Scarborough Athletic hit top form in 2-0 home victory against King’s Lynn Town

Playing some superb passing football, Jono Greening’s side were on top for much of the game, and when the visitors did get forward, they found Boro’s centre-back pairing of captain Will Thornton and Bailey Gooda in outstanding form, writes Steve Adamson.

In a fast start, Boro created two chances in the opening three minutes, Frank Mulhern and Dom Tear combining to set up Alex Brown, who drilled a shot wide of the far post, then Lewis Maloney teed up Luca Colville, whose volley was blocked by visiting skipper Josh Coulson.

Town’s first attack saw Cameron Hargreaves have a shot deflected wide by Bailey Gooda, then at the other end, George Morrison blocked a strike from the hard working Alex Wiles. Alex Purver won all the midfield battles, and he sprayed a pass out to Colville, who laid off for Brown to shoot narrowly wide.

It was an excellent game, with both sides trying to play the ball on the ground, Ben Stephens especially impressing for the visitors with his runs from midfield, but the Boro back line was solid, and Dom Tear set up Colville, who fired wide, then Purver laid off to Colville, whose shot was blocked by Coulson.

A Colville cross from the left dropped to Maloney, but keeper Paul Jones dived to push away his shot, and Mulhern flicked a header towards Colville, who shot just wide.

Stephens passed to Polish striker Bartosz Cybulski, who fired wide, before Boro opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, when Purver battled to win the ball and fed Brown on the left, who raced forward to the bye-line, and his low ball into the goalmouth was slammed home by Wiles.

The second half lacked the excitement of the first, but Boro remained in control, and Brown fired against the base of the left-hand post on 49 minutes, then Tear set up Maloney, who blazed over, and moments later another Maloney shot flashed narrowly wide.

The visitors almost equalised on the hour, when a long-throw from the right by Will Jones was headed-on by Cybulski to Kyle McFadden, who turned and fired goalwards, but Ryan Whitley made a brilliant reflex save to tip the ball over the bar.

Gabriel Rogers had a shot blocked by Brown, before Boro again took charge, with Kieran Weledji lashing a shot over, then Tear’s pass found Colville, who dragged his shot wide.

The second goal finally arrived right at the death, when loanee Aidan Rutledge, on his home debut, danced past three defenders out in the left, and threaded a pass forward to Finlay Barnes, who calmly slotted past keeper Paul Jones, to wrap up a well deserved win for the Seadogs.

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Brown, Maloney, Thornton, Gooda, Purver, Wiles, Mulhern (Rutledge 64), Tear (Barnes 78), Colville (Durose 86)

KING’S LYNN - P. Jones, Ronan, W. Jones, Crowther, Coulson (Oke 89), McFadden, Hargreaves, Morrison (Fatadjo 64), Cybulski (Rogers 64), Smith, Stephens

REFEREE - James Bancroft

GOALS - BORO - Alex Wiles 45, Finlay Barnes 90

CORNERS - BORO 2 KING’S LYNN 6

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 12 KING’S LYNN 4

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Luca Colville KING’S LYNN - Ismael Fatadjo

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Wiles

ATTENDANCE - 1,277 (36 away).