Seadogs spoil unbeaten run before Christmas

A CHRISTMAS cracker of a strike from Lewis Maloney sealed a 2-0 win for Scarborough Athletic over lacklustre Warrington Town.

Maloney beat Daniel Atherton from 25 yards with 12 minutes to go to secure the three points after Jacob Day had given the Seadogs a first half lead.

He was handed the chance on a platter by Luca Colville, who had pounced on a sloppy pass on the edge of the box to punish the hosts.

It ended the Yellows’ 10-match unbeaten run in the league, and they have now won just once in their last five and slip out of the play-off places.

There was very little in the game for the first quarter of an hour on a freezing last Saturday before Christmas.

On 18 minutes, Jay Harris sold Mark Roberts short with a pass and Colville nipped in, passing left to Day who slid the ball past the onrushing Atherton for 1-0.

The Yellows had a bright spell around the half hour mark, with first Matt Regan heading straight at the relatively untroubled Ryan Whitley in the Scarborough goal.

Roberts headed a similar Sean Williams delivery wide moments later.

It was the craft of Colville at the other end that looked more like finding a second goal, and he should have done better to find a team-mate on a three-on-two break shortly before the interval.

After Jordan Buckley had lobbed over, Josh Amis came closest to a stunning equaliser, crashing a volley from 18 yards against the crossbar.

Despite the added presence of Amis, Scarborough centre halves Bailey Gooda and Matt Thornton continued to snuff out the Yellows threat.

And it was the visitors who were creating the clear cut chances.

Striker Day chested down and volleyed over on the turn and then Kieran Glynn wasted a golden opportunity, heading over from a central position eight yards out.

The game was settled on 78 minutes though, Maloney using the overlapping run of Kieran Weledji as a distraction and then firing a fine right-footed shot across the ‘keeper in to the far corner to cue pandemonium amongst the travelling support.

Buckley should have done better with two late chances, but there was no denying a deserved three points for the Seadogs.

Warrington Town: Atherton, Baillie, Regan (Grivosti), Harris, Roberts, Gumbs, Mackreth (Dixon), Williams, Buckley, Mols (Amis), Duffy. Unused subs: Duggan, Hough.

Scarborough Athletic: Whitley, Weledji, Jackson, Heslop (Cadman), Thornton, Gooda, Maloney, Watson, Day (Cogill), Colville, Glynn (Plant). Unused subs: Hutton, Ingham