If the deduction of 4 points had dented Chasetown’s play-off hopes, the Scholars were not hanging around to lick their wounds. With Eastwood Town’s demise, 10 points behind promotion became 14 points overnight and the task increased.

Chasetown were quick out the traps though against a Scarborough side that had lost 6 points themselves and had slipped from 1 point to 7 points off that final play-off berth.

Within a minute of the start, Nick Wellecomme had struck a long range effort a whisker wide of the angle of post and crossbar with Seadog goalkeeper Jason White a flat-footed spectator.

Visiting defender Peter Davidson was at the heart of the next close call, scooping the ball off the line after White had flapped at a corner.

Chris Bolder became the first player in the referee’s notebook and that challenge led to the opening goal, conceding a free kick down the Chasetown inside-right channel. Simon Brown floated in the kick and, under pressure from Wellecomme, Steven Ridley looped a header beyond his own goalkeeper to gift Chasetown the lead they so richly deserved.

Ryan Price was a virtual spectator at the other end of the field but was helpless to prevent what should have been a Scarborough equaliser, but good fortune shone on the Scholars as Bolder’s effort came back off the upright and was cleared to safety.

Seven minutes into the second period came the daylight in the game that Chasetown had hoped for. Centre back Andrew Milne hacked down Jazz Luckie as he was clean through on goal with Referee Mr Dwyer brandishing a second yellow card to the Scarborough Number 4 and reducing them to ten men.

Lee Butler’s curling free kick was well saved by White but the balance of play was most definitely in Chasetown’s favour and they were quick to capitalise.

Ramone Stephens replaced the injured Luckie and was quickly into the action bursting into the penalty area. Ridley, who had been booked only a minute earlier, brought down the Chase winger and completed a miserable afternoon for himself with a second yellow card and his team’s second red to add to his earlier own goal.

Simon Brown stepped up and, as ever, confidently converted the spot kick to put the Scholars 2-0 to the good.

Debutant Jermaine Johnson earned Chasetown a second spot kick after Matthew Plummer inexplicably felt he could hold back the midfielder in full view of the referee and Brown despatched his second spot-kick in five minutes in equally assured fashion.

Wellecomme was a strong candidate for man of the match and may have earned it but for a superb save from White, deflecting over a close range effort from the Chase number 9 and then the pace of substitute Jono Gould created another chance for Wellecomme but the chance had gone begging by the time he managed to sort his feet out to get a shot away.

If it was possible for Scarborough to press the self-destruct button any further, the fourth goal summed up their afternoon in defence. A Lee Butler corner seemed to be heading safely into the side-netting at the near post and Scarborough’s Liam Sheppard clearly thought the same as he dummied the ball as if to let it go out, looking back in horror as the ball curled inside the right-hand upright.

The only blot on the Scholars day came in the last throes of stoppage time. Gould was unceremoniously hacked down on the half way line in front of the two dug outs and saw red as he retaliated to the offending Scarborough player.

Chasetown: Ryan Price, Jack Farmer, Grant Beckett, Chris Slater, Tesfa Robinson, Jermaine Johnson, Lee Butler, Danny Bragoli, Nick Wellecomme, Jazz Luckie (Ramone Stephens, 55 mins), Simon Brown (Jono Gould, 83 mins)

Other subs: Todd Evans, Danny Smith, Danny Watson (not used)

Scarborough Athletic: White, Middleton, Ridley, Milne, Plummer, Davidson (Beadle, 25 mins), Sheppard, Bolder (Blott, 68 mins), Hughes, Bradshaw (Barlow, 82 mins), Williams

Other sub: Atkinson (not used)