A young Iron squad ran out 5-0 winners in a game they controlled from start to finish.
Goals from Luke Waterfall, Jamie Wootton, Sam Winnall, Kyle Wootton and Connor Smythe gave Scunthorpe a result they thoroughly deserved.The young side was vocal, organised and composed – managing to restrict Winterton to little or nothing in terms of meaningful possession or attempts on goal.
Scunthorpe’ young side saw much of the possession inside the first ten minutes of the game and mustered their first opportunity in the 8th minute. Deon Burton won and held the ball on half way before feeding McAllister midway inside the Winterton half. The Iron’s new centre-midfielder fed Winnall after a smart one-two got the striker beyond Rangers’ centre-halves but running away from goal. Connor Smythe made tracks down the left in support but the young winger’s strike was blocked on the slide.
Winnall was again involved two minutes later – his pace and movement causing the home side’s defence a host of problems. The striker broke through the middle again, this time towards goal. A timely toe-in from a Winterton defender prevented any effort on goal though.
All of the early chances were being forced by good pressure from the Iron. Wootton was next to threaten the Winterton back-line with his direct running. After bursting down the right past two opposition men Wootton squared dangerously across the box, only for it to be hacked clear towards the edge of the “D”. Connor Smythe had hung back and his strike forced a good save down low to his left from the home ‘keeper.
From the resulting corner, curled deep towards the back post by Smythe, Waterfall headed powerfully back across goal leaving the ‘keeper stranded to give Scunthorpe a well-deserved lead on 15 minutes.
The Iron were in complete control of the game with the hosts unable to wrestle any possession of note. The home side were forced to sit deep allowing space for Scunthorpe to run into. McAllister took advantage of this, darting into space down the right before whipping a dangerous ball to Burton lurking at the back post. The striker headed down, powerfully, forcing Turner into another reflex save – this time down low down to his right.
With 31 minutes on the clock, Scunthorpe extended their lead to better reflect their dominance in the first period. Hornsey picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and fed the ball into Wootton’s feet, who’d drifted in from the right. Wootton carried the ball a long way before ducking inside two Winterton men just outside the box. Cutting inside earned him some space before a late jink back onto his right opened up the chance to strike and that he did - arrowing an effort with his right into the top left corner of goal, leaving Turner no chance – even at full stretch.
Scunthorpe again followed up their goal by retaining almost complete dominance in possession. Winterton were really struggling to get hold of the ball at all. The next real attack of note, then, was bound to be from the away side. Pressure on the home goalkeeper forced him into a rushed clearance straight to Jamie Wootton inside the box. Wootton’s shot was well saved from close range in response. Unluckily for Turner, the ball looped across the box from the save right onto Winnall’s forehead leaving the striker to loop his header expertly over a covering man on the line and into an otherwise empty net.
The half ended with the Iron 3-0 up, remaining well organised and composed in possession.
Winterton shook things up with three changes at half time in a bid to gain some kind of foothold in possession. The signs weren’t any better though for the hosts. Within five minutes of the restart McAllister had already given Craig Turner in the Winterton net something to think about, with a drive from just outside the area after a square pass from Smythe.
Minutes later Winnall struck inches wide from just outside the box with Turner scrambling and hit another effort in the next attack, this time with his left, straight at the keeper.
Winnall was again the thorn in the side of the Winterton defence in a spell of three good chances inside as many minutes for the Iron. McAllister slid a ball through to the former Wolves man, whose movement was proving too much for the home sides centre-halves to handle. His effort deflected wide and from the resulting corner, Wootton’s header needed to be hacked away from goal by the man on the post.
On 59 minutes Scunthorpe replaced both of their strikers. Kyle Wooton replaced Deon Burton and Schoolboy Noel Burdett entered the fray, replacing Sam Winnall. Burdett shifted out wide to allow Jamie Wootton to move up top.
United remained dominant in possession but didn’t create an opportunity of note for a chunk of the 2nd half, until the 70th minute – a Sean McAllister free-kick fired just wide of the post. On 87 minutes, the next real opportunity in a game that was stuck in a pattern of Iron possession and deep defending from the home side, resulted in a goal. Kyle Wooton rose to beat his man and nod over the keeper and in off the bar.
Two minutes later pinball in the Winterton box resulted in the ball breaking to Connor Smythe. From close range the left winger slammed home low across the keeper to make it five with the last real action of the game.
Scunthorpe United: Severn, Grayson, Waterfall, Howe, Cowling, J. Wootton, McAllister, Hornsey, Smythe, Burton (K. Wooton, 59), Winnall (Burdett, 59).