South Shields 3-2 Scarborough Athletic / Last-gasp drama sees Boro denied a point at Shields

In a raucous atmosphere at Mariners Park it was the home side who made the better start, forcing a number of corners, Jon Shaw going closest early doors for Shields.

Shields' early pressure continued, seeing the hosts have a lot of the ball in the opening 10 minutes without creating any clear cut chances.

It took until the 23rd minute for the hosts to get their first meaningful chance and it was taken by Lee Mason, finishing from 12 yards after a lovely cross from Josh Gillies.

And the hosts continued to ramp up the pressure, Gavin Cogdon continuing to be a thorn in the side of Scarborough’s back four.

And it was soon 2-0, just after the half-hour mark, Mason again showing his quality, a lovely lofted finish after a mix up between Taylor and the back four, allowing Mason to loft home from 40 yards out.

Gillies was the next to have a pop at the Boro goal, dragging a shot narrowly wide of Taylor’s left hand upright from about 15 yards out, meaning it stayed 2-0.

And that is how it stayed until the half-time whistle, Boro struggling to get any sort of attacking impetus in the game, the hosts just overrunning their visitors in all departments.

But Boro came out firing in the second half, and on 50 minutes dragged themselves back into the game, James Walshaw rifling home from the edge of the box after tiptoeing away from the Shields defence.

The hosts responded going close through Gillies who broke away from Gooda, only for Taylor to come out and save superbly with his feet, and then a few moments later Taylor was again in action, this time to deny Daly with a wonderful save clawing away high to his right.

Then it was Boro’s turn to be denied by a world class save Connell tipping a header over after a magnificent Watson cross.

And then against all odds Boro levelled, Coulson brought down in the area after Shields failed to clear their lines properly and Walshaw calmly rolled home from the spot.

Boro showed their renewed confidence when first Walshaw narrowly chipped over from a difficult position and then Coulson, who went marauding into the Shields box only to see his cross cleared off the line before neither Walshaw or Watson could finish.

Boro failed to then forge a real opening to win the game and it was the hosts who went closest to regaining the lead, Baxter driving from 20 yards and missing by a matter of inches.

And it stayed that way until the 95th minute when Boro threw everyone forward for a corner, including their goalkeeper Taylor, in search of the win that would keep them in the play-off mix.

Shields cleared the corner and broke out, allowing Daly to roll into an empty net and seal a 3-2 win.