Scarborough Athletic share spoils with visitors Boston United after scrappy encounter

With Ash Jackson suspended and Will Jarvis ill, Kieran Burton made his first competitive start and both Brad Plant and Luca Colville came off the bench for their first outings of the season, writes Steve Adamson.

The visitors lost midfielder Brad Abbott through injury after just eight minutes, and his replacement Scott Pollock made an instant impact, getting booked from his first touch, then bundling the ball home from close range after loanee Colin Oppong had burst down the right and sent a low ball into the Boro goalmouth on 13 minutes.

Boro drew level three minutes later, when Michael Coulson was fouled 20-yards out, and dead ball specialist Lewis Maloney bent the free kick round the wall, into the top left corner.

On 21 minutes a scuffle on Boro's right touchline involving Ryan Watson and Jaanai Gordon, ended with the referee sending off both players for violent conduct, and soon after, a clever back-heel from Boston's Jordan Crawford sent Scott Pollock through on goal, but Bailey Gooda made a superb tackle to halt his run.

Kieran Weledji passed forward to Coulson, who blazed high over the bar, and the visitors then created a couple of half-chances, with Crawford firing wide and impressive skipper Joe Leesley sending a free kick into the Boro area, but Gooda headed clear.

Shortly before the interval a Keenan Ferguson cross was scrambled clear by Weledji.

Boro, attacking the shed in the second half, had most of the possession, with Burton, Gooda and Thornton commanding at the back, Weledji, Maloney, Jake Charles and Dom Tear all battling and scrapping for every ball, and Kieran Glynn showing good ball skills, but they never really tested the keeper, and it was Boston who almost took the lead on 68 minutes when a Ferguson shot was blocked on the line by Gooda, and Leesley struck the left-hand post from the rebound.

Charles went off with a nasty shoulder injury then Brad Plant, who replaced Coulson a few minutes later, made a terrific tackle to foil Ferguson who had raced down the left flank.

On 76 minutes a right-wing corner from Maloney, dropped to Colville at the far post, but he lifted his shot just over, then a Maloney free kick was headed clear by Ben Pollock. Boro's best chance of snatching a late winner came in the 84th minute, when Tear played a low ball into the Boston goalmouth, and Plant's goal-bound shot was blocked by Ben Pollock.

Play then switched to the other end, and a long-throw from Ferguson was headed out by Burton towards Leesley, whose acrobatic overhead scissors kick was tipped over by Boro keeper Joe Cracknell.

Deep into stoppage time, Glynn went on a surging 40-yard run, racing past two defenders, before passing out to Plant in the left, but his shot was easily saved by Boston keeper Sam Long.

BORO- Cracknell, Watson, Burton, Maloney, Thornton, Gooda, Tear, Coulson (Plant 71), Charles (Colville 62), Glynn, Bramall (Weledji 25)

BOSTON UNITED- Long, Mbeka, Abbott (S. Pollock 8), Leesley, Ferguson, Atkinson, Crawford (Obiero 90), B. Pollock, Gordon, Belehouan, Oppong (Wright 72)

REFEREE- Jamie O'Connor

GOALS- Boro- Lewis Maloney 16 Boston United- Scott Pollock 13

YELLOW CARDS- Boro- Gooda, Weledji, Tear, Thornton

Boston United- S.Pollock, Ferguson, Oppong

RED CARDS- Boro- Ryan Watson Boston United- Jaanai Gordon

BORO MAN OF MATCH- Lewis Maloney

ATTENDANCE- 1,661 (179 away)