FOR their second half showing Scarborough deserved their 1-0 win over Forest Green which should have been far more emphatic.

However, the hosts were fortunate to be still in the game after a dreadful first half.

Leigh Walker kept his side in the game denying Paul Wanless and Scott Rendell with fine saves, but after the break it was Ryan Clarke in the visitors' goal who took the plaudits.

Neil Redfearn was Boro's leading scorer last season with 14 goals and showed all his experience to slot home the penalty which settled the duel when Jake Speight was tripped by Jon Richardson just after the hour.

Boro coach Nick Henry has been forced into pairing Speight and Ian Clark in attack due to injuries, but they again responded with some incisive running in the second half to set up numerous chances.

"If they had been a bit more cute we could have had even more goals. We were superb in the second period - but it needed some harsh words to change things around at half-time," said Henry.

Speight and Clark simply ran Rovers ragged, with both players bringing the best out of Clarke on several occasions. What started as an afternoon of torture for the home fans could have ended with an avalanche of goals.

Scarborough: Walker, Elebert, Baker, Foot, Nicholson, Hackworth, Redfearn (Lyth 85), Bishop, Eccles (Coulson 46), Clark, Speight.

Forest Green: Clarke, Garner, Sall, Richardson, Searle, Meechan, Wanless, Howell (Gosling 85), Beswetherick, Rendell (Teixeira 63), Abbey.

Referee: I Nolan (Sheffield).

Crowd: 1,341.

Updated: 11:10 Monday, September 26, 2005