Scarborough Athletic impress despite opening-day National League North loss at Peterborough Sports

Torrential pre-match rain, and sporadic showers throughout the first half, made ball control difficult, but both sides tried to pass the ball around, writes Steve Adamson.

The game got off to a lively start, Alex Brown and Harry Green shining down the left for Boro, and Josh McCammon doing likewise for the hosts. Lewis Maloney fired a 30-yard free-kick round the wall, but Sports keeper Peter Crook saved, then Green raced down the left and passed inside to Maloney, whose shot was blocked by full-back Hayden Cann.

Sports then created a couple of chances, Dan Lawlor dragged a shot wide of the left-hand post, and Dan Jarvis fired narrowly wide. Will Thornton made a couple of good interceptions and Ryan Qualter won a towering header to clear a ball forward from McCammon, before the game became scrappy.

Three minutes before the interval Boro carved out a great chance, when Kieran Weledji, who ran his heart out all game, latched onto a loose ball, burst past a defender and found himself one-on-one with keeper Crook, who did brilliantly to foil Weledji’s goal-bound shot.

Less than a minute later the deadlock was broken, when Hugh Jones connected with a cross from the left, his first-time volley bouncing in front of Boro keeper Ryan Whitley and skidding off the slick surface into the bottom left corner despite Whitley getting his hands to the ball.

Frank Mulhern cleverly flicked a pass towards Luca Colville, but his low cross into the goalmouth was hacked clear by Connor Johnson on the stroke of half-time.

Apart from a five-minute spell, Boro dominated the second half, creating a number of decent chances, but the home defence stood firm, with keeper Crook in outstanding form.

Just three minutes after the break Mulhern dinked a ball to Colville, who raced past two defenders and laid off to Weledji, whose fierce shot forced a superb one-handed save from the keeper, and from the resulting corner by Colville, a Bailey Gooda shot was blocked by Johnson.

Sports threatened briefly, with Hugh Jones having a strike deflected wide by Maloney, then Boro skipper Thornton threw his body in the way of a Jordan Nicholson shot.

Boro were soon back on the attack, and Dom Tear, on to replace the injured Qualter, made an immediate impression, bursting forward and sending a ball across the goalmouth, towards Mulhern who side-footed wide, then Maloney fired a 20-yard free-kick into the four-man wall.

Tear and fellow sub Charlie Marshall injected pace and energy into the Boro attack, with Marshall accepting a pass from Colville, beating a defender and shooting goalwards, but Johnson scrambled the ball clear.

A Colville corner was headed just over by Marshall, then a thunderous shot from Maloney was saved by the diving Crook as the pressure continued.

Marshall curled a shot against the top of the bar, Weledji burst down the right and cut inside, but was halted by a last-ditch tackle from Johnson. With time running out Maloney passed to Marshall who dinked the ball to on-loan Rotherham midfielder Curtis Durose, who volleyed just over, then Tear was tackled by Jarvis as he as ran onto a through-ball from the impressive Marshall, as the hosts held out for the win.

PETERBOROUGH - Crook, Fox, Cann, Johnson, H. Jones, Lawlor, Fowkes, McCammon, M.Jones (Gash 84), Jarvis (Tootle 74), Nicholson

BORO - Whitley, Weledji, Brown (Marshall 73), Qualter (Tear 51), Thornton, Gooda, Purver, Maloney, Mulhern, Green (Durose 62), Colville.

REFEREE - Emily Heaslip.

GOAL- PETERBOROUGH - Hugh Jones 43.

YELLOW CARDS - PETERBORO - Josh McCammon, Ben Fowkes

BORO - Frank Mulhern.

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Will Thornton.

ATTENDANCE - 352 (170 away).