Scarborough Athletic fight back to earn derby win against 10-man Whitby Town

Steady rain throughout the match produced a slick surface, and both sides gave full commitment, resulting in an action-packed game that kept the bumper crowd fully entertained all evening, writes Steve Adamson.

Whitby opened the scoring from their first attack on 9 minutes, when former Boro striker Jacob Hazel raced into a long ball forward, and smashed his shot past Ryan Whitley .

Boro fought back, with Luca Colville shooting wide of the left-hand post, and Ryan Watson blasting a 30-yard free kick narrowly over.

Whitby's Malik Dijksteel went on a mazy dribble before shooting over, then Boro keeper Whitley had to race out of his area to kick clear as Dijksteel raced onto a through-ball.

The first half was evenly fought, with both teams creating chances, Ash Jackson sent over a cross, and Jake Day swivelled but screwed his shot wide, while a cross into the Boro box from Priestly Griffiths was headed clear by Will Thornton.

Boro equalised on 27 minutes when a long throw into the box by Ash Jackson was headed on by Thornton, and the ball fell to Colville on the left edge of the area. He fired in a low shot that sneaked under Whitby keeper Shane Bland at the near post.

Kieran Glynn raced through from midfield and fired a blistering shot just past the post, then Maloney passed to Watson, who ran to the byline and played the ball into the goalmouth, where Day had his shot blocked.

On 37 minutes a Maloney corner from the left was headed in at the far post by Bailey Gooda, but referee Sam Packer had spotted some pushing.

And the referee had another big decision to make five minutes later, when a scuffle involving 16 players broke out, following a foul by Lewis Maloney.

After consulting his linesman, Mr Packer sent off Whitby's 19-year old Middlesbrough loanee Dijksteel, and booked Boro's Glynn. Soon after, Hazel fired wide for the Blues, then Watson did likewise at the other end.

Boro were well in control for the first 20 minutes of the second half, Jon Burn headed a Watson cross clear, Colville shot just over, then Colville raced past three defenders and passed to Glynn, who was brought down, with Maloney striking the free-kick towards the top corner, only for Shane Bland to tip round the post.

Then a left-wing cross from Jackson was dipping under the bar, but Bland again tipped the ball clear. Boro went in front on 66 minutes, when a foul on Glynn resulted in a free-kick 30 yards out, that Watson struck hard and low, and the four-man wall crumbled, with the ball taking a wicked deflection away from keeper Bland.

Sub Michael Coulson played a one-two with Maloney before sending over a low cross, from which Cam Wilson's shot was deflected wide, then Glynn went on a jinking run and played a through-ball to Colville, who slipped just as he was about to race clear.

Whitby pushed men forward in the later stages, and they came close to a leveller, when Hazel laid off to Jake Hackett on the left, and he fired a shot towards the near post, but Whitley pulled off a good save, then at the other end Jackson had a shot deflected wide shortly before the end.

A very competitive game, with some good performances on either side.

Maloney, Colville, Jackson, Simon Heslop, Glynn, Gooda and Watson all especially impressed for Boro, while for the visitors, Hazel was once again a thorn in the side of the Boro defence, and the centre-back pairing of Burn and skipper Dan Rowe were terrific all game.

BORO: Whitley, Watson, Jackson, Heslop, Thornton, Gooda, Colville, Maloney, Day (Coulson 46), Glynn, Wilson (Cadman 85)

MAN OF MATCH: Lewis Maloney

ATTENDANCE: 1,615.