Scarborough League suffer heavy defeat

The clash at Pickering Town’s Mill Lane doubled as the annual meeting between the sides and one part of the three-pronged round-robin tournament that also involves the Teesside League.

York just proved to be too good on the night, their fitness, quality and finishing shining through against a chopped and changed Scarborough team.

Boss Shaun Mancrief still took positives from a fixture, which will be followed next month by a clash with the Teesside League at Marske United’s base.

He said: “It was frustrating. Our boys played well, but York were a very good team, a completely different set-up to the teams we have played before.

“They were a level above what I have in Scarborough. It looked as though they play together regularly rather than just have the odd get together like we do.

“They just came through us in waves with their one-touch football. I thought we did well to keep it down to four in the end.

“In the first half we were still in it, but we conceded in the 45th minute, a sloppy goal, and that did for us.”

Mancrief had a number of players pull out of the squad in the build-up to the fixture, which clearly hurt his preparations.

He added: “It is difficult to get the lads in because they all work and a lot of them work shifts.

“I asked about 25 lads and I only got 12 or 13 successful responses. You end up putting the team together a few hours before kick off.

“You do it because you enjoy football though and I love the town. It is an honour just to be involved.”

The Scarborough League made a solid start to the game, with the lively Billy Logan and Sean Exley causing the early problems.

The pace of York also created a threat and after 14 minutes that unlocked the Scarborough back-line.

Dave Watson collected a throughball and his calm finish from the edge of the box gave keeper George Elliot no chance.

Scarborough could have been level in the minutes that followed, but Logan volleyed inches wide and then Curtis Rose’s lobbed effort was held by Leon Wrigglesworth in the York goal.

Having controlled much of the play, disaster struck for Scarborough right on the stroke of half time.

The home defence shut off when a ball was delivered into the box and Matty Pallister rose at the far post to nod home the second.

Alterations were made at the break, with Ryan Cooper and Kile Fields coming on and that did add to Scarborough’s sharpness.

Cooper was unlucky not to trim the lead back to one when he let fly from distance, but his strike smacked into the side-netting.

The York advantage was stretched further on the hour, Watson finding some space on the left and finishing sublimely.

Scarborough had to hang on in the closing stages, as the York League began to cut through them at will.

James Edmond should have made it four when he planted a free header wide of the goal.

He made no mistake minutes later though, converting a low cross from close range to complete the scoring and the victory.