Scarborough Athletic edged out 2-1 at home by old rivals South Shields

​Keeper Ryan Whitley made his 100th competitive appearance, full-back Michael Duckworth returned after missing two games through injury, and 19-year-old central defender Mackenzie Maltby, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, came off the bench to make his Boro debut, while Shields had ex-Boro loanee Aidan Rutledge in their side, writes Steve Adamson.

In a closely fought first half, Kieran Weledji, playing alongside Bailey Gooda at centre-back was excellent, and kicked clear when a long punt upfield from Shields keeper Myles Boney sent ex-Boro striker Rutledge racing through, then a Lewis Maloney tackle halted a run from Ben Middlemass.

There was a setback for Boro when Luca Colville limped off injured on 11 minutes, and early Boro attacks saw Richie Bennett head a Weledji cross just over, Duckworth and Frank Mulhern combined to set up a shooting chance for the lively Dom Tear, who was quickly closed down, then Kieran Glynn jinked past a defender and passed to Duckworth whose shot was blocked by Jamie Bramwell.

Ryan Whitley’s long kick was headed on by Richie Bennett into the path of Tear, but Shields full back Jid Okeke slid in to tackle, then at the other end, Middlemass passed forward to Paul Blackett, who screwed his shot wide, and a Rutledge through-ball towards Middlemass was intercepted by Weledji.

The only real save of the match came on 37 minutes when Coleby Shepherd attacked down the left for Shields, and his cut back into the box fell to Paul Blackett, whose low shot forced a terrific one-handed save from Whitley, then Blackett fired into the chest of Whitley. Just before the interval Kieran Glynn skipped past two defenders, and his 20-yard strike was easily dealt with by Boney.

Early in the second half Weledji glanced a header wide from a Maloney free-kick, then Maloney passed to Michael Duckworth, who hoisted a cross into the goalmouth, and Mulhern fired just over.

Shields went close when skipper Rob Briggs curled a free-kick wide of the far post, but they opened the scoring on the hour, when Tear fouled Briggs in the area, and Blackett drove the spot kick into the bottom right corner.

Whitley then raced out to kick clear when Blackett was sent through on goal, before Boro felt they should have been awarded a spot kick on 68 minutes, when Bennett flicked a header on to Harry Green, who raced into the area and went down under a challenge from Shepherd, but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty.

A Maloney corner was headed goalwards by Bailey Gooda, but Briggs kicked clear, then Shields doubled their lead when Mackenzie Heaney passed to Kyle Crossley, who burst down the left, cut in, and fired inside the near post from an acute angle.

They should have scored again soon after, when a Rutledge through-ball sent Crossley one-on-one with Whitley, but he blazed over.

Boro pulled one back after a surging run from Alex Brown led to him being fouled wide on the left, and Maloney brilliantly curled the free-kick round the two-man wall into the bottom left corner.

Late on, Gooda headed a Maloney corner into the arms of Boney, a Green cross-shot landed on the roof of the net, and debutant Mackenzie Maltby, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, lofted a ball into the goalmouth, but Bennett, at full stretch couldn’t get a touch as Shields held on for the points,

BORO - Whitley, Duckworth (Green 60), Brown, Weledji, Gooda( c), Purver (Maltby 79), Glynn (Wilson 71), Maloney, Mulhern (Wiles 71), Bennett, Colville (Tear 11)

SHIELDS - Boney, Okeke, Shepherd (Jenkins 72), Bramwell, Briggs (c), Mee, Heaney, Middlemass, Blackett (McGowan 76), Crossley, Rutledge

REFEREE - Kavan Hurn

BORO GOAL – Lewis Maloney 84

SHIELDS GOALS- Paul Blackett 60(pen), Kyle Crossley 75

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 7 (3 on target) SHIELDS 6 (4 on target)

CORNERS - BORO 4 SHIELDS 1

OFFSIDES - BORO 2 SHIELDS 3

YELLOW CARDS - BORO- Alex Purver, Richie Bennett; SHIELDS - Rob Briggs, Ben Middlemass

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Dom Tear

ATTENDANCE - 1,737 (183 away)