Super-sub Harry fires Scarborough Athletic to dramatic late 1-0 home win against Buxton

A noisy band of Buxton supporters contributed to a lively atmosphere, and Boro went close in the tenth minute when Finlay Barnes laid off to Frank Mulhern, whose 20-yard strike forced a good diving save from keeper Max Dearnley, who had played briefly for Boro in 2016, writes Steve Adamson.

That was to be the only save of the first half.

For the visitors, Xander McBurnie’s free kick from the left, drifted past the far post, and Eoin McKeown raced clear but was halted by a timely tackle from Boro skipper Will Thornton.

On 22 minutes a neat 1-2 between Dom Tear and Mulhern, sent Tear, who had a loan spell with a Buxton in 2016, through into the area, but Sam Minihan kicked clear, then Lewis Maloney passed out to Kieran Weledji on the right, and his first time shot flashed narrowly wide. Maloney fired a 25-yard free-kick into the Buxton wall, before Luca Colville, who had a terrific game, skipped past three defenders on the left, got to the bye-line and sent a low ball into the goalmouth, where Curtis Weston hacked clear.

Buxton danger man Diego Di Girolamo, looking to add to his 98 goals for the club, sent a free-kick over the bar just before the interval, and he was shackled throughout by the excellent Thornton, who blocked his shot after he latched onto Minihan’s through-ball, and Barnes blocked another Di Girolamo shot.

Rotherham loanee Jake Hull headed over from a McBurnie corner, and Boro centre-back Ryan Qualter also headed over from a Maloney corner. Maloney then tried a shot, which deflected off team mate Tear into the keeper’s arms.

Harry Green came off the bench to add fresh impetus to the Boro attack, and he raced onto a through-ball from Colville and skipped past Minihan, but keeper Dearnley got down to save at his feet.

However, a couple of minutes later Colville played a lovely reverse pass into the area, and this time Green clipped the ball over Dearnley for a well taken goal.

Buxton tried desperately to snatch a last gasp equaliser, Di Girolamo blazed wide, Connor Kirby fired a free kick over, and impressive skipper Luke Shields headed narrowly over, but Joe Cracknell was never tested all game, as Boro held on to secure the clean-sheet and three hard earned points.

BORO - Cracknell, Weledji, A.Brown, Maloney, Thornton, Qualter, Purver, Tear (Green 70), Mulhern (Gooda 87), Barnes (Coulson 72), Colville

BUXTON - Dearnley, C.Brown, Kirby, Minihan, Shiels, Hull, McBurnie (Hunt 86), McKeown, Di Girolamo, Smart (Burrow 70), Weston

REFEREE - Helen Conley

GOAL - BORO - Harry Green 85

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Dom Tear, Luca Colville, Ryan Qualter; BUXTON - Connor Kirby, Sam Smart, Connor Brown

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Will Thornton

ATTENDANCE - 1,385 (74 away)