Scarborough Athletic hit magnificent seven in North Riding FA Senior Cup win against Thornaby
Boro advanced to the last eight of the North Riding FA Senior Cup with a thumping 7-0 win against a Thornaby side that never gave up, and contributed to an entertaining, action-packed game.
Boss Jono Greening fielded a strong team against a side four levels below, with keeper Matt Bancroft getting a first game of the season, reserve defender Nathan Heaton playing 45 minutes, and Mansfield Town loanee Alfie King coming in for his debut, writes Steve Adamson.
On top from the off, Boro created a succession of chances, an Alex Wiles through-ball sent Cam Wilson clear, but keeper Mark Foden raced out to save, a cross from the outstanding Luca Colville was headed wide by Frank Mulhern, and Mulhern had a low strike pushed wide by the keeper.
Alex Brown burst down the left and crossed towards Wilson, whose volley was superbly tipped wide by Foden, then Brown passed to Mulhern, but Max Booth made a last-ditch tackle.
Boro’s pressure suddenly turned into a flurry of goals, with three coming in a four-minute burst. A low cross from Brown found Colville, who turned and slotted past the keeper, then Wilson laid off to Colville, who skipped past a defender and fired inside the right-hand post.
Then Mulhern teed up Alex Wiles, who neatly slotted home from the six-yard line.
Elliott Beddow volleyed wide for Thornaby, before Boro added a fourth, when a Colville corner was met by a bullet header from Kieran Weledji. Just before the interval Colville’s cross was pushed clear by Foden as it dipped under the bar.
The visitors enjoyed more possession after the break, and created some good chances, Jack Robertson teed up Tony Verity, who fired narrowly wide, and Will Thornton headed an in-swinging cross from Ryan Wright clear.
Boro went 5-0 up, when a 30-yard free-kick from Mulhern smashed against the right-hand post, with King on hand to head in the rebound, and the young loanee then added another tap-in from Harry Green’s inviting ball into the goalmouth.
Brown fired inches wide, then keeper Bancroft dived to push away a powerful shot from Charlie Hindson, Reece Littlefair heading against the bar from the resulting corner.
A fierce Luca Nelson shot forced another good save from Bancroft, and Nelson also curled just over, but Boro added a seventh goal, as Green and Wilson played a neat one-two, with Green placing his shot into the bottom right corner.
Late on Foden saved with his legs to deny Wilson, and a sliding tackle from James Rowe halted Wilson’s run into the box.
BORO - Bancroft, Weledji (Heaton 46), Brown, Wiles (Purver 46), Thornton (c), Glynn, Tear (Green 46), Wilson, Mulhern, King, Colville. THORNABY - Foden, Rutherford (Bulmer 57), Verity, Rowe (c), Booth, Littlefair (Hindson 57), Wright, Sartini, Beddow (Nelson 65), Gant, Robertson.
REF - Connor Ledgeway.
BORO GOALS - Luca Colville 31, 33, Alex Wiles 34, Kieran Weledji 39, Alfie King 54, 60, Harry Green 78.
GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 16 (11 on target) THORNABY 5 (3 on target).
CORNERS - BORO 12 THORNABY 5
OFFSIDES - BORO 1 THORNABY 2
YELLOW CARDS - None
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Luca Colville
ATTENDANCE - 341 (26 away).