Super-sub Lewis Maloney hits late winner for Scarborough Athletic at Rushall Olympic
A second successive 2-1 win secured with a last gasp winner, saw Boro return home from bottom side Rushall Olympic with three precious points, and there was the added bonus of the return to action of two long-term absentees, Lewis Maloney and Michael Duckworth.
Match-winner Maloney was back in the side after playing just a 15-minute cameo at Burton Albion in the past 11 matches, and experienced full-back Duckworth also came on from the bench after missing the last 19 games, writes Steve Adamson.
Boro started brightly, passing the ball around and dominating possession. Kieran Glynn dinked a pass forward to Dom Tear, whose shot was deflected out for a corner by Laiith Fairnie, the first of three corners in quick succession. Glynn then burst into the area, but was halted by a superb sliding tackle from home skipper Nathan Cameron.
There was a setback when new signing Michael Woods limped off injured, but his replacement Harry Green soon made his mark, passing to Tear in the area, but Finn Flanagan hacked clear.
Terell Pennant fired wide for the hosts, before Boro went ahead on 26 minutes when Glynn passed out to Green on the right, and he drilled his shot under keeper Paul White at his near post.
It was one-way traffic, Green, Alex Wiles and Luca Colville all sending efforts wide, but despite their dominance, Boro couldn’t unlock the home defence, and White was largely untroubled.
Just before the interval Rushall suddenly upped a level, a slick passing move ending with Dylan Barkers bursting into the area, but Will Thornton kicked clear, then a long throw by Josh Green was flicked on by Barkers, and Fairnie fired over at the back post
Rushall, without a win in their last 10 league games, had been second best for much of the first half, but performed much better after the break, and drew level early on with a thunderous 30-yard screamer from Sam McLintock, into the top right corner off the underside of the bar.
Josh Green then had a shot deflected wide by Thornton and Jack Thomas and Slovakian winger Milan Lakovic both fired narrowly wide.
Boro again gained the upper hand, and went close following an Alex Purver corner that was headed on by Thornton, with Kieran Weledji and Green both having shots blocked on the line, and Thornton then firing over in a hectic goalmouth scramble.
Green could have restored Boro’s lead on 78 minutes, as he dispossessed left-back Liam McAlinden and found himself one-on-one with keeper White, but dragged his shot wide.
Purver twice rescued Boro, blocking a McLintock shot, then tackling Harvey Watts as he raced into the area.
A mazy Luca Colville dribble was halted by Danny King’s tackle, and an Alex Brown shot was fumbled round the post by White, before Boro snatched a late winner, when Colville teed up Maloney, who fired against the inside of the post, but reacted quickly to slam the rebound into the bottom right corner.
RUSHALL - White, J Green, McAlindon, Fairnie, Cameron (c), Barkers, Flanagan (Lalkovic 6), Thomas, McLintock, McDonagh (Watts 74), Pennant (D King 81)
BORO - Whitley, Waldron (Duckworth 70), Brown, Weledji, Thornton (c), Purver, Tear (A King 81), Wiles (Wilson 70), Colville, Glynn (Maloney 63), Woods (H Green 21)
REFEREE - Oliver Noonan
GOALS - RUSHALL - Sam McLintock 52 BORO - Harry Green 26, Lewis Maloney 89
GOAL ATTEMPTS - RUSHALL 8 (1 on target) BORO 12 (5 on target)
CORNERS - RUSHALL 2 BORO 7
OFFSIDES - RUSHALL 0 BORO 3
YELLOW CARDS - RUSHALL - Terell Pennant; BORO - Alex Purver, Cam Wilson
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Harry Green
ATTENDANCE - 386 (56 away)