Boro pegged back to 3-3 home draw by high-flyers King's Lynn in thriller
An in-swinging corner on the right from Luca Colville was rammed into the net at the far post by Bailey Gooda on 14 minutes, writes Steve Adamson.
Boro doubled their lead three minutes later when Lewis Maloney sent a low free-kick into the area, and Kieran Weledji touched on to Michael Coulson, who poked his shot past stunned keeper Paul Jones.
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Hide AdKing’s Lynn were shell shocked, but fought back strongly, Cameron Hargreaves having a header clawed away by Joe Cracknell, and the Boro keeper then pulled off two stunning saves, diving to his right to keep out a Hargreaves shot, and pulling off a brilliant one-handed save from a fierce strike by visiting skipper Michael Clunan.
The lead was halved on the half-hour, when Tyler Fenton hoisted the ball into the Boro area, and Clunan placed his shot just inside the left-hand post.
Good interplay between Colville (on his 50th Boro appearance) and Kieran Glynn, ended when Glynn, who had a terrific game, played the ball towards the far post, but Weledji just couldn't apply the finishing touch.
Boro went 3-1 up in the 70th minute, when a long-throw from Jackson on the left, fell at the feet of Weledji, who directed the ball goalwards, and Dom Tear slammed home at the left-hand post.
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Hide AdAgain Kings Lynn fought back and with ten minutes left to play, Oliver Scott played a through-ball to manager's son Theo Widdrington, who calmly placed his shot just inside the far post to bring them back to 3-2.
Two minutes later they equalised, as big striker Gold Omotayo latched onto a ball from the right, and directed his shot past Joe Cracknell.
The final few minutes were full-blooded, with challenges flying in from all sides, but when the final whistle sounded, both teams were cheered off the field by the bumper crowd, after serving up another classic under the lights at the Flamingo Land Stadium.
BORO: Cracknell, Weledji, Jackson, Burton, Thornton, Gooda, McGuckin, Maloney, Coulson (Tear 56), Glynn, Colville (Heslop 82)
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Hide AdKING’S LYNN: P.Jones, Callan-McFadden, Crowther, Denton, Hargreaves, Clunan, Widdrington, A.Jones (Oxlade-Chamberlain), Scott, Omotayo, Stephens (Barrett 59)
REFEREE: James O'Connor
GOALS: BORO Bailey Gooda 14, Michael Coulson 17, Dom Tear 70
KING’S LYNN: Michael Clunan 30, Theo Widdrington 80, Gold Omotayo 82
YELLOW CARDS: KING’S LYNN Adam Crowther, Tommy Widdrington (manager), Cameron Hargreaves
BORO MAN OF MATCH: Joe Cracknell
ATTENDANCE: 1,912 (64 away)