Scarborough Athletic hold firm to see off visitors Dunston in five-goal FA Cup thriller

Brad Plant scored twice in the 3-2 FA Cup second qualifying round win against Dunston

Boss Jono Greening made four changes from the last league game, with Kieran Burton, Tom Pugh, Brad Plant and Simon Heslop coming in to replace Bailey Gooda, Lewis Maloney, Dan Bramall and the unavailable Will Jarvis, writes Steve Adamson.

The opening exchanges were rather tame, with both sides struggling to create openings, the first goal attempt coming in the 20th minute when Michael Coulson passed out to Luca Colville on the right, and he cut inside but his shot was blocked by Dunston skipper Craig Scott. Pugh, on his full debut for Boro, then had a shot charged down by Will Jenkins.

Boro opened the scoring on 29 minutes when a Colville corner was cleared to Dom Tear on the right, and he sent a terrific cross to the far post, where Plant flung himself forward and directed his header just inside the right-hand post.

Jon Shaw headed narrowly wide for Dunston, then Burton made a great block when Will Jenkins fired in a shot.

After a slow start the game was now full of action, and Plant played a ball into the goalmouth, but Coulson couldn't apply a touch and the ball was scrambled clear, then on 35 minutes a terrific Coulson cross to the far post was met by a thumping header from Pugh, but Dunston keeper Dan Staples pulled off a great reflex save.

Boro doubled their lead on the stroke of half time when Colville was fouled 25 yards out, and Coulson sublimely curled the free kick into the top right corner, the ball going in off the underside of the crossbar.

The visitors fought back magnificently in the second half, and Boro were forced to defend for long periods, with Burton, Ash Jackson, Kieran Weledji and Will Thornton all having to make tackles or clearances.

Dunston reduced the arrears on 58 minutes when the pacy Jack Elliott raced down the left and passed across the goalmouth, for Liam Thear to tap home from close range.

Thear then turned and shot from just inside the box, forcing Cracknell into a point-blanc save, but Boro restored their two-goal advantage with another superb goal, as a long-throw into the box from Jackson was headed out towards Plant, who drilled a fierce low shot into the bottom right corner.

Dunston again fought back, with Jack Elliott having a strike beaten away by Cracknell, before they made it 3-2 on 72 minutes when Jenkins laid off to South Shields loanee Jenkins, on the edge of the area, and his shot flew the top right corner giving Joe Cracknell no chance.

Boro created a couple of chances, Jackson passed forward to Coulson, whose shot was blocked by keeper Staples, then Bramall had a shot charged down, but it was Dunston who looked the more likely to score late on.

Heslop flung his body in the way of a shot from Elliott, Jenkins fired narrowly wide, and Plant blocked a shot from Shaw. The visitors should have equalised on 88 minutes, when Cracknell dived to palm away a stinging shot from Thear, and the ball fell at the feet of Michael Fowler, who screwed horribly wide when faced with an open goal, only for the assistant referee to raise their flag for offside.

Boro were relieved to hear the final whistle, and it wasn't a vintage performance, but they are in the next round of the cup, and their unbeaten run stretched to eight games as their fine start to the season continued.

BORO- Cracknell, Weledji (Maloney 62), Jackson, Heslop, Thornton, Burton, Pugh, Tear (Bramall 46), M.Coulson (Gooda 81), Plant, Colville

DUNSTON- Staples, Scott, Elliott, Turnbull, Shaw, Galbraith, Jenkins, Pearson, Thear, Djalo (Fowler 72), R.Coulson

REREREE- Jack Hall

GOALS- BORO- Brad Plant 29, 65, Michael Coulson 45

DUNSTON- Liam Thear 58, Will Jenkins 72

YELLOW CARD- BORO- Will Thornton

BORO MAN OF MATCH- Brad Plant

ATTENDANCE- 1,102 (43 away)