Boro hit by third consecutive loss
Missed chances costly again for hosts, Dawson red card adds to woes
Scarborough Athletic slipped to their third successive league loss at home to Lancaster City, edged out 1-0.
BORO 0 LANCASTER CITY 1 Scarborough Athletic slipped to their third successive league loss at home to Lancaster City, edged out 1-0 despite creating a string of scoring opportunities.
The home side had the first clear chance, skipper Michael Coulson setting up Connor Thomson, but the latter’s effort was fired straight at City keeper Sam Ashton.
With Boro having lost their last three games and the Dolly Blues on a superb run that has taken them to within touching distance of the top of the BetVictor Northern Premier League Premier Division, this looked set to be a tough test for John Deacey’s home side, but Boro proved to be the dominant side and created numerous chances.
There followed a scrappy period where neither team could claim the upper hand, until Ashton pulled off a superb treble save to keep the hosts out.
The gloveman palmed away Coulson’s low free-kick and then denied midfielders Chris Dawson and Pete Davidson.
Coulson then had another chance, but after stooping low to head at goal, his effort sailed over the crossbar on 25 minutes.
Seven minutes later Coulson’s shot was spilled by keeper Ashton, and Dawson’s rebound was scooped out for a throw-in.
The pressure then continued from Boro as Dawson should have put the Flamingo Land Stadium side ahead, played in by Walker, the midfielder had only the visiting goalkeeper to beat but smashed his shot into the side-netting.
On 39 minutes, loanee Thomson’s shot looked goalbound with the keeper beaten, but it took a deflection, hit the post and then rolled out of play.
Five minutes into the second period, left-back Brooksby surged into the City penalty area but his shot hit the side-netting, despite most of the 1,057 crowd having started their celebrations having thought the hosts were finally in front after all their chances.
Just before the hour mark, City had a rare attack and took the lead as Tommy Taylor couldn’t hold sub Nialle Rodney’s low shot and David Norris broke the deadlock from a yard out.
Three minutes later and another astounding save from City keeper Ashton kept out James Walshaw’s freekick, which was heading into the top corner of the net before Ashton palmed it brilliantly away.
In the 69th minute Ashton continued his heroics, saving a Walshaw volley onto the post.
Boro continued to pile on the pressure but they failed to find a leveller and injury-time Dawson was given his marching orders for a second caution to add to the home side’s woes as they slipped to another league loss.
Boro now head to Witton Albion on Saturday looking to arrest this poor run of form.