Joe Bowden presents a minute-by-minute report from Birch Park:
14:53: The Iron begin their pre-season today, here at Birch Park, Bottesford, ahead of their new season at Championship level. The main aim of today's game will be to begin to boost the players general fitness levels, but I'm sure the Iron fans here wouldn't object to seeing a few goals!
First -Half:
1 Minute: United take the lead early-on. And it comes after the ball pops around the box, before falling to Jonathan Forte, who nestles it home.
Bottesford Town 0 United 1
5 Minutes: Kevan Hurst skips around his man, and sends a delightful cross into the box,. Paul Hayes nods it just wide of the goal.
7 Minutes: Grant McCann sends in a corner, as United continue to put Town under the cosh. It's nodded on, and again Hayes heads towards goal - where this time, it's well saved by the goalkeeper.
10 Minutes: Forte sends Paul Hayes through towards goal, but his effort is saved by the goalkeeper.
12 Minutes: Grant McCann sends a free-kick into the wall. United are dominant (as you may expect) in this game.
16 Minutes: Cliff Byrne is grounded for a few worrying seconds after flying into an aerial challenge with the Town left-winger. After a while he gets up, and the two players embrace in a friendly hug.
23 Minutes: United win another corner. But United are a little wasteful, and give the ball straight back to Bottesford - in the form of a goal-kick.
25 Minutes: Martyn Woolford turns nicely on the ball - creating himself the opportunity to score a fantastic goal. Then he sends his right-footed effort (from a little way outside the area) flying over the crossbar.
30 Minutes: Paul Hayes fires a half-volley wide from the best part of thirty-yards. United have taken their foot off the gas a little, but are still in the ascendancy.
32 Minutes: Bottesford have the ball in the United area for pretty much the first time in the game, They don't quite work a shot at goal, however, as United defend very efficiently.
40 Minutes: Rory Coleman strikes the exterior frame of the goal, after he's slips through down the left-wing.
45 Minutes: On the stroke of the interval, United double their advantage. Jonathan Forte charges through to win a loose ball, before showing composure to poke it underneath the advancing Bottesford goalkeeper and into the net.
Bottesford Town 0 United 2
Half-Time:
Bottesford Town 0 United 2
15:47: United are in the lead at half-time, although that may give no real indication of what the score at the end of proceedings will be - as United are expected to field an entirely different XI in the second period.
16:00: As expected, United make many changes for the second-half. When I say many, I think it means circa. ten - but I'm not certain due to a lack of team sheets and PA announcements!
Second-Half:
45 Minutes: The game re-starts.
46 Minutes: The Bottesford striker gets through on-goal, following a great team move. However, Sam Slocombe, the former Bottesford 'stopper, is quickly off his line to claim.
55 Minutes: Andrew Wright intercepts the ball, before moving a few yards forward, and sending a stinging drive towards goal. The goalkeeper tips it over; and United win a corner.
57 Minutes: Peter Winn collects the ball; twists and turns a little; and then sends a shot at goal. It's beaten away by the goalie.
60 Minutes: Peter Winn is looking lively today - as I type this - Nigel Adkins is commending him - "that's better!" The young winger just worked his way along the wing, before sending in a searching ball into the box. No United player could capitalise, however.
73 Minutes: All United. Bottesford haven't really threatened all afternoon, and I can imagine that this game is simply going to fizzle out.
80 Minutes: Since my last reporting, Town have worked a dangerous shot at the United goal. It forced Sam Slocombe into a save at his near post, and the shot had so much venom on it, that the United goalkeeper almost fumbled. Then, it was United's turn to press again - Jake Picton headed at goal from about eight-yards out, but was denied by a decent piece of goalkeeping.
82 Minutes: Bottesford grab a goal - to the sound of the loudest cheer of the day. It's scored by the player who Town's manager, Raz Clayton, has been dubbing 'Lionel Messi' - and the finish was like something you'd see from the world's best player! From a one-on-one situation, the Town player (who I'm sorry we don't know the name of), showed composure to roll the ball past Slocombe and into the net.
Bottesford Town 1 Scunthorpe United 2
85 Minutes: United are rallying - they clearly want to add a coating of gloss to the scoreline. They've just won a corner after some good work by Peter Winn - but the dead ball situation comes to nothing.
Full-Time:
Bottesford Town 1 Scunthorpe United 2
16:50: A good work-out for both teams, in what turned out to be not only an entertaining; but sporting game. United have got a victory, and the vast majority of the first team squad have got some 'game time' under their belts.
Attendance: 350 (approx)
