ALEX METCALFE was the hero as Scarborough Athletic maintained their promotion ambitions with victory at Clitheroe on Saturday.

Metcalfe got the only goal of the game after 42 minutes, with the three points cementing the Seadogs’ place in the play-off places in the Evo-Stik League division one north, now in fourth.

Nine minutes from time the same player thought he had scored a second goal but the ball rebounded off a post with home keeper Peter Collinge beaten.

Metcalfe had also scored twice last Tuesday night as Scarborough thrashed Thornaby 11-1 in the quarter-final of the North Riding County FA Senior Cup.

Jimmy Beadle led the way with four goals, with Ryan Blott (2), Bryan Hughes, Matty Plummer and James Bennett also on target.

In the semi-final, to be played in March, the Seadogs will play Championship club Middlesbrough, who will almost certainly field a side of reserves and under-21s.

The winners will play holders Guisborough Town in the final after they beat York City 2-1 in last week’s semi-final.

This Saturday, Scarborough host 12th-placed Lancaster City (3pm).

Whitby Town picked up a Evo-Stik premier division point in a 1-1 draw at sixth-placed Buxton on Saturday.

The Derbyshire hosts took the lead a minute before half-time through Liam Hardy’s 18-yard shot.

Whitby stuck to their game plan on the heavy pitch and scored a deserved equaliser after 69 minutes through Lee Mason.

Both sides had chances to win it.

This Saturday, Whitby, currently 15th, visit lowly Marine (3pm).