Scunthorpe United 2-2 Reading
Report from Glanford Park

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Matt Sparrow's last-gasp leveller secured the Iron's Championship safety as the Iron came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Reading at Glanford Park on Tuesday night.

The club's longest-serving player's drilled effort was deflected into the back of the net as Glanford Park erupted with joy.

Alex Pearce put the visitors ahead just after half-time, and Gylfi Sigurdsson then scored from the penalty spot with 20 minutes left before Gary Hooper pulled a goal back from close range on 81 minutes.

There were four frantic minutes of injury time, as the home side defended for their lives, but they held on for one hugely important point which takes them to 51 points for the season, and sees them clinch their second tier survival in the most dramatic way imaginable.

The Iron entered the game making two changes from the team which beat Bristol City 3-0 on Saturday.

Niall Canavan replaced Kenny Milne, who was rested, while Marcus Williams - suffering from a hamstring problem - sat out as Andrew Wright came in.

Milne was included on the substitutes' bench and manager Nigel Adkins said he may be used in an attempt to close the game out if it's tight late on.

Joe Murphy started in goal, with captain Cliff Byrne, David Mirfin, Canavan and Wright forming the defence.

The midfield consisted of Garry Thompson, Matt Sparrow, Grant McCann and Martyn Woolford, while Paul Hayes partnered Gary Hooper up front.

The substitutes were Josh Lillis, Michael O'Connor, Josh Wright, Sam Togwell, Donal McDermott, Jonathan Forte and Milne.

Cliff Byrne leads his Iron team-mates as they shake hands with their visitors from Reading.

The Iron started attacking the away end and it was a first half which they finished strongly, although it proved tense too.

Seven minutes in, Adam Federici was called into an early save for the Royals - stooping low to keep out McCann's free-kick from the right-hand side of the 18-yard box.

Soon after, a long ball exposed the Reading defence by putting Hooper through, but the striker stumbled at the crucial moment and as he fell to the ground the ball was brushed away from him. The crowd asked for a foul; but tellingly Hooper didn't.

After taking the ball in the left-back position Woolford then burst through on the wing and sent a long, looping cross in for Hooper. He took it down, and initially managed to beat his man, Ryan Bertrand, in the box; but the Reading defender recovered possession with a strong tackle.

In the 24th minute, a semi-speculative effort came from Jimmy Kebe on the Reading right. He checked inside and flashed an effort across goal, but it went comfortably wide of Murphy's post.

The Iron - with Sparrow and Woolford at the centre of their best play - were playing some decent football but nothing came of it in the opening period.

Via a move that incorporated a few botches and stumbles, Sparrow and Hooper managed to ultimately lay the ball off for Woolford to strike from about twenty-yards - it went over the crossbar though.

Just before the break, Hooper got the ball outside the box and switched to the wing, seeing Thompson, who sent a peach of a right-footed cross in, which Woolford connected with first time. The Yorkshireman managed to somehow lob the goalie, clip the inside of the bar and make the ball bounce very close to the line in the process - but the referee adjudged that his far-fetched attempt stayed the wrong side of it. It remained scoreless at the break.

The Iron continued as they left off, with McCann curling a free-kick onto the top of the crossbar as the hosts sensed an opener was on the cards for them.

However, soon after that, the visitors went ahead as a ball was angled into the box by Brian Howard, and nobody cleared it. Pearce was there and able to hook it home across goal from close range.

A superb chance to equalise arrived immediately after, as he dribbled infield from the flank and sends a stinger towards goal. It was always rising though.

Byrne headed off target from Thompson's corner soon after, while Hooper had the chance of the night when he was flicked through by Hayes and rounded Federici before drilling a left footed strike wide and off target when it would have been easier to score.

Gary Hooper crashes wide after rounding Adam Federici.

Reading were a massive danger and broke forward through Jimmy Kebe, who then fed Sigurdsson after a prolonged United attack. The Icelandic striker was tackled, but that served as a reminder of how Reading were always going to be able to hit Scunny on the break.

The Iron pressed but struggled to create any extra clearcut chances, while Sigurdsson nearly scored from a free-kick after Andrew Wright's foul, which Murphy tipped wide.

Soon after, Byrne chopped Jobi McAnuff in the box in the 71st minute who was about to score, and was only given a yellow. It was a penalty all the same for Reading though, and Sigurdsson slotted home, despite Murphy getting a touch to it.

The Royals looked for a third goal, and substitute Shane Long shot from the edge of the area - forcing Murphy into a save.

The hosts pressed for a consolation goal, as Hooper turned on the edge of the box and sent a low shot at goal which Federici dived to collect.

Then, Hooper fed Thompson who ran off his man and hammered a shot at goal. Again, Federici saved - the winger was a little bit too far out and at a bad angle.

Continuing to make more of a go of it, United broke into the area with Byrne, who passed to Hooper along the deck. He turned it towards the goal, but Federici pushed it away.

After, Canavan got on a McCann free-kick but headed it past the post. Some calls for a corner were rejected.

Then, in the 81st minute, the hosts did manage to get a goal back as Thompson received the ball, let it run past him a little and then hit it powerfully at goal from 20 yards. Federici blocked it, but steered it at Hooper, who turned it home and notched his 18th goal of the season.

Gary Hooper hooks the ball into the back of the net to pull one back for the Iron.

The home side continued to push forward, and Canavan was sacrificed at the expense of Forte as they went three at the back.

And they found the levelling goal with two minutes to go, and the stadium erupted as Sparrow's effort was deflected into the back of the net. Thompson sent a ball in from left to right for Forte. He knocked it down to Sparrow on the edge of the box and he fired it goalwards for his second goal of the season - and another vital Iron goal following his play-off exploits last season.

Matt Sparrow celebrates scoring his vital equalising goal for the Iron.

In the dying stages, Togwell replaced Hayes as four minutes of added time were indicated. Reading dominated that spell but the home team held on for a massively important Championship point which secures their safety.

When referee Graham Salisbury blew his full-time whistle the fans streamed on to the pitch from the stands and celebrated staying up like they'd won promotion.

It was worth millions of pounds to the Iron and they thoroughly deserved it.

Nigel Adkins' side are next in action on Saturday when they visit Doncaster Rovers.

Iron Bar man of the match: Matt Sparrow.

Sponsors' man of the match: Gary Hooper.

Attendance: 5,299 (310 away).