Scarborough Athletic end season with hard-fought 1-1 draw at Peterborough Sports

​After not really getting going in a disappointing first half, Jono Greening’s side were much better after the break, and gave their noisy and colourful band of supporters, many in fancy dress, plenty to cheer about, as they pressed and challenged for every ball, and came close to snatching all three points, writes Steve Adamson.

Peterborough were on top throughout the opening half, and almost scored after just 54 seconds when Ryan Whitley dived low to his left to push away a dipping volley from Max Booth.

A rare Boro attack saw Kieran Weledji pass to Lewis Maloney, who fired wide from 30 yards.

The hosts dictated play, Mackenzie Maltby blocked a Will Van Lier strike, then Will Thornton blocked an effort from Booth.

Another Van Lier shot was deflected wide by Jack Waldron, but Sports opened the scoring on 29 minutes when a low Van Lier corner was side-footed home by veteran player-manager Michael Gash.

Booth sent a 25-yard free kick into the arms of Whitley, and Thornton blocked a stinging shot from Kaine Felix.

A good Boro move down the right involving Weledji, Sam Reed and Luca Colville ended with Van Lier kicking clear, then home keeper Peter Crook smothered the ball when Weledji crossed from the byeline. On the stroke of half-time, Reed squared to Maloney, who fired into the chest of Crook.

Boro were much better after the break, with Maloney spraying some good passes around, and Reed, Colville and Alex Wiles getting on top in midfield.

Alex Brown came off the bench and surged down the left flank before his cross was hacked clear by Ryan Fryatt, but the equaliser arrived when Richie Bennett and Reed exchanged passes, and Reed played the ball back to the feet of Bennett in the box, the big striker slotting home from close range.

On the hour Boro keeper Whitley pulled off a stunning one-handed save when a Van Lier free-kick was met with a downward header from Mark Jones.

Wiles was outstanding for Boro, and he fed Harry Green, who went on a mazy dribble down the right, his cross hacked clear by Matt Bondswell, then Peterborough’s Michael Gyasi teed up Booth, whose shot was deflected wide by Michael Duckworth.

On 78 minutes Colville teed up Green, whose fierce shot forced a good diving save from Crook, then Maloney squared to Green who blazed wide.

For Sports, Booth, Fryatt and Eliot Putman all fired wide but Boro almost snatched a late winner when Maloney sent over a corner from the left, and Colville glanced his header inches wide of the right hand post.

PETERBOROUGH - Crook, Putman, Fryatt, Gash, Booth, Van Lier (Gyasi 62), Jones (c), Felix, Alban-Jones (Winters 77), Bondswell, Straughan-Brown, unused subs - Mukuna, Kamara, Challinor BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Waldron (Duckworth 58), Maltby (Brown 46), Thornton (c), Maloney (Purver 86), Reed (Marshall 69), Wiles, Bennett, Green, Colville, unused sub - Tear

REFEREE - Tolu Sangowawa

GOALS - Michael Gash (Peterborough) 29, Richie Bennett (Boro) 57

GOAL ATTEMPTS - PETERBOROUGH 12 (4 on target) BORO 7 (3 on target)

CORNERS - PETERBOROUGH 3 BORO 2

OFFSIDES - PETERBOROUGH 3 BORO 1

YELLOW CARDS - Hugh Alban-Jones (Peterborough), Kieran Weledji, Mackenzie Maltby (Boro)

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Wiles

ATTENDANCE - 456 (170 away)