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A SEASON IN REVIEW - JANUARY

Posted on: Thu 25 Jun 2009

After ending 2008 by sitting sixth in League One, United went into January looking to continue their promotion push, as well as seeking to advance in two cup competitions.

The Iron had got to the third round of the FA Cup, and had been drawn to visit Championship side Watford.

In a tight and tense affair that could have gone either way it proved to be the hosts who would notch the solitary goal of the game - Grzegorz Rasiak capitalising on poor Iron defending from a corner to strike.

The game saw Chelsea prodigy Jack Cork, who won all the player of the year awards in the previous campaign for United, make his Hornets debut against his former club.

Scunthorpe were scheduled to be in league action the following Tuesday with a visit to Yeovil but it was postponed due to a frozen pitch as blizzard conditions hit the United Kingdom. The game was rearranged for a week later.

The Iron were hopeful of getting their home league encounter against Hereford United on at Glanford Park the following Saturday and it looked all set to go ahead, but referee Graham Laws judged a small area of the pitch to be frozen and the game was called off two hours before kick-off.

With the conditions improving, Nigel Adkins' side travelled to Yeovil Town the following Saturday and were raring to go after 10 days without playing.

And they were on form too, particularly midfield enforcer Sam Togwell. The former Barnsley ballwinner got on the end of a low cross from Garry Thompson and Yeovil skipper Terry Skiverton was subsequently sent off for a physical challenge on Andrew Wright.

Scunthorpe managed to make it two before half-time when Gary Hooper raced on to a long ball and placed his shot past the Glovers goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar.

Andre McCollin pulled a goal back in the closing stages but it wasn't enough for the struggling hosts as United moved up to fourth in the table.

The trip to another team of strugglers in the shape of Crewe represented a perfect chance to continue their climb back into top two contention.

Paul Hayes misse3d an early penalty but he made up for it moments later when he rammed his team ahead.

The game exploded into life in the second-half as Michael O'Connor fired home from the penalty spot to level the scores. Scunthorpe soon went back ahead though.

Hooper, with the aid of a big deflection, lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper from just inside the penalty area to seemingly hand the visiting team a vital victory.

Crewe hadn't read the script however and Clayton Donaldson levelled just two minutes later.

Then, in stoppage time, poor defending let in Danny O'Donnell to notch the winner.

The Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Section semi-final first leg against Rotherham at Glanford Park was a brief diversion just three days later, as Martyn Woolford and Krystian Pearce notched two decisive second-half goals to hand them a vital 2-0 advantage.

The upturn in form continued at home to Leyton Orient in the league on the subsequent Saturday.

Hayes struck home a stunning volley just before half-time, but Dean Morgan levelled soon after the break. Thompson rifled in an excellent low strike thought to seal a 2-1 win.

Three days later, in the third home game inside seven days, Oldham were put to the sword as Scunthorpe won 2-0. Grant McCann curled in a sensational free-kick midway through the opening period, then Hooper netted his 18th goal of the season minutes later by squeezing a close-range shot past goalkeeper Greg Fleming and into the net via the inside of a post. At that point, it really was game over.

There was just one more game in January, which was the away day at promotion rivals Millwall. Hooper was at the double late on with two trademark poacher strikes to cancel out Gary Alexander's early effort and help his team snare a 2-1 success.

The Iron finished January sitting third in the table, and also announced an exciting loan signing - Arsenal midfield prodigy Henri Lansbury was joining for an initial month.

January's league record
P5 W4 L1 D0 Pts 12.

January's top scorer
Gary Hooper (four).