Preparations for the 2018-19 campaign continued as the Iron drew 0-0 against SV Seekirchen in BSFZ Obertraun on Wednesday.

The game allowed the squad to gain match fitness, with a number of players receiving 70 minutes of playing time during the first of two friendlies in the Austrian training camp.  

United started well in possession and had the first shot of the game inside five minutes through Trialist A but his optimistic effort flew over the crossbar from 25 yards out after a searching ball for Olufela Olomola was cut out. 

Moments later, Scunthorpe had a wonderful opportunity to take the lead whn Olomola beat the offside trap and ran into the box before rounding the SV Seekirchen goalkeeper but his shot was straight into the side netting.

Nine minutes in and Rory Watson in the United goal was called into action for the first time as he made a fine save down low in his bottom right corner, when a half-volleyed shot was fired towards goal after a throughball was played in behind the Scunthorpe defence. 

Brilliant high pressure from the Iron then almost presented Olomola with a chance in the 11th minute as the striker charged down the opposition keeper, who kicked it straight at him but the ricochet of the ball took it away from danger and the defence were able to sweep up and clear.

 Two free-kicks in quick succession then saw SV Seekirchen mount some pressure of their own as they looked to launch the ball into the box but strong and alert defending from United made sure that the attacks fizzled out. Watson was then called upon again when a thunderous shot from outside the box was fired in. The goalkeeper did well and tipped the ball around the post for a corner which was well dealt with.

After 27 minutes, the Iron won a free-kick in a dangerous area when Levi Sutton was brought down on the right-hand side after a surging run. Clayton Lewis sent a high ball into the area looking for Cameron Burgess, who flicked it onto George Hornshaw before it came back to Burgess again but his headed effort on goal was easily gathered by the keeper. 

United looked to end the first half strongly as Hornshaw fired wide from the edge of the area after 36 minutes before an Iron corner was aimed towards the head of Burgess, who made a good connection with the ball but his effort was off target. 

A half time substitution for the Iron saw Jonathan Flatt replace Watson in the Scunthorpe goal. The keeper’s first involvement of the game came 48 minutes in when a shot from 30 yards was comfortably saved after a loose ball was collected in the centre of midfield. 

The Iron began the second half the way they left off from the first. Good link-up play between Olomola and Lewis in the 48th minute set the New Zealand international away down the flank, who did well to beat the full-back before firing wide of the target.

55 minutes in and United were in again, Olomola the pinpoint of the attack as his searching throughball set Lewis free down the left-hand side. His ball across the penalty area was looking for the oncoming Kyle Wootton, but the striker couldn’t quite get on the end of it. 

The Iron looked to make their attacking presence pay as they had the best chance of the game in the 60th minute when Olomola spread the play wide to Lewis Butroid, who found Lewis on the overlapping run but his cross was blocked. The resulting corner found Wootton in the area but his header went wide of the far post. 

Scunthorpe continued to press, Hornshaw’s half-volley was off target before Lee Novak did well to shield the ball on the touchline to make space to squeeze in a cross which was parried away by the SV Seekirchen keeper. 

The Iron made a whole host of changes in the 70th minute and Andy Dales was straight into the action when he replaced Lewis, his run down the left presented him with a chance to cross but the ball was caught by the goalkeeper as substitute Stephen Humphrys looked to pounce.

Dales and Humphrys were involved again after 76 minutes, Dales won the ball down the left flank and crossed for Humphrys but the ball was cleared by the defender before the striker could get his shot in. The following corner was then half-cleared to Sutton who dragged the ball wide of the target. 

Minutes later and Dales looked to attack again when he cut onto his right foot from the left-hand side and seeked to shoot from the edge of the area but his shot on target was saved. 

The Iron kept knocking at the door and it almost paid off in the 81^stminute when Tom Pugh’s strike cannoned off the post and back into play with the opposition keeper brilliantly denying Dales’ left-footed rebound by tipping it over the bar. 

Good defending from SV Seekirchen for the remainder of the match saw the Austrian team keep United at bay as they searched for a winner.

TEAM LINE-UPS:
Iron: Watson (Flatt, 46), Trialist A (Townsend, 70), Burgess (Harrison, 70), Butroid (Goode, 70), Hornshaw (Pugh, 70), Lewis (Humphrys, 70), McArdle (Clarke, 70), Novak (Horsfield, 70), Olomola (Dales, 70), Sutton, Wootton.

REFEREE: Simon Skowronski (POL).