Skelmersdale United found the visitors from East Yorkshire were just too strong to deal with at Stormy Corner on Saturday, two goals down at the interval, Skem found themselves four goals down before recovering some consolation from a late Remy Howarth goal that was arguably the best of the game.
The match was always going to be a stiff task for Skelmersdale as the two sides went into the game with completely contrasting form, Skem without a point in September, Scarborough looking for their seventh straight win. So it didn’t help the Skelmersdale cause when they lost full-back Jonathan Crane to injury with the game less than ten minutes old.
However, in the immediate aftermath of the substitution Michael Vaughan-Muscat headed wide of the Scarborough goal and Andy Owens had a penalty appeal turned away by the referee after a Ross Daly tackle.
In the 17th minute Scarborough’s Max Wright opened the scoring. The visitors were now having the majority of possession but Skelmersdale still had their moments and only a good diving save from Scarborough goalkeeper Tom Taylor kept out a shot from Lewis Codling.
Right on the half-hour mark Scarborough doubled their lead. Michael Coulson responded first and whipped the ball across Sims into the far corner of the net.
Codling had been impressive for Skem all afternoon and on 48 minutes his dipping effort was spectacularly tipped over the Scarborough bar by a back pedalling Taylor as Skem pressed after the restart.
In the 53rd minute Scarborough struck a major blow to Skelmersdale’s hopes with a third goal. number nine Billy Logan placing the ball into the net from about eight yards.

Soon after the goal Codling had a free-kick grasped by keeper Taylor, but in the 57th minute Scarborough confirmed the destination of the points without any quibble. Wright ran onto a ball that had been held up in the corner, he laid the ball off and Coulson got his second of the afternoon with a well struck shot to make it 4-0.
You might accuse the present Skem team of many things but you cannot say that they down tools and give up and they continued to push for a goal. Owens shot over the bar and had a free-kick blocked, while Codling foraged away having a goal bound effort blocked.
In the 90th minute Skelmersdale were rewarded for their spirit. Substitute Remy Howarth has been missing for a couple of weeks and when he received a cross field ball on the right he cut inside and hit a precise left-foot shot low past a diving Taylor to pull a goal back, it was deserved.
Skelmersdale hadn’t played that badly, they just been beaten by a stronger and better side on the day.

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Sims, Jeffries, Crane, Jones, Vaughan-Muscat, Gillespie, Codling, Ventre ©, Owens, Cringle, Burey Subs Smith, Bradshaw, Stewart, Howarth
SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC: Taylor, Thirkell, Merris ©, Valentine, Turnbull, Hewitt, Daly, Dean, Logan, Coulson, Wright Subs Johnson, Sinclair, Nelthorpe, Dempsey, Morgan
Referee: Matthew Corlett Att: 221