Thackley entertained second in the table Scarborough Athletic at Dennyfield on Saturday in the First Round of the FA Vase. The Dennyboys had already beaten two other teams to progress to this stage, whilst it was the Seadogs first match in the competition this season. Skipper, Matt Morgan was out with a hamstring injury, Kris Hargreaves taking over on the left hand side of the defence. Josh Eastwood and Nicky Matthews came in for Adam Hill and Liam Moore. Matt Mathers had a pre match fitness test and was on a strong bench alongside the returning Mark Bett and Chris Davey. Scarborough have good travelling support so there was a buzz around the ground as the match got underway.

The Dennyboys were the first to get a strike at goal, Brice Tiani pulling the ball back to Nicky Matthews but his shot cleared the bar. Scarborough retaliated a couple of minutes later, Ryan Blott letting fly from well outside the box, the ball went just wide of the post. The opening quarter of an hour was a pretty even affair, both sides looking for the opportunity to get forward. Tiani was wide with a long range effort before Liam Hudson did well to block a shot from Thomas Adams after Robbie Hawkes had slipped the ball into the path of the Scarborough skipper. Thackley were playing the football and as usual, most of their good work broke down before they could get a strike on goal, whilst Scarborough's approach was much more direct, when they did break forward, Blott in particular looked dangerous. Although some may say he was lucky to escape at least a yellow card for stamping on Paul Whiteley after he was tackled by the Thackley skipper. It was difficult to see how both the referee and his assistant could have missed the incident. Into the second quarter of the game and Tiani did well to set Kris Hargreaves free down the left but his cross was cleared before Hudson headed over from a corner, won when Matthews got clear of Cameron Fearon. Hudson was given a yellow card for an ungainly tackle on Blott. From the free kick the ball was cleared, Josh Eastwood and Jordan Missin combined well to set Andy Tasker free down the right but he over hit the cross. Blott shot wide from well outside the box before the Dennyboys opened the scoring on thirty six minutes. Missin headed Tasker's cross back to the unmarked TIANI, his superb volley, from the edge of the box, into the top corner, gave away keeper, Steve Wilson no chance. It was a lead the home side just about deserved, although not really testing Wilson up to this point, their approach work had been much better than that of the Seadogs. A minute later and Matty Hall squandered a good chance to increase Thackley's lead, Matthews put him clear down the left, but his shot was well wide when he should have least tested the away keeper. Scarborough made a substitution, Tony Hackworth replacing the injured Peter Davidson. With five minutes to go to the break Scarborough had their first shot on target, Mark Bower getting down at the near post to turn a Robbie Hawkes shot for a corner, James Bennett headed over. Scarborough equalised in the final minute of the half, Hackworth hammering home from the edge of the box after Blott had played the ball back to him. The Seadogs could have taken the lead moments later, again from a Blott pull back, Bower could only parry the shot, it fell to Scarborough's new signing Jermain Hollis, with the goal at his mercy, he fired wide. The referee blew for the interval almost immediately afterwards. Other than the final minutes of the first half, Thackley had looked well in control of the game, they would be disappointed to have given away a goal at such a crucial time but it could have been worse.

The away side made another substitution at the beginning of the SECOND HALF, Joel replacing Hawkes. Three minutes into the half and the Dennyboys had a great chance to increase their lead, Matthews racing clear of the defence, but Wilson came out to block the Thackley striker's shot, Tiani got to the rebound but he was bundled over by Ramm. Missin took the free kick, Wilson had to be at his best to stop the Thackley forward's well struck shot. Blott made Bower save at the near post before the away side took the lead, somewhat against the run of play. The ball was played into the box, Thackley had a number of chances to clear before Bennett slipped it back in front of goal and Paddy Miller netted from close range. The goal sparked an incident around the Thackley box, a group of Scarborough supporters started banging on the Thackley dugout roof and aiming a tirade of foul-mouthed abuse at the home bench. When manager Vince Brocken came out to confront the aggressors, he was asked to leave the field by the referee. Just over five minutes later, the Dennyboys were back on level terms, EASTWOOD curling the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box, with Wilson unable to do anything about it. Game on, everything to play for. Both sides went looking for the next goal. On sixty five minutes, Adams headed wide from a Darryl Winters free kick. Seventy minutes, Wilson saved from Eastwood before Tiani put Missin in the clear but again the away keeper made the save. Mark Bett replaced Tasker as Thackley pushed forward looking to break the deadlock. Bower saved from Miller, moments later Missin fired over at the other end, the game could go either way. Three minutes into added time and the Dennyboys got the goal that would take them into the next round and what a well worked effort it was. Some good interplay between Hall, Matthews and Bett set up MISSIN, the Thackley striker struck the sweetest of shots past the bewildered Wilson to settle the match. Wilson had to make another fine save from Missin before the referee blew for time.

Overall, Thackley had deserved their victory, they had played much the better football throughout the match. Scarborough had capitalised on their chances but the home side had shown real character to come back from a goal down.

It is back to league action on Tuesday night when Nostell MW are the visitors.

One final comment: I have watched non-league football for over forty years and never in all those years have I witnessed such a tirade of foul language as that which came from a number, albeit a small number, of Scarborough spectators. The situation became so bad that at one stage the referee had to stop the game in order to ask that one of the Scarborough fans be removed from the ground.

It is a pity that my opinion, shared by many of the other spectators around me, of a club with such a proud heritage will be tarnished by the behaviour of these so called supporters.

Thackley team: Bower; Tasker (Bett); Hargreaves; Hudson; Firth; Whiteley (C); Eastwood; Hall; Tiani; Matthews; Missin. Subs not used : Mallinson; Davey; Kendall; Mathers.

Scarborough Athletic team: Wilson; Winters; Miller; Gareth; Fearon; Adams (C); Bennett; Hollis; Blott; Davidson (Hackworth); Hawkes (Ramm). Sub not used : Kemp.

Thackley scorers: Brice Tiani 36 mins; Josh Eastwood 56 mins; Jordan Missin 90 mins.

Scarborough Athletic scorers: Tony Hackworth 45 mins ; Paddy Miller 50 mins.

Attendance: 202

Referee: Richard Wild