Scarborough have only themselves to blame for missing out on a money-spinning FA Cup run, going out at the first hurdle after an absorbing game with Conference rivals Leigh RMI.

The fourth qualifying round clash had everything - a stunning start, horrendous errors, a sending off, a debatable penalty, late drama and a hat-trick among seven goals.

Unfortunately for Boro, it was they who made the errors and Leigh who scored the majority of the goals to win 4-3.

The crowd of 858 at the McCain Stadium got their money's worth in terms of entertainment, but it will be visitors Leigh who will be raking in the cash when the League clubs join the Road to Cardiff next month.

The Lancastrians have been handed a plum home tie against Division Two big-boys Millwall, which guarantees the UniBond League champions a full house and lined pockets. But it should have been Boro celebrating when the draw for the first round proper was made after the match.

Sloppy marking gifted Leigh their first and third goals - almost identical headers from Dave German's right-wing crosses - while their second and fourth goals were straight out of football's comic strip.

Boro player-boss Neil Thompson said afterwards: "We said before the game that the team who made the least mistakes would win. I'm not happy about the free headers they scored, while the second goal they got was amateurish on our behalf and the fourth was even worse."

Amazingly, Leigh were two up after just five minutes, hat-trick man Tony Black scoring twice within about ten seconds of play.

He firstly rose to head past Woods' left hand, and straight from the kick-off ran through to score after latching onto the back pass from Boro's centre, which somehow had been allowed to slip through.

Both sides had half-chances before Steve Jones headed home well on half-time to make it 3-0.

Thompson admitted: "We didn't start playing until four o'clock and we were 3-0 down then. We were shocking in the first half and although I couldn't fault anyone's effort in the second, it was too late then.

"Having the enthusiasm to go out and play comes from within and I want players here who are going to do it for 90 minutes not 45."

Whatever words Thompson used at half-time certainly worked as they laid siege to the visitors' goal straight from the restart.

Paul Ellender headed a Simon Betts' corner badly high and wide, before another Boro corner saw lively French striker Cherif Diallo - a first-half substitution for left-back Barry Shuttleworth - head superbly home to give Boro hope on 51 minutes.

Five minutes later, however, Woods, under little pressure, miscued terribly outside the area and Black walked home probably the easiest hat-trick goal of his career to make it 4-1.

Boro fought again, though, and when Matt Russell jumped with Jamie Udall in the Leigh box, a hand - arguably Russell's - went up and referee Darren Drysdale pointed to the spot. Betts converted to narrow the deficit.

Rennison saw a header cleared off the line before heading home Betts' superb 80th minute cross to set up a grandstand finish.

At the other end, Denny Ingram's mistake let in Black again, but Woods made up for his earlier error with a superb double save, before Ingram was sent off for a second yellow card at the end of 90 minutes.

Boro naturally threw everything forward and they thought they would score an amazing equaliser when David Pounder broke clear in the area only to be denied by Felgate, and when the youngster volleyed over in the tenth minute of stoppage time, the full-time whistle called it all to an end.

Scarborough: Woods; Ingram, Shuttleworth (Diallo 28), Rennison, Ellender, Thompson (Russell 68); Williams, Stoker, Betts; Brodie, Pounder.

Leigh RMI: Felgate; German, Critichley, Udall (Morrell 72), Farrell, Swan; Kielty, Ridings, Harris; Jones; Black.

Referee: D Drysdale (Lincoln). Attendance: 858