Scarborough Athletic earn 3-1 win in entertaining clash at Pickering Town

Will Thornton and Alex Brown were both unavailable so Luca Colville slotted in at left-back, and new signing Leon Gibson-Booth partnered Kieran Weledji at centre-back, turning in a terrific man of the match performance, writes Steve Adamson.

The hosts included ex-Boro duo Wayne Brooksby and Simon Heslop.

The Pikes made a bright start, with George Brown and Nathan Dyer both firing just over.

Boro then went close as home keeper Alfie Burnett tipped away an in-swinging corner from Luca Colville, and Lewis Maloney, who had a fine match, sent a free-kick flashing inches wide.

Richie Bennett and Bill Marshall combined to send Rio Allan racing clear, but Brooksby got back to tackle, then Allan skipped past two defenders, but Burnett, who is Scarborough born and bred, dived to save his low shot.

At the other end, Ryan Whitley smothered a fierce strike from Dyer.

Boro went ahead when Colville crossed from the left, and Bennett tapped in from close range.

Gibson-Booth teed up Stephen Walker, who fired over, and Alex Wiles passed to Colville, who shot into the arms of Burnett.

In Pikes attacks, Gibson-Booth blocked a Dyer strike, and Whitley saved a Soleymane Coulibaly effort.

Colville drilled a shot wide, before Maloney doubled Boro’s lead when his audacious chip from the halfway line sailed over the head of Burnett.

A spectacular overhead scissors-kick from Coulibaly reduced the arrears, and just before the interval an Allan cross was headed over by Marshall.

There were fewer chances in the second half, but both sides passed the ball around and looked to get forward.

Maloney curled a free-kick wide, and Weledji headed over from a Colville corner.

Brown fired wide for Pikes before Boro’s best move of the game saw Alex Purver win possession and pass to Wiles, who laid off for Walker, to go round Burnett, but his shot came back off the left-hand post. Tear then had a shot saved by the impressive home keeper.

Marshall had his best game for Boro to date, and he had a shot saved by Burnett, with Allan hitting the rebound against a defender on the line, but Boro added a third goal late on, when a Purver corner was side-footed home by Tear.

Pikes had a couple of chances, Joe Wood drilled wide and a Jordan Hines shot was saved by Boro’s substitute keeper.

Marshall fed Walker on the right, and his cross was headed against the bar by Tear in the dying seconds of an excellent, well contested game.

BORO - Whitley, Duckworth, Colville, Gibson-Booth, Weledji, Maloney, Wiles, Marshall, Allan, Bennett, Walker, subs used - Green, Tear, Purver, Trialist A, Romero (GK).

REFEREE - MacAuley Gibson.

PICKERING GOAL - Soleymane Coulibaly 39; BORO GOALS - Richie Bennett 27, Lewis Maloney 37, Dom Tear 82.

GOAL ATTEMPTS - PICKERING 9 (4 on target) BORO 16 (8 on target).

CORNERS - PICKERING 2 BORO 8.

OFFSIDES - PICKERING 3 BORO 3.

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Leon Gibson-Booth.

ATTENDANCE - 390 (c160 away).