Star man Dom Tear hits hat-trick as Boro held to draw after six-goal opening-day thriller at Radcliffe
A thrilling, action-packed game full of goals and excitement ended all square, as newly promoted Radcliffe snatched a stoppage-time equaliser to secure a 3-3 draw against Boro in the first National League North game of the season.
Dom Tear was Boro’s hat-trick hero, but there were good performances all over the park, as two strong sides played out a hugely entertaining match on a warm afternoon in the Manchester suburbs, writes Steve Adamson.
Hosts Radcliffe began brightly, Kieran Weledji kicked clear when Jamie Morgan raced forward, skipper Will Thornton blocked a shot from Jude Oyibo, and keeper Ryan Whitley dived to tip a Josh Hancock shot against the post. Hancock then fired straight at Whitley and had another effort blocked by Thornton, before Boro’s first attempt saw an Alex Purver strike blocked by Matt Sargent.
Boro began to get on top, Kieran Glynn’s mazy dribble was halted by a Hancock tackle, before the deadlock was broken when Richie Bennett glanced a header towards Luca Colville on the left, and he passed across the goalmouth, for Tear to slot home at the back post.
Boro’s Michael Duckworth blocked a fierce Tom Walker strike, while at the other end Alex Brown sent over a low cross, and Tear fired narrowly over.
Some neat inter-passing between Alex Wiles, Tear, Purver, Colville and Glynn had Radcliffe pinned back in defence, and the lead was doubled with a route-one goal, when Whitley’s long kick upfield was flicked on by Bennett into the path of Tear, who slammed his shot past Polish keeper Mateusz Hewelt.
Radcliffe got one back just before the interval, when Thornton was harshly judged to have fouled Jordan Hulme just outside the area, and Walker brilliantly curled the free-kick round the wall, and inside the left-hand post.
There was a sensational start to the second half, within 40 seconds Wiles set up Bennett, whose shot was tipped over by Hewelt, with Thornton heading over from the corner by Purver.
Radcliffe then went forward, Morgan sending a pass down the right to Walker, who crossed into the area, for Hancock to poke in at the back post to level the scores at 2-2 on 48 minutes.
It was a terrific game, Wiles had a shot deflected wide by Josh Wardle and the excellent Colville laid off to Purver, whose goal-bound volley struck team mate Tear.
Boro restored their lead when Bennett crossed from the byeline on the left, and Rick Smith headed out towards Tear, who took a touch and fired past Hewelt to complete a brilliant hat-trick.
Colville and Lewis Maloney had shots palmed away by Hewelt, Maloney fired over and Frank Mulhern volleyed into the chest of the keeper.
Sargent shot narrowly over, Wardle fired into the chest of Whitley, a Brad Jackson shot was blocked by Weledji, an Anthony Dudley free kick was headed over by Smith. Deep into stoppage-time, former Salford City and Chester striker Dudley drilled a low shot from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom left corner to snatch a dramatic last-gasp point.
RADCLIFFE - Hewelt, Duxbury, Smith, Hancock (Dudley 66), Hulme (c) (Bange 80), Roscoe, Oyibo (Campbell 66), Wardle, Walker (Jackson 66), Morgan (Thompson 66), Sargent
BORO - Whitley, Brown, Duckworth, Weledji, Thornton (c) (Gooda 52), Glynn, Purver (Mulhern 75), Wiles (Maloney 56), Bennett (Wilson 78), Tear (Green 61), Colville.
REFEREE - Liam Corbett
RADCLIFFE GOALS - Tom Walker 44, Josh Hancock 48, Anthony Dudley 90+2; BORO GOALS - Dom Tear 24, 40, 57
GOAL ATTEMPTS - RADCLIFFE 11 (6 on target) BORO 12 (7 on target)
CORNERS - RADCLIFFE 4 BORO 3
OFFSIDES - RADCLIFFE 2 BORO 1
YELLOW CARDS - RADCLIFFE- Matt Sargent, Tom Walker, Josh Wardle; BORO - Alex Purver, Luca Colville
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Dom Tear
ATTENDANCE - 1,106 (200 away).