WITHOUT a game over the weekend, Scarborough have been training every day as they prepare for the trip to Doncaster.

Manager Russell Slade has been boosted by the news that Sunderland have extended the loan period of striker Dene Shields by another month.

"This is good news for us, as he is a bright lad who gives us that bit of pace in attack" said Slade.

He was, however, staying tight-lipped about a new partner for Shields, with a couple of players under the spotlight.

With Darryn Stamp still suffering from a hamstring problem, Slade has been checking out a couple of front men but refused to name them, saying instead "I shall be disappointed if we don't have a new striker in the side for the game at Doncaster."

Slade's other problem surrounds sweeper Marcus Jones, who has a sore knee, but with former Oldham player Paul Shepherd able to fill that role that should not be too much of a problem, especially as Jason Blunt comes back into the reckoning after suspension.

It was also revealed that Scarborough and Boston have come to what chairman Malcolm Reynolds calls an 'amicable agreement' over the outstanding transfer money for Paul Ellender.

Ellender joined the Lincolnshire club in the summer, but is thought that at least £20,000 is still outstanding.

Scarborough threatened to take the matter to the High Court, but Boston contacted Reynolds on Friday morning with an offer of payment, which has been accepted.

SCARBOROUGH: Smith, Blunt, Rennison, Shepherd, Dryden, Patterson, Baker, Stoker, Jordan, Pounder, Stamp, Shields, Jones, Woods, Windross, Sherwood.

Updated: 10:59 Monday, December 24, 2001