2: Worksop P 4-4 Scarborough Ath

Worksop Parramore 4-4 Scarborough Athletic
NCEL Premier
Saturday 8th September, 2012
Att: 157

Well, what a day this turned out to be!

Having decided to travel home for the weekend from university, with not too much going on this early in the academic year, I thought that I would take every opportunity to watch Boro when I could. So - it was the short 18 mile trip down to Worksop from my home in Conisbrough.

Worksop Parramore, playing at Sandy Lane alongside Worksop Town, are new to the NCEL Premier this season having been promoted from Division One during the 2011/12 season. It's been a success story for them over the past five years, and they had started the season strongly going into this game, which was 2nd v 3rd before kick-off.

Boro had injury problems coming into this game, with Tony Hackworth on the bench and Olly Ryan's foot problems meaning we started with just one recognised striker in the shape of Ryan Blott.

The game started brightly for Boro, and after few chances at both ends, Joel Ramm escaped the attention of the Worksop defence to fire the away side into a one goal lead on 21 minutes. That's as good as it got for Boro in the first half, because they would be 3-1 down by half time.

Goals from Holmes, McGhie and ex-Boro forward Lee Whittington stunned the majority of the 157 in attendance, and it looked like Boro would be going home with no points, and worse - with Parkgate also winning - a gap looked likely to be opening at the top, with Boro dropping off the place.

The second half began, with Boro fans heads down but the players heads still held high, and it worked. Boro were dominant from the 45th minute onwards, and the fans responded. After going close several times, Tom Adams headed Boro back into the game on the hour. 3-2 to Worksop. With eighteen minutes to go, however, a poor backpass from the Boro back-line was pounced upon by Jamie Smith, and Worksop went into a seemingly unassailable 4-2 lead with not long left at all.

Boro were not to be beaten today though, and the fans roared them on from the stands. Andrew Milne popped up just two minutes later to score, and with 16 minutes left, the game was in the balance at 4-3 to the home side, but with Boro dominating.

On 87 minutes, one of the best games I've ever seen reached its climax when Matty Plummer powered in a header off the bar to square things up at 4-4. Boro weren't done at that though, and an excruciating moment came in injury time where a header hit one post and rolled across the line to safety. Boro could, and on another day would, have won the game 4-5!

An extraordinary game of football which will live long in the memory. Boro sit in 3rd, just a point off the top after Parkgate capitulated against Staveley. The season is well and truly hotting up.