.

As was the case in the first half, Boro soaked up the pressure that Marine applied and then began to assert their own authority on the game the longer it went on.

With 15 minutes left on the watch, Walshaw had two opportunities to kill the game off.

He firstly rounded keeper Hilton after a neat interchange of passes, but a defender managed to nick the ball off the striker's toe.

Then Lofts picked him out just inside the box, but Walshaw's shot sailed over the bar and towards the Irish Sea.

Boro finally added to their cushion with around 10 minutes left when Coulson sprinted clear of the Marine defence and rolled home between Hilton's legs.

The nerves were jangling once again a few minutes later though when Boro didn't pick up Chris Doyle at the far post and the centre-half made it 2-1 from close range.

Then, Boro's run of throwing away advantages looked to be continuing when Ross Killock shoved Danny Mitchley in the box.

Kenny Strickland stepped forward and smashed his penalty into the back of the stand, allowing Boro to cling on for the win.