During the second half of Scarborough's 4-0 defeat at Rotherham, the travelling fans were chanting "Johnson out" and it must surely be fairly unusual for the home fans to have joined in the call.

But Anton Johnson, the chairman of Scarborough, was once the chairman of Rotherham.

Despondent Scarborough manager Mick Wadsworth said after this disappointing defeat: "This club's in a mess at the moment.

"I've tried to be diplomatic and toe the party line for the past three months. I'm not blaming any individual or party, but what I am asking is for everybody to get round the boardroom table and get it sorted out - sooner rather than later."

An emergency board meeting was called by former club chairman Ken Ferrie to discuss the situation and was due to be held at the club today.

Johnson bought a majority shareholding in the club in August and now faces a challenge from the Russell family who sold the shares to him. The Russells have instigated legal proceedings to regain control of the club.

Wadsworth added: "It seems there's something in the paper every night about these off the field matters. I know there are things to be addressed and I'm not pretending it's easy, but we've all got to get on with our jobs and that's what I'm trying to do.

"I know I've got to manage the club and I'll face the consequences if I can't do my job, but for the good of the club and for the sake of the fans out there, we've to get it sorted out quickly."

Wadsworth had seen his side dominate the first half our of the game, but incredibly concede three goals in a frantic four minute spell, with big target man Leo Fortune-West the destroyer.

Fortune-West was playing the last game of his current loan spell from Lincoln City and gave notice of his danger as early as the 16th minute, when he swivelled to smack a shot against the woodwork leaving Tony Elliott grasping at thin air.

Elliott was to blame for the first goal when a harmless-looking, long through-ball came into the penalty area. French defender Alex Marinkov was waiting for him to pick the ball up, but the goalkeeper hesitated and got in a terrible tangle with his own man, allowing Fortune-West the luxury of an empty net to aim at from 15 yards.

Two minutes later, Scarborough's central defenders stood and watched as the ball bounced twice near their penalty spot, with Fortune-West reacting quicker than anyone else to poke the ball into the path of fellow striker Trevor Berry, who duly obliged from ten yards.

Fortune-West is a big, gangly striker, but nevertheless he showed deft footwork to tiptoe through a static line of defenders to beat Elliott with ease and suddenly, Scarborough were three goals down and thereafter were chasing shadows.

Before the goals, Paddy Atkinson had overlapped well to test Pollitt from a Liam Robinson cross and Scarborough were generally playing the better football, but desperately lacking a cutting edge in attack.

Seven minutes from time, Andy Roscoe scored direct from a free kick from fully 25 yards out. The ball went straight to Elliott but Scarborough's day was encapsulated in the moment that he dropped the ball behind his head and the ball rolled slowly over the goal line.

The difference between the two sides was cruelly shown in both penalty areas.

For much of the game, Scarborough continued the threat of Rotherham, to the extend that apart from that four minute spell - there was little danger to Elliott's goal. But the crucial defensive lapses were punished as one would expect at this level in football.

In the other penalty area, Scarborough produced sufficient crosses to have warranted more efforts on goal, but quite simply their pint-sized strikers never looked like converting the half chances into goals and the Rotherham defenders didn't turn defending into a spectator sport.

Wadsworth said: "Our defending at times was shocking and Tony Elliott held his hands up for two of the goals, but in fairness, that's all he did do for the last goal!"

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