Following just their second defeat of the league campaign at the hands of Solihull Moors last time out in the Enterprise National League, first team manager Andy Butler was keen to rectify this performance when they welcomed lower-table languishers Braintree Town to the Attis Arena for the first-ever meeting between the two sides in the English football pyramid, which share the nickname of 'the Iron'.
Ahead of their encounter with their Essex-based opponents, Scunthorpe would make four changes for the Iron this afternoon as the suspended Andrew Boyce, midfielder Billy Chadwick and forwards Declan Howe and the injured Danny Whitehall all drop out of the starting XI, being replaced by Jean Belehouan, Carlton Ubaezuonu, Alfie Beestin, and the returning Cal Roberts, the latter of whom took the armband.
When play was set underway by the visiting Iron, it was the hosts who started the encounter the brighter of the two sides, attacking with serious quick quick-paced tempo and looking intent on scoring an early goal, to aid their attempts to unsettle Braintree in the early exchanges.
With Scunthorpe letting some promising chances go to waste in the opening ten minutes, they would really begin to push towards the opening goal when they gained their first corner of the afternoon. It would be one of United’s well-worked set-piece routine that opened up the Braintree defence from the corner, as Roberts and Joe Rowley combined to feed the beast (Beestin) on the edge of the area, whose goal-bound effort was crucially blocked by the visitors’ defence.
In the minutes that followed this opportunity, United would take the advantage they desired, turning home from another dangerous corner. On this occasion, Roberts would opt to swing the ball directly into the penalty area, where a delicate flick on at the front post would turn the ball into the path of Jean Belehouan on the line, who had no problem turning the ball home for his first goal in claret and blue.
Despite taking the advantage, Scunthorpe would find themselves on the back foot for the remainder of the first half as the visitors came forward in immediate search of an equaliser.
After a period of extended dominance, the closest that Braintree would come to levelling the scores would be from the penalty spot, as Fulham loanee Terrell Works’ surging run from deep saw him clatter to the floor under pressure, with referee Kirsty Dowle deeming that Works had tripped over an outstretched leg. From the resultant spot kick, Sahid Kamara Jr would step up to the plate but see his driven spot kick denied by Rory Mahady, whose trailing body somehow managed to keep the ball out.
With mere minutes remaining before the half-time break, Scunthorpe would find themselves under pressure one final time, when a neatly manufactured team move allowed Works to be slipped into the penalty area at an acute angle, from which the visitors’ top scorer smashed the ball just wide of the target, much to the relief of the scrambling Mahady.
Following the half-time break at the Attis Arena, the hosting Iron would similarly begin proceedings to that of the first half, attacking with confidence as they looked to extend their so far slender lead.
The first opportunity of the second period would come through the ever lively Roberts, as the skipper collected a loose ball 20 yards from the target, raised his head and drove a spectacular effort towards the bottom corner that the goalkeeper had no chance of denying as he watched it soar beyond him, only for the shot to nestle wide of the mark.
With Scunthorpe in control of proceedings, a second goal was required, and again they came close when Starbuck did extremely well to beat his marker, provide a cross to match, as his low whipped cross made its way to Ubaezuonu at the back post who somehow failed to turn the ball home from a matter of yards as it was brilliantly hooked away by his marker Frankie Terry, denying a certain goal.
As the half progressed, the visitors would start to grow into the fixture more and more, although United would produce another chance from seemingly nowhere, as what appeared to be a promising counter-attacking opportunity saw Roberts choose to go alone, as from well within his own half, he would send an ambitious effort over the head of the recovering Jack Thompson, who did incredibly well to read the ball on its way to goal and pluck it of mid air to diffuse the attack.
The game’s next action would be a chance that would change the course of the fixture. Mere minutes after coming off the bench, target man forward John Akinde would break clear of the United defence in slightly jammy fashion, before slamming an effort down the throat of Mahady, who was forced to dive down and get a strong palm behind the ball to turn the thunderbolt away from the target.
Although the visiting Iron were now back in control, Scunthorpe would venture forward with five minutes of normal time remaining and one go on to create their best chance of the night to kill the game off. With possession sprayed out to the left flank for Denton, the wing-back would whip an instinctive cross into the mixer, where a queue of attackers were waiting to turn the ball home from close range, but Declan Howe’s header would be seen soaring wide of the target from a golden position.
In an instant, Braintree were on the attack and would get the goal they probably deserved to level the scores late on. Under pressure from the high-pressing visitors, Joe Starbuck’s back pass would be seized by substitute Tom Blackwell, who beat Mahady and practically walked the ball into the net for 1-1.
This goal would bring an end to proceedings at the Attis Arena with Scunthorpe pegged back to just a point on home soil. Although a disappointing result, United maintain their position in the play-offs and will look to bounce back against Altrincham next weekend.
IRON: Mahady, Horton, Belehouan, Beestin (Scales, 83), Roberts (Rose, 83), Rowley, Ubaezuonu (Howe, 68), Sellars-Fleming (Dawson, 68), Starbuck, Westbrooke, Denton.
IRON SUBS: Johnson, Eze, Chadwick.
ATTENDANCE: 4,062 (57 away)
REFEREE: Kirsty Dowle
