DAZN-produced highlights from the Iron's 1-1 draw against Curzon Ashton.

First team manager Andy Butler speaks following his side's late equaliser to rescue a point against Curzon Ashton.

On the back of four straight National league North victories the Iron returned to league action this evening for a highly anticipated encounter with promotion rivals Curzon Ashton.

If results went their way on the night Scunthorpe would have the chance to propel themselves to the top of the standings with a victory over Craig Mahon’s Nash.

In terms of United’s team selection for the evening, manager Andy Butler would name the exact same starting XI that defeated Warrington Town the weekend prior after a professional performance at Cantilever Park.

After a change of ends United kick-started proceedings with an early attack that caught the Nash off guard down the left-flank. It was a storming forward run from Tyler Denton that allowed him to set the ball into a promising position, from here the left-back would whip a delightful cross to the back post that found the rising leap of Joe Rowley, who met the cross with ease but only managed to steer the ball into the grateful grasp of Bobby Jones.

The next attack of the fixture would create a glorious chance for the Iron to take the lead through talisman forward Danny Whitehall. After some brilliant interplay between Rowley and young full-back Oliver Rose, the ball was slotted in behind to find Rowley’s disguised run. With the ball in his stride the midfielder whipped the ball across the box into the feet of Whitehall who flicked the ball goalwards and had half the crowd celebrating until the effort marginally drifted wide of the target.

Despite Scunthorpe’s succession of early chances Curzon Ashton would hit back with opportunities of their own with the first of which coming through danger man Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. After a changeover in possession deep inside their own half, Curzon would spray a long-winded pass over the top of the United defence that released Buckley-Ricketts into open space, bearing down on goal with just Fitzsimons to beat the winger attempted to place the ball into the bottom corner only for the goalkeeper to brilliantly claw the ball away with a great save.

After more end-to-end football the first goal of the night would finally arrive, but it would unfortunately fall for the visitors. After some sloppy defending from Scunthorpe who were trying desperately to clear possession, the ball would fall back at the feet of Stefan Mols in the penalty area who somehow managed to work the ball back to the edge of the box where midfield man Isaac Sinclair was waiting to lash the ball past Fitzsimons to give his team the lead.

Now behind in the game the Iron went in search of an equaliser before the half-time break and would’ve found it if not for the heroic defending of the Nash back line. As Cal Roberts marched inside off his favoured right-flank he weaved his way into a shooting position and fired a lethal strike through a crowd of bodies that was parried away by Jones, the ball deflected back into the path of Rose who had a seemingly easy finish from close range until a remarkable block from Marcus Poscha on the line to turn the ball behind from off the line.

This was to be the final action of the first period and when the sides returned to the field of play for the second half there was to be more of the same end to end action that ensued.

Firstly, it was again the away sides turn to come close to a goal as they mounted attack through Buckley-Ricketts. After some skilful play with the ball at his feet the former Manchester City man chopped inside and attempted wrap the ball into the far corner with a low hit shot, as the ball flew towards Fitzsimons it crept past the shot stopper and fortunately rattled the inside of the post before ricocheting back into play.

As the half progressed United fans would’ve thought it was not to be their day at the Attis Arena as every loose ball and flick on seemed to be bouncing back into the path of the time-wasting goalkeeper Bobby Jones who was doing his best to slow down the play.

Roberts attempted to conjure one of his signature free-kick goals just past the hour mark for United, the effort was sublime from 25 yards and seemed to be arrowing toward the top corner until Jones produced a fine diving stop to tip the ball over the crossbar and in doing so kept his teams lead intact for the time being.

With Scunthorpe pushing desperately for the equaliser they desired, the Nash continued to defend valiantly, chucking their bodies on the line and brilliantly blocking shots in the process. Despite this they refused to give up searching for their second goal to kill off the game and were unfortunate not to do so in early additional time when Buckley-Ricketts whipped effort from range nestled mere metres wide of the target.

With the game in its final passage the visitors time wasting antics would come back to bite them as Gambian star Mo Fadera chopped inside of right-back Ben Darby and unleashed a powerful shot. The effort was struck with menace and power and would be Scunthorpe’s saviour as the ball crept beneath the outstretched Jones and found the bottom corner for the equaliser.

When the referee’s whistle finally sounded to put an end to an enthralling fixture it was not to be the three points either side would’ve been hoping for going into the encounter, however it was a well-earned point for both outfits in game that saw two sides with unmatched hunger for promotion.

IRON: Fitzsimons, Kouogun, Boyce, Clunan (Williams, 88), Beestin, Whitehall (Beck, 23), Roberts, Rowley, Scales (Fadera, 62), Denton, Rose.

IRON UNUSED SUBS: Kelly, Evans.

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