Scunthorpe United v Barnsley
Glanford Park
FA Cup third round - Saturday, January 2, 2010
Subscribers to The Iron Player can hear live match commentary and read a downloadable matchday programme
FULL-TIME
Scunthorpe United 1 Barnsley 0
Well it wasn't pretty, but Scunthorpe have secured their place in Round Four of the FA Cup for the first time since 2004. They've done it via a goal from Paul Hayes - who came back to haunt his former club.
I said at half-time that this game had 1-0 written all over it, and that ultimately proved the case. Positives are abundant for Scunthorpe however. Nobody can deny that this was a morale-boosting win, and we've seen an encouraging and solid performance from the whole defence, not least from Kenny Milne.
SECOND-HALF
90 Minutes: In a last-ditch attempt to score a goal, Luke Steele wanders upfield and manages to get his head on a cross that's floated into the box. His attempt doesn't threaten though, as it ascends up and over the bar.
87 Minutes: Sub by Scunthorpe - United replace Woolford with Sparrow in the aftermath of a large melee. The scuffle occured when Macken tried (unsuccessfully) to haul the stocky figure that is Kenny Milne to the floor, provoking outrage in the United ranks.
86 Minutes: Kenny Milne and Paul Hayes are awarded the Man of the Match awards respectively. Both have played very well. Milne hasn't got his just because it's his comeback - he's done his job effectively.
83 Minutes: United come close to grabbing a second goal when Sam Togwell finds himself in on-goal. However, Togwell spots Forte unmarked in the middle, and lays it across for him. Forte can't miss (and doesn't). Unfortuantely, he's offside.
76 Minutes: Emil Hallfredsson comes under some close scrutiny from the crowd after (a) thorwing his weight around in attempt to draw a reaction from Cliff Byrne; and (b) going in high-footed on Paul Hayes after the whistle had gone. These events both happened within seconds of one-another. He escapes a booking. Somehow.
75 Minutes: Subs by Barnsley - They're going for this elusive equaliser! Andy Gray and Jacob Butterfield are replaced by Jon Macken and Adam Hammill.
74 Minutes: After encouragement from the crowd, Martyn Woolford decides to shoot from a pretty difficult long-range position. His effort goes wide, but it I've seen worse.
68 Minutes: Goal for Scunthorpe! Following a lucky bounce, Jonathan Forte is able to drive down the wing. He gets round his man, before spotting Garry Thompson free slightly upfield. Forte slips the ball inside for him, but after Thompson kicks through the air rather than the ball, it runs through for Paul Hayes, who slips home a routine finish.
Scunthorpe United 1 Barnsley 0
64 Minutes: When he picks up the ball in an advanced position, Jacob Butterfield decides to try his luck through sending a poisonous drive at goal.He manages to keep it down, but it cannons someway wide of the target.
60 Minutes: United have a chance to score when they win a free-kick in a decent area. Josh Wright boxes the ball, and after flying back and forth for some time, it eventually falls for Kenny Milne to have a go. He sees his effort deflect wide. It was a chance though, and what a moment that would've been for Milne had it rippled the net.
58 Minutes: Sub by Barnsley - Anderson De Silva is replaced by Jamal Campbell-Ryce. The switch comes moments after Emil Hallfredsson placed a chipped shot wide of goal from just shy of the area. I think he was trying to replicate something that you'd normally see Ronaldinho do. It didn't really come off though!
53 Minutes: Josh Wright lashes a volley towards goal to end a United move which was comprised mainly of skirting around the Barnsley area with the ball. Wright's middle-range opportunistic volley is of no trouble whatsoever to Steele, however.
45 Minutes: Sub by Scunthorpe - United make a change at the heart of their defence for the start of the second-half (which has just got going). Rob Jones comes off (Byrne takes the armband) and Kenny Milne comes on. Milne is clapped enthusiastically onto the pitch.
HALF-TIME
Scunthorpe United 0 Barnsley 0
It's all even at half-time in what, so far, has been a pretty standard FA Cup game... tight. Both teams have had chances, although United's have been slightly better in my view. Both Garry Thompson and Jonathan Forte should have scored. Had they have done so, United would have one foot in the next round already.
Anyway, I suspect that the second period will be pretty similar to the first one; although it will get much more open as it draws on I think. As I mentioned earlier, neither side wants a replay. United have attacking options on the bench - such as May and Sparrow; but really, this game has one-nil written all over it.
Attendance: 5,457 (2,066 away)
FIRST-HALF
47 Minutes: On the stroke of the interval, the away side win a corner. Anderson De Silva wins the ball, but then carries it away from the box, affording the referee the opportunity to call time on the first period.
45 Minutes: Two additional minutes are added to the standard 45. The last few minutes have been pretty dull.
39 Minutes: The blushes of Luke Steele are spared when Garry Thompson misses an absolute sitter. Thompson initially does really well, chasing the ball down, and winning it off Steele (who was consequently stranded outside his area) when he had no right to do so. Thompson then runs around Steele, with the entire goal at his mercy, but sends the bobbling ball wide of the target. The referee gives a goal-kick, but the fans behind the goal seem to think it should've been a corner. Steele was scrambling back, and may have just got a hand to it; but even so...
35 Minutes: A lovely move by United almost results in a goal. It starts just outside the centre circle with Paul Hayes, who plays a perfectly-timed ball to release Garry Thompson down the wing. Thompson uses his pace to get into the area, and lays it on a plate for Jonathan Forte at the back-post. Somehow however, the ball manages to roll straight past Fotre, who really, looked odds-on to pull the trigger.
30 Minutes: Some slightly farfetched penalty appeals by Barnsley are turned down. They came after Carl Dickinson launched a free-kick into the box, and a collection of players scrambled to align themsleves with where it was due to drop, resulting in a Barnsley player been floored. I'm not sure who it was, mind you, as I can't see from here; but I can tell you that it was a 50:50 ball - there to be won - and would've been very harsh on United had a penalty been given.
26 Minutes: The ball's tossed into the box by Josh Wright, and contested by about four players. Luke Steele emerges from them with the ball.
25 Minutes: Sam Togwell flies through the gears on his way towards the Tykes goal, and is duly fouled by Jacob Butterfield. He's booked, and Scunny win a free-kick. That's rough justice in Togwell's opinion - he's livid, and clearly feels that he had a real opportunity to score just then.
20 Minutes: The corner passes without marking itself in memory. The ball is popped into the danger zone, but the referee blows for a foul by Byrne. And to be fair, it was a foul. Byrne was climbing all over his man to try and gain an unfair advantage.
19 Minutes: United are awarded a free-kick in a pretty dangerous area following a foul on Martyn Woolford. Josh Wright hits an in-swinging shot from it, and after it hits a defender on its way towards goal, Scunthorpe have a corner.
14 Minutes: It's been fairly even so-far. Barnsley certainly started the better of the two, but have since lulled a little. By compasrion, United have upped their tempo a little, and as ever, have looked capable going forward. As I type this, Kenny Milne goes for a warm-up run along the touchline, and is met by a heart-warming round of applause.
9 Minutes: Martyn Woolford, who has been recalled to the team today and will be looking to make a statement, sends a wavy cross into the box after turning his man. It's caught by Luke Steele after Jonathan Forte fails to connect with it.
6 Minutes: Twice in the last few moments of play Jonathan Forte has been released by United through the middle. Each time, he's then used his pace to get in-behind the Barnsley defence, and although he's been beaten to the ball by (narrowly) by Luke Steele each time, it looks like his pace is goint cause our visitors a few problems today.
5 Minutes: Out of the two sides, Barnsley start the most convincingly. They force a corner early in the game, which Josh Wright manages to stub clear with his boot.
1 Minute: On the referee's whiste, the game's starts. United will attack towards the home fans in the first half (for the second consecutive game). Our boys are wearing claret and blue; whereas Barnsley are in red - which is a little bit confusing to be totally honest!
BUILD-UP
Good afternoon! Happy New Year! Welcome to live text coverage of today's game between Scunthorpe United and Barnsley in Round 3 of the FA Cup. Here's how each side will start today's game:
Scunthorpe United: Lillis, Williams, Togwell, Byrne, Hayes, Thompson (c). Jones, Forte, Mirfin, Woolford, J. Wright. Subs: Slocombe, Mine, Sparrow, May, O'Connor, Coleman, Crosby.
Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Colace, Foster (c), Bogdanovich, Hallfredsson, De Silva, Butterfield, Gray, Dickinson, Shotton. Subs: Preece, Kozluk, Moore, Hume, Campbell-Ryce, Macken, Hammill.
That, by the way, constitutes four changes to the United team which lost so valiantly at the hands of West Brom on Monday. Lillis, Byrne, Woolford and Forte are the players brought into the team; Joe Murphy (shoulder injury), Andrew Wright, Grant McCann (both suspended) and Michael O'Connor (virus) are their victims.
In the biggest piece of news concerned with the lineups, Kenny Milne makes his long-awaited return to the side (he's on the bench) for the first time since late 2008. What a story it'd be if he were to come on and get a winner! Youngster Rory Coleman - fresh from his successful loan stint at Harrogate, is also named amongst the substitutes.
For Barnsley, Ryan Shotton may be one to watch. He played for Tranmere last season, and was the main catalyst for their victory over United at Prenton Park.
The weather is cold today, and the pitch still has some tints of white snow on it from the brief snow shower which came down last night. Quite a few players are wearing gloves. I get the impression that this is one of those days when those who truly want to win the tie will do so.
TEAM NEWS
Grant McCann will be the most poignant name missing from today's team sheets - which makes me feel rather silly, as I wrote a whole programme article talking about how he'd be out to impress this afternoon against his former club - which now; he won't. Anyway, he's suspended after receiving his marching orders against West Brom on Monday. Andrew Wright was also dismissed in that game, and resultantly, will serve a suspension today too.
In reverse, Cliff Byrne should make his return to the team. He was dismissed in the game one before last (versus Middlesbrough), but served his suspension against the Baggies and is eligible to play once more. Another player who missed the defeat to West Brom is Gary Hooper. In fact, he's missed a few games recently, via an ankle injury. Fortunately, he's almost recovered from that now. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, he's been struck down with a virus in recent days, and looks set to miss out again. Michael O'Connor finds himself battling illness too - so I wouldn't make any bets about him making today's starting X1.
By contrast, Barnsley have no real worries in relation to injuries. Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson have both extended their loan spells at the club in recent days (after missing one game for the club during their intermediate re-signing periods) and will probably be named back in their squad for this cup game.
One player who will not be named in the Barnsley team is former Scunthorpe striker Kayode Odejayi. He made his loan move from Barnsley to Colchester permanent (for an undisclosed fee) earlier in the week.
PREMABLE
It's the first Saturday of January, and for us football fans, that means only one thing - Round Three of the FA Cup is upon us. But hold your horses... there's been no glamour-tie draw for United this year. It's not Arsenal or Manchester United who stand in the way of the Iron and the Round Four. Instead, it's fellow Championship outfit Barnsley.
Of course, there are positives and negatives to any situation. Positively, United do stand a genuine chance of progressing against the Tyke's - especially as today's game is at home, where by and large, the Iron's form has been good this season. If they do go through, it will be for the first time since 2004. On the other hand, this certainly isn't the draw that either team wanted. Both camps will tell you that they'd rather have drawn either a 'big' club or a 'poor' club from a couple of divisions below (who they'd be pretty certain of beating!) Instead however, both teams face a potentially tough round - from which one side will gain nothing more than fatigue. In fact, both teams will be desperate to avoid a replay - so expect a very open last twenty minutes if the scores are tied after seventy!
