The Iron lost 2-0 to Oldham Athletic as Patrick McEleney’s and Eoin Doyle’s strikes proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Graham Alexander made only one change to the Iron line-up that faced Bristol Rovers last Saturday. Hakeeb Adelakun came in to replace Cameron McGeehan.

Duckens Nazon got the first clear shot of the game as he found space to shoot from the edge of the box. However, he couldn’t generate the power to cause Matt Gilks any problems.

Josh Morris made a great chance for the Iron in the 10th minute as he drove up the left wing, cut inside the box and shot at goal. However, the ball was bobbling and as a result, went inches wide of the back post.

Rory McArdle almost netted in the 15th minute. He connected with Hakeeb Adelakun’s near-post corner and nearly found the top left corner.

Ex-Iron Craig Davies almost came back to haunt his old club as he found himself in some space inside the penalty area. Wilfried Moimbe used his trickery to run inside the left side of the 18-yard box in the 17th minute. He played a low pass to Davies at the penalty spot who hit it first time. However, he sent it clear of the crossbar.

Shortly after, Hakeeb Adelakun was unlucky not to put away a fantastic individual effort. He did all the hard work on his way into the box. However, he couldn’t quite beat the ‘keeper.

Rory McArdle proved the hero in the 23rd minute as he made a sliding tackle that prevented Davies going one-on-one with Gilks. The defender cleared the ball across the box and into the path of Murray Wallace. The Iron continued to pile on the pressure.

At the half-an-hour mark, Duane Holmes worked his way up the right-wing, turned back on himself and played the ball to Bishop. The midfielder then curled a ball into the box that found Morris’ head but Oldham ‘keeper Placide was there to save it.

Not long after, Duckens Nazon missed the best chance of the half as he wasted a one-on-one chance with Gilks. The forward slipped through the Iron defence to control a high ball over the top. However, his half-volleyed shot that followed went well wide of the left post.

As the Iron were on the break, Tom Hopper was brought down by Anthony Gerrard on the left-wing just outside of the box. Hakeeb Adelakun was the man to step up to the ball and he very nearly found the top right corner. However, the ‘keeper made an impressive diving save to protect his goal.

Adelakun looked threatening again with two minutes left in the second-half. He floated a cross into Josh Morris in the centre of the penalty box and the winger’s impressive headed effort was denied by the crossbar.

The Iron’s first chance of the second-half came in the 51st minute as Hakeeb Adelakun used his quick feet to clear a path to goal on the edge of the six-yard-box. He shot and Placide could only parry it. However, Tom Hopper was just beaten to it by the recovering ‘keeper.

Craig Davies came close again inside the penalty box as he shot from a deep cross by Moimbe in the 60th minute. However, he could only direct it wide.

Funso Ojo and Duane Holmes almost recreated Holmes’ goal against Bristol Rovers from last Saturday. In the 65th minute, Holmes was found inside the penalty area by a ball that sliced open the Latics defence and the winger was unlucky as his shot went just wide of the crossbar.

The Iron were unlucky as Oldham scored a deflected goal against the run of play in the 78th minute. Jack Byrne took the initial shot a few yards from the penalty box and his effort deflected off McEleney. Matt Gilks was in position to save Byrne’s effort but the deflection wrong footed him, looped over his head and found the net.

Substitute Eoin Doyle then extended the Latics’ lead as he drove into the box in the 83rd minute. He shifted the ball onto his left foot to wrong-foot the Iron defence and fired the ball into the bottom right corner.

TEAM LINE-UPS:
Scunthorpe United: Gilks (GK), Wallace (Townsend, 74’), Ojo, Morris, Bishop, Hopper (McGeehan, 87’), Adelakun (Williams, 65’), Holmes, Burgess, McArdle, Yates.
Unused substitutes: Watson (GK), Lewis, Goode, Sutton.

Oldham Athletic: Placide (GK), Dummigan, Moimbe, Gerrard, Gardner, Davies (Doyle, 63’) Nazon (Amadi-Holloway, 63’), Pringle (McEleny 58’), Fane, Byrne, Bryan.
Unused substitutes: de la Paz, Wilson, McLaughlin, Hunt.

Attendance: 3,715.