Following a hard-fought triumph over Brackley Town last weekend, the Iron would conclude their season of away fixtures with a visit to Isuzu FA Trophy finalists Wealdstone.
With the Stones’ season and league position already over and confirmed, there was still plenty up for grabs for United, who would be looking for a little more than a 0-0 victory to aid their hopes of confirming their fifth-place finish ahead of the play-offs.
With regards to the Iron’s team selection for the afternoon, there was to be a single change to accompany a slight change in shape. The alternation would see defender Jean Belehouan return to full fitness to regain his place in the starting XI over versatile midfield man Kian Scales. Elsewhere, Ross Barrows returned from his one-game suspension and was named among the alternates.
When proceedings were set underway by Scunthorpe at Grosvenor Vale, the encounter would start with a ferocious tempo, with several hard-hitting tackles flying in during the opening ten minutes, claiming two casualties in the form of both teams’ captains, Jack Cook for the hosts and Cal Roberts for the Iron.
Prior to being forced off with a knock, Roberts would have the chance to give United the lead with the game’s first opportunity. Receiving the ball from his forward partner, Danny Whitehall, in the final third, Roberts would check past his marker, Anthony Georgiou, with a change of pace that opened the space for a shot from the edge of the box, forcing Dante Baptiste to push the ball away from the target with a strong palm.
As the half progressed, it would be the hosts who started to take control of the game, receiving some fortune from the assistant referee to present them with their first chance. As a hopeful ball was threaded through the Scunthorpe back line, Stones striker Sean Adarkwa appeared to be in an offside position, causing the defence to stop. However, the linesman deemed the former West Ham striker to be onside, allowing him to stroll through on goal for a golden chance that he failed to convert as Louis Jones produced a sensational diving save to deny.
Despite the hosts having most of the ball during the first half, there would be very few chances to report, this was until the 40th minute when Pat Jones looked to breathe life into his Scunthorpe side from off the right flank. Looking to start a counterattack, Jones would surge inside his marker at speed, finding nothing but space in the middle of the park before hammering an effort towards the target from 25 yards that was remarkably caught by Baptiste to diffuse the attack.
With the half-time whistle just moments away, there would be time for just one more chance before the break as Wealdstone opted to go route one. With one swift kick up the slope from Baptiste, Adarkwa would break clear of the defence once more, chasing after the bouncing ball before attempting to lob the onrushing Jones, although he would get his effort all wrong as he more than cleared the goalposts.
Following the break, the Iron would be looking to establish a firmer foothold in the game, alternating back to a more attacking shape that would take immediate effect as United began to push forward.
The opening chance of the new half would fall to the Iron when they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area for a foul on Danny Whitehall, which the Scunthorpe striker would take quickly by slotting Tyler Denton into the area, drawing a crucial stop out of Baptiste, who tipped the wing-back’s effort around the near post.
To this point, the second half was a tale of the Iron’s dominance. However, there seemed to be no route past Baptiste as chances continued to go unpunished, including a golden opportunity for Declan Howe, who latched onto a through ball in the area before striding towards the goal, driving a low effort towards the bottom corner that narrowly evaded the net as it trickled just wide of the mark.
With 70 minutes on the clock, the hosts would settle into a purple patch of their own and would reap the rewards by taking advantage of a series of Scunthorpe defensive errors. After United were dispossessed in their own penalty area, the Stones would work the ball out to the left before a low cross into the area would bounce kindly back into the path of Jack Wells-Morrison, allowing the midfielder to fire the ball past Louis Jones to give the hosts the lead.
Despite falling behind with 20 minutes to spare, the Iron wouldn’t give up hope as they immediately pushed towards an equaliser and very nearly found it within a matter of moments when Tyler Denton touched the ball out of his feet on the left before clipping a delightful cross to the back post for Howe to attack, directing a header towards the target but somehow Baptiste managed to prevent the ball from being bundled over the line.
With United knocking on the door to level the scores again, they would finally manage to do just that with just two minutes of normal time to spare. With Danny Whitehall nudging his marker off the ball inside the Wealdstone final third, the forward would carry the ball into the area before choosing the unselfish option, rolling the ball across the goalmouth to take the goalkeeper out of the equation, allowing for Howe to smash home into the empty net.
With additional time largely disrupted by several head injuries, that would be all she wrote at Grosvenor Vale, meaning that the Iron would earn a fair point on the road, leaving them needing a final day victory over Eastleigh to confirm a fifth placed finish.
IRON: Jones, Horton, Belehouan (Scales, 78), Evans, Whitehall, Roberts (Howe, 16), Rowley (Barrows, 78), Jones (Dausch, 64), Ewing (Beestin, 64), Westbrooke, Denton.
IRON SUBS: Mahady, Smith.
ATTENDANCE: 1,636 (356 away)
REFEREE: Alex Chilowicz
