Following a share of the spoils with Forest Green Rovers at the weekend the Iron were back in action for a midweek encounter with Leeds United Under-21s in the National League Cup.
After a disappointing 3-2 defeat in the opening game of the group stages to Sunderland, Scunthorpe were looking to bounce back against the winners of last year’s competition.
With regard to United’s team selection for the evening there was to be a medley of changes from the weekend. In order to comply with competition rules there were starts handed to three players that started the previous fixture in the form of Tyler Denton, Andrew Boyce and Kian Scales. While still serving a league specific ban Branden Horton was selected to start for the Iron along with the returning Joe Starbuck. Finally, mere hours after being unveiled as a new signing, loanee Tyrell Sellars-Fleming joins up with the substitutes.
As the game got underway at the Attis Arena the visiting Whites immediately started to display their Premier League quality with a number of early attacks that caught United off guard. With no more than five minutes on the clock the deadlock should’ve been broken by striker Harry Gray when he was threaded into the area by Jayden Lienou. With just Scunthorpe goalkeeper Rory Waston to beat, Gray would smash his effort into the post before it spun behind for a goal kick.
The Iron would respond to this chance with an opportunity of their own to take the lead when Mark Beck’s experienced flick on looped over the Leeds defence to send Carlton Ubaezuonu through on goal. Bearing down on the visitor’s goal, the Irishman would look to carry the ball into the penalty area and his eventual effort looked destined for the bottom corner if not for the last-ditch intervention of a recovering defender to turn the ball away from goal.
The next action of the game would be the first goal of proceedings, and it would fall in favour of the visitors. After a sensational through ball to calve open the Scunthorpe defence it would send Joshua McDonald racing clear on the far side. With Tyler Denton in hot pursuit, McDonald would slide the ball across the face of goal into the path of Gray who had a simple finish to put his side in the lead.
In a half with very little to report, Leeds would carry this slender advantage into the half-time break. With his side trailing, Scunthorpe manager Andy Butler would look to his bench for inspiration with a number of impactful substitutes being made.
Immediately from the restart the Iron would venture forward in search of the equaliser with Joey Dawson leading the charge, once Dawson had made it to the edge of the Whites area he would be hauled down resulting in a free kick from a very promising area. From the resultant set-piece it would be Ubaezuonu who stood up to strike the ball, which he would do in excellent fashion with a rocket of an effort that soared beyond Rory Mahady to level the scores.
As the half-progressed Scunthorpe would start to grow into the fixture and were dictating play with some fluid movement. This positive play was opening the space for chances and when Max Brogan received possession 25 yards from goal he would opt to let fly a ferocious shot that arrowed towards the net. With Mahady scrambling to try and save the effort he would be fortunate to see it narrowly drop wide of the target.
Leeds were by no means out of the encounter and would prove that with a stunning second goal through the lively looking Gray. From a free kick of his own, Gray would step up to the plate and choose to finesse the ball around Watson leaving the goalkeeper with no chance as it delightfully nestled in the top corner of the net, making it 2-1.
With the game entering its closing stages it was the visitors who looked likely to score and, in the process, kill the game off. Eventually this goal would come and who else would it be but Gray to add the finishing touch to his performance with a stunning third to secure his hat-trick. After picking up the ball just inside the Scunthorpe half, the 16-year-old would stride forward with serious intent before unleashing a shot that proved too powerful as it found the bottom corner.
For the remainder of the fixture, it was Scunthorpe who were in control as they searched for a route back into the tie. However, Leeds set up in a defensive blockade to see out the result and did so impressively to secure the 3-1 scoreline, condemning United to their second defeat in the National League Cup.
IRON: Watson, Horton, Boyce (Evans, 45), Ubaezuonu, Brogan, Beck (Rowley, 62), Scales (Sellars-Fleming, 45), Starbuck (Eze, 62), Dawson, Chadwick, Denton (Gjoshe, 34).
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Johnson, Howe.
ATTENDANCE: 1,016 (145 away)
REFEREE: Jamie O'Connor
