​Will Thornton’s late header helps Scarborough Athletic break Curzon Ashton curse

Keeper Joe Cracknell, on his 100th competitive appearance for the club pulled off a series of top saves to ensure a second successive clean-sheet from an action packed game which saw both sides create numerous chances, and also hit the woodwork, writes Steve Adamson.

This was another strong defensive display from Boro, with centre-backs Will Thornton and Ryan Qualter, and wing backs Kieran Weledji and Alex Brown all on top form.

Curzon began brightly, and Adam Barton’s cross was headed goal-wards by Jimmy Spencer, but Cracknell dived low to his left to tip the ball away.

Spencer fired over from 22 yards, and a shot from player-manager Craig Mahon was deflected over by Lewis Maloney.

Boro also created chances, a ball forward from Qualter was headed-on by Frank Mulhern to Finley Barnes, who fired over, then Alex Purver headed to the excellent Luca Colville, who curled his shot wide of the right-hand post.

Barnes back-heeled into the path of Dom Tear, who burst forward, but was halted by a strong tackle from George Waring.

A goalmouth scramble on 31 minutes saw Colville lay off to Barnes, whose shot was cleared off the line by Jordan Richards.

Then Curzon went forward, and Cracknell got down to save a fierce shot from Isaac Sinclair.

The next chance fell to Curzon when a Devon Matthews shot was blocked by Qualter, with Cracknell saving the follow-up shot from Sinclair.

Maloney fired wide from 25 yards, and Dom Tear got in two shots, one well saved by Cam Mason, the other blocked by Marcus Poscha, while at the other end, Spencer shot wide, and Cracknell dived to tip over a long-range effort from Mahon.

The excitement continued in the second half.

For Curzon, Spencer blazed over, then Adam Barton sent a low drive crashing against the left-hand post.

Boro attacks saw Tear charge forward before being tackled by Alex Kenyon, and Colville cut in from the right past two defenders, before firing straight at the keeper.

The deadlock should have been broken on 64 minutes when Michael Coulson shot against the base of the left-hand post, with Mulhern blazing the rebound over when faced with an open goal.

Then a Colville corner was headed down by Weledji, with the ball bouncing up and over the bar.

Mahon burst clear for Curzon, but Cracknell raced out to block his shot, then on 78 minutes a Jamie Allen strike was heading towards the bottom left corner, but Bailey Gooda did brilliantly to hook the ball off the goal-line.

A trademark 25-yarder from Maloney forced Mason into a diving save to tip round the post, and the resulting corner from Maloney on 81 minutes, was headed home from close range by skipper Thornton.

Boro defended resolutely to hold on to the three points, the nearest to a late leveller coming when Kenyon glanced a header wide from a Richards free kick on the left.

CURZON ASHTON - Mason, Richards, Poscha, Matthews, Kenyon(Mols 86), Sinclair (Allen 73), Spencer, Hayhurst (Campbell 76), Waring, Mahon, Barton.

BORO - Cracknell, Weledji (Green 71), Brown, Maloney, Thornton, Qualter, Purver, Tear (Gooda 59), Mulhern, Barnes (Coulson 59), Colville

REFEREE - Shaun Taylor

GOAL - BORO - Will Thornton 81

YELLOW CARDS - BORO - Frank Mulhern, Alex Brown

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Joe Cracknell.