The Iron came from behind, through goals from Kevin van Veen and Kgosi Ntlhe, to defeat Port Vale 2-1 at the Sands Venue Stadium on Saturday.

The away side started the match eager to grab an early goal. Cristian Montano proved dangerous in the box only seven minutes in as he advanced into the middle of the 20-yard area before his shot went wide of the right post.

The Iron were not rattled by this early advance from Port Vale, with Abo Eisa pushing forward through a counter-attack not long after. Then, Jordan Clarke was taken down outside the 20-yard box for a free-kick which was then headed clear after van Veen crossed it in.

James Perch then tried to net the first goal of the game 20 minutes in with a long-range strike which went flying past the left post and into the away fans.

Just a minute later, Eisa found the Iron’s closest chance - hitting the post after Lee Novak passed it down the right wing where Eisa was waiting on the edge of the 20-yard box. 

Soon after, Harrison McGahey blocked a David Amoo shot after David Worrall crossed the ball into the home side’s box from a free kick.

The away team were the first to grab a goal after David Worrall’s low ball was received in the box by Taylor, who then shot past a diving Jake Eastwood into the right-hand corner.

The Iron didn’t take long to get a goal back though. Seven minutes from time, McGahey’s run down the wing set van Veen up to effortlessly receive a pass into the box before firing it straight into the back of the net and levelling things up.

Van Veen then came close again just before the break after an Iron set piece saw his shot float over the wall, with Scott Brown only just getting his fingertips to it before clearing it over the crossbar, leaving things level going into the break.

The Iron came out instantly stronger, starting the second half with a van Veen chip into Alex Gilliead that was headed off the line by the defending team.

A strong Iron attack then led to a second goal in the 52nd minute. A van Veen corner was crossed into a highly defended box where Kgosi Ntlhe netted his first goal for the club from close range and gave the Iron the lead.

Just after the hour mark, Eisa’s lone run into the 20-yard box and subsequent shot was narrowly blocked by Brown’s shin, stopping the Iron from getting a third goal.

The Iron kept pushing the away side, continuing to make chances throughout the half. Van Veen’s cross into the box span high to Gillead, who then headed it on-target, with Brown only just managing to block it.

Matthew Lund tried for a third six minutes from time, receiving a ball from Eisa deep in the box. His shot was then deflected wide of the left post, stopping the home side from clinching their third goal.

Despite Port Vale continuing to try and clinch another goal to bring things level they were unsuccessful, lacking the chances they needed.

The Iron walked off at full-time with the three points, just as an incident broke out as referee James Oldham blew the whistle, leading to Worrall and Lund both being red carded.

IRON: Eastwood, Clarke, Ntlhe, Lund, van Veen Butler (90+2’), Perch, Novak, Gilliead, McArdle (C), McGahey, Eisa (Dales, 90+1’).

UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Miler, Bedeau, Proctor, McAtee. 

PORT VALE: Brown, Gibbons, Joyce (Conlon, 69’), Legge (C), Worrall, Montano, Smith, Taylor, Amoo (Browne, 79’), Burgess (Cullen, 54’), Bennett.

UNUSED SUBS: Maddison, Atkinson, Evans, Brisley.

ATTENDANCE: 3,391.