Ten-man Scarborough Athletic grab last-gasp leveller at home to play-off rivals Stafford Rangers

Two sides challenging for the play-offs and both on long unbeaten runs, served up a disappointing game, but Boro will be delighted to have snatched a last gasp equaliser to salvage a point, after being reduced to ten men early in the second half, writes Steve Adamson.

Looking to extend their 12-match unbeaten run, Boro made a bright start, with Bailey Gooda heading over from an early Ryan Watson free-kick, then Brad Plant sent a great forward pass to Jake Day, but the big striker couldn’t reach the ball.

Stafford went ahead from their first attack on 12 minutes, when Alex Fletcher sent a free-kick into the box, and Jake Charles turned to fire into the bottom left corner.

Boro almost equalised soon after when an Ash Jackson cross from the left was headed on by Gooda, and Day prodded home at the far post, but he had drifted offside.

Will Thornton blocked a shot from the pacy Joe Cuff, while Boro’s best attacks stemmed from numerous long throws into the area by Ash Jackson, but the Stafford centre-backs Ethan Stewart and James O’Neill both defended superbly, and keeper Mat Hewelt was largely untroubled.

Tom Tonks sent a hard driven cross into the Boro area, but Tre Pemberton couldn't connect, while at the other end Ash Jackson crashed a left-foot drive inches wide, and skipper Watson, on his 100th competitive appearance, fired wide from 20 yards.

Kieran Glynn, who had an unusually quite game, sent a 25-yard free kick round the defensive wall, but keeper Hewelt smothered the ball, then a Watson cross drifted over the bar.

Stafford went close when Andy Burns set up Cuff, who shot against the bar, and Cuff was tackled by Gooda as he ran through on goal.

Shortly before the interval, a long throw from Jackson was headed on by Gooda, but the ball was scrambled clear.

The dangerous Cuff shot narrowly over early in the second half, and on 53 minutes Boro were reduced to 10 men when Simon Heslop who had been booked in the first half, received a second yellow card for a foul.

Thornton did well to clear a low cross from Pemberton, before Boro again had a goal disallowed on 64 minutes, when Watson burst past a defender and drilled a shot into the bottom corner, but the referee penalised him for a foul.

Watson then played a free-kick into the box, and Brad Plant stretched to divert the ball past the left-hand post, and Luca Colville shot wide following a pass from Kieran Weledji.

A Watson cross was headed away by O'Neill, with the ball appearing to strike the hand of another defender, but appeals for a penalty were rejected by the referee.

Gooda and Watson defended well when Stafford mounted attacks, but Boro were looking the more likely to snatch a late goal.

Colville sliced a shot wide, sub James Cadman played a terrific though-ball to Thornton, who was closed down, then a free kick from Colville was met by Weledji, whose downward header was brilliantly tipped round the post by flying keeper Hewelt. Glynn laid off to Watson, whose shot was blocked, then in stoppage time, a right-wing corner from Watson into the crowded goalmouth, was powerfully headed home by Weledji to snatch a dramatic late equaliser.

Not a great game, but a point apiece keeps both sides very much in play-off contention.

BORO: Whitley, Watson, Jackson, Heslop, Thornton, Gooda, Plant (Cadman 73), Colville, Day, Glynn, Wilson (Weledji 52)

MAN OF THE MATCH: Bailey Gooda.

ATTENDANCE: 1,247.