Scarborough manager Neil Thompson, who missed playing in the FA Umbro Trophy third round 4-0 win at Runcorn because he has a hamstring injury, watched his side struggle in the first 20 minutes to come to terms with the conditions at Canal Street.

With a partly frozen pitch sloping steeply down to the banks of the Mersey, the Scarborough defenders had difficulty keeping their feet, but the home side never managed an effort on target during that period.

Playing up the slope in the first half, Scarborough had difficulty stringing passes together, but when Thompson moved David Pounder into attack the second half was a different game.

Pounder supplied the pass for the first goal, scored by Gareth Stoker.

Andy Woods had been recalled in goal in place of the on-loan Phil Priestley and he handled crosses well all afternoon and made a superb save when the otherwise faultless Romaine Faure slipped on an icy part of the pitch and allowed Runcorn's player-manager Liam Watson a clear run on goal.

Woods was equal to his effort and when Danny Brunton cleared a Chris Price shot off the line a minute later, that was effectively the end of the Runcorn threat.

"Andy's save was important at that particular point in the game, but after that some of the football we played was superb," said Thompson.

Scarborough wrapped up the game with three goals in seven minutes. Pounder earned his bottle of champagne from the sponsors when he cracked in the second from the edge of the area, but it was the third goal which had Thompson purring with pleasure.

"It was a goal which would have graced any ground," he said.

Cherif Diallo made progress down the right before finding Pounder on the edge of the area. His instant and deft touch put the ball into the path of Denny Ingram, whose first time shot rattled into the top of the net.

With Matthew Russell clipping the fourth, with Diallo again involved, Runcorn ended a well beaten side.

Scarborough ended the game with six teenagers on the pitch, as Thompson was able to give his substitutes experience.

Scarborough were missing top scorer Steve Brodie, but the performance of Pounder in a forward role was a revelation and French teenager Faure looked a considerable asset at the heart of the defence.

Updated: 12:23 Monday, January 15, 2001