Bristol City 1-1 Scunthorpe United
Report from Ashton Gate

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A last-gasp Grant McCann equaliser secured a 1-1 draw for United at Bristol City in the Championship on Saturday.

It looked like Scunthorpe had been sunk by a freak goal, as Marcus Williams' clearance hit Josh Wright on the back and the ball came back across goal for Alvaro Saborio to strike home.

Down to 10 men after substitute Gary Hooper came off injured, McCann struck his second goal in two games with the help of a deflection to seal a draw for the visitors.

It was a tight game and a draw was probably the fairest result.

The Iron entered the game making two changes from the side that beat Preston North End in midweek.

Indeed, it was the same team as the one which won 4-0 at Crystal Palace a week earlier.

Jonathan Forte and Martyn Woolford came back into the starting eleven in place of Gary Hooper and Grant McCann, who both scored in the midweek win over North End.

Joe Murphy started the game in goal, with the defence consisting of Jordan Spence, Rob Jones, David Mirfin and Williams.

The midfield lined up as Josh Wright, Togwell and Michael O'Connor, with Woolford and Paul Hayes providing support for Forte up front.

The substitutes were Cliff Byrne, Matt Sparrow, McCann, Hooper, Sam Slocombe, Niall Canavan and Ian Morris.

Playing in their sky blue away kit, it was the away team who had the first chance of the game three minutes in when Forte dragged the ball back for Woolford, who fired in a low effort which Adriano Basso did well to save.

Two minutes later Murphy was drawn into his first save of the game when a powerful low effort by the opponents' star striker Nicky Maynard was tipped wide by the Irishman.

City then had a goal disallowed when a shot from Maynard was going goalwards. The ball took a deflection from Saborio though and he was judged to be in an offside position when he fired home.

City's Jamie McCombe remonstrates after his side have a goal ruled out for offside

Then, just three minutes after, Forte had a goal chalked off for offside as he got on the end of Hayes' cross at the back post but saw his strike ruled out.

Shortly after, Woolford's header drew a magnificent save from Basso after he powered in an effort from Wright's free-kick.

After that initial onslaught, chances were limited during the remainder of the opening half, and Scunthorpe could be satisfied with how things were progressing.

Hayes had a half-chance when he linked up well with Williams down the left, but his low right-footed strike was easily stopped by Basso.

Holland U21 midfielder Evander Sno, who was orchestrating all of City's best moves, curled a chance over the woodwork shortly after.

Woolford could have put his side ahead before half-time but the winger couldn't quite get the required control on the ball after having it passed to him by Wright on the edge of the box.

The former York man then set up another chance for Hayes, who unleashed a low strike wide of Basso's bottom right-hand post.

In the second minute out of two in first half stoppage time, O'Connor fizzed a low shot just wide after being passed the ball by Hayes. It would prove the last chance of the opening half.

The first chance after the break came United's way when Wright was played through into space on the edge of the area and fired a low shot straight at Basso.

Josh Wright draws a save with this shot.

And they were to regret that miss, as just a minute later, City went ahead through Saborio, whose first effort was blocked before he bundled home the rebound. That goal came after Williams cleared the ball and it hit Wright and flashed across his own goalmouth for the Costa Rican to strike.

The Iron are dejected for a moment after going behind to a freak goal.

Soon after, following a free-kick, Maynard scrambled an effort wide from very close range as the hosts tried to go two ahead.

The hosts were in control as this point and Bradley Orr's left-footed strike went just over Murphy's crossbar.

There was an Iron change on the hour mark as Hooper replaced Forte and United looked to add more of a goal threat.

And he almost had an instant impact as he was played through by Hayes on his less favoured left side and played the ball back to Woolford, whose cross was blocked and reach Wright who played a great ball into Togwell but he was offside and Basso tipped out his shot.

O'Connor and Woolford were soon replaced by Sparrow and McCann as manager Nigel Adkins looked for fresh impetus going forward.

Basso was drawn into a sublime save in the 76th minute when Hayes' superb shot was driven into the top right hand corner. He was there though to superbly stop the ball from going in.

On their next attack, Marvin Elliott found space on the edge of the area and curled over the crossbar.

The Iron went down to ten men with 10 minutes left as Hooper limped off gingerly. He stayed off and City kept a numerical advantage.

Sno smashed an effort over the crossbar in the closing stages, while Sparrow went down clutching his face with four minutes left after seemingly being headbutted by Jamie McAllister.

In an attempt to try and snatch a point, captain Jones was thrown up front during the closing stages and McCann just fired wide with a superb low, dipping free kick in the 89th minute.

On the break, City looked to add that killer second goal but Ivan Sproule's darting run was rewarded with a shot into the side-netting.

Then, also on the counter-attack after Scunthorpe threw everybody barring Williams forward, Elliott fired wide after being played through by Maynard.

However, Grant McCann was to have the last say in the third minute of stoppage time as Wright's free-kick from deep was launched into the penalty area and dropped to McCann, whose shot from just inside the area took a deflection off a City player and crept past Basso.

Paul Hayes begins to celebrate as Grant McCann's effort hits the back of the net.

It proved the last chance of the game as referee Danny McDermid blew his whistle for full-time.

The Iron are now three matches unbeaten and are next in action when they host Port Vale in the Carling Cup third round on Tuesday night.

Attendance: 14,203 (257 away).