Preview: Tranmere Rovers (A)

2 October 2020

The Iron are back on the road for their second away league game of the season on Saturday when they travel to face Tranmere Rovers (3pm kick-off).

Club News

Tranmere v Iron iFollow match passes on sale now for £10

3 October 2020

SCENE-SETTER

Neil Cox searches for his first away win as Scunthorpe United manager to back up his first home success a week ago in the narrow 1-0 victory over Carlisle United.

Tranmere are still looking for their first victory after taking two points from a possible nine.

THE OPPOSITION

The Whites come into the game on the back of their first win of the season in all competitions, as they overhauled Liverpool's Under-21s after coming from a goal down and netting a 90th minute winner.

In the season so far, the side were edged out 8-7 on penalties by EFL newcomers Harrogate Town in the Carabao Cup following a 1-1 over 90 minutes, while they also lost 4-3 on penalties three days later in the EFL Trophy away at Port Vale after a goalless draw.

In Sky Bet League Two, they've drawn against Mansfield Town and Cambridge United 0-0 away from home, with their only home game in the league coming against Cheltenham Town. The Robins won that match 3-0.

Amongst the Tranmere squad, albeit on the bench so far this season in the league, is former Iron goalkeeper Joe Murphy, now 39-years-old.

He's just one piece of business by Rovers, who also added Kaiyne Woolery and Liam Feeney to their ranks in September. Prior to that, Calum MacDonald, Paul Lewis, Lee O'Connor, James Vaughan, Otis Khan and Jay Spearing all joined.

Jake Caprice and Paul Mullin were the two to depart during the same time frame.

TEAM NEWS

Jake Taylor was added to the Iron squad on Thursday, joining on loan from Nottingham Forest. The midfielder goes straight into contention for this weekend's game.

Kenan Dünnwald-Turan returned to training on Thursday following a groin problem which saw him sidelined last weekend, while Jordan Clarke's thigh worry isn't as bad as first feared, although he is likely to sit out this fixture.

Harrison McGahey (hamstring) still has about four weeks on the sidelines after coming off at half-time against Crawley Town, while Kevin van Veen (knee) also continues his rehabilitation three weeks after his operation.

The positives from Tuesday's EFL Trophy match against Manchester City Under-21s saw John McAtee get 90 minutes in his return from self-isolation, while Jai Rowe and Emmanual Onariase both got 45 minutes as they stepped up their returns from injuries.

PAST MEETINGS…

It's been almost eight years since the last meeting between the two sides, with the Iron edged out at Prenton Park following a single goal decider.

The teams had met just two months earlier at Scunthorpe's home, with Karl Hawley's goal not enough to get any points on the day.

United last took three points in this fixture in October 2011 with Shane Duffy, Bobby Grant (two) and Chris Dagnall netting in the 4-2 home win.

You have to go back to April 2007 for the last time the Iron took all three points at Tranmere, with an own goal and a Billy Sharp strike sealing a 2-0 win en route to promotion from League One.

SEASON - DATE	COMPETITION	RESULT	IRON SCORERS
2012-13 - Sat Dec 29	LG 1	Tranmere 1-0 Iron
2012-13 - Tue Oct 2	LG 1	Iron 1-3 Tranmere	Hawley
2011-12 - Sat May 5	LG 1	Tranmere 1-1 Iron	Thompson
2011-12 - Sat Oct 29	LG 1	Iron 4-2 Tranmere	Duffy, Grant 2, Dagnall
2008-09 - Sat May 2	LG 1	Iron 1-1 Tranmere	Byrne
2008-09 - Tue Dec 16	FLT Area QF	Iron 2-1 Tranmere	May, Hayes
2008-09 - Tue Nov 25	LG 1	Tranmere 2-0 Iron
2006-07 - Sat Apr 21	LG 1	Tranmere 0-2 Iron	Ward og, Sharp
2006-07 - Tue Dec 5	LG 1	Iron 1-1 Tranmere	Keogh
2005-06 - Sat Nov 19	LG 1	Iron 1-2 Tranmere	Sharp
2005-06 - Fri Oct 7	LG 1	Tranmere 0-2 Iron	Keogh, Sharp
2005-06 - Tue Aug 23	FLC R1	Iron 2-1 Tranmere	Ryan, Hinds
1990-91 - Sat Dec 8	FAC R2	Iron 3-2 Tranmere	Ward, Lillis, Flounders
1988-89 - Fri Apr 7	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-1 Iron	Daws
1988-89 - Sat Dec 31	DIV 4	Iron 0-1 Tranmere
1987-88 - Sat Feb 20	DIV 4	Tranmere 1-3 Iron	Flounders 2, Lister
1987-88 - Sat Aug 15	DIV 4	Iron 3-0 Tranmere	Russell, Flounders 2
1986-87 - Sat Jan 31	DIV 4	Iron 6-0 Tranmere	Hunter, Lister, De Mange, Johnson, Broddle 2
1986-87 - Tue Oct 21	DIV 4	Tranmere 1-0 Iron
1985-86 - Fri Jan 31	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-1 Iron	Hawley
1985-86 - Fri Sep 6	DIV 4	Iron 0-1 Tranmere
1984-85 - Tue Apr 9	DIV 4	Iron 5-2 Tranmere	Brolly 2, Cammack 2, Broddle
1984-85 - Tue Jan 1	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-0 Iron
1982-83 - Sat Mar 5	DIV 4	Tranmere 0-4 Iron	Leman, Cammack 2, Parkinson
1982-83 - Sat Oct 23	DIV 4	Iron 2-1 Tranmere	Baines, Cowling
1981-82 - Sat Jan 30	DIV 4	Tranmere 0-1 Iron	Green
1981-82 - Sat Sep 19	DIV 4	Iron 2-1 Tranmere	Cowling, Moss
1980-81 - Fri Apr 24	DIV 4	Tranmere 1-2 Iron	Pilling, Stewart
1980-81 - Sat Dec 20	DIV 4	Iron 2-0 Tranmere	Lambert, Stewart
1979-80 - Sat Mar 8	DIV 4	Iron 2-2 Tranmere	Pilling, Cammack
1979-80 - Fri Oct 26	DIV 4	Tranmere 1-2 Iron	Green, Pilling
1975-76 - Tue Feb 24	DIV 4	Iron 2-2 Tranmere	Wiggington, O'Connor
1975-76 - Mon Sep 22	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-1 Iron	Money
1972-73 - Sat Dec 30	DIV 4	Iron 1-5 Tranmere	Fletcher
1972-73 - Fri Aug 18	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-1 Iron	Kirk
1970-71 - Mon Nov 30	FAC R1 Rep 2	Tranmere 0-1 Iron	Rusling
1970-71 - Tue Nov 24	FAC R1 Rep 1	Iron 0-0 Tranmere
1970-71 - Sat Nov 21	FAC R1	Tranmere 1-1 Iron	Woolmer
1967-68 - Fri Mar 22	DIV 4	Iron 1-1 Tranmere	Colquhoun
1967-68 - Fri Oct 27	DIV 4	Tranmere 2-0 Iron
1957-58 - Thu Sep 5	DIV 3N	Iron 1-0 Tranmere	Fletcher
1957-58 - Mon Aug 26	DIV 3N	Tranmere 1-4 Iron	Waldock 3, Fletcher
1956-57 - Sat Apr 6	DIV 3N	Tranmere 4-2 Iron	Waldock, Haigh
1956-57 - Sat Nov 24	DIV 3N	Iron 1-4 Tranmere	Gregory
1955-56 - Sat Apr 7	DIV 3N	Iron 2-1 Tranmere	Brown, Gregory
1955-56 - Sat Nov 26	DIV 3N	Tranmere 2-1 Iron	Brown
1954-55 - Sat Mar 12	DIV 3N	Iron 1-2 Tranmere	Gregory
1954-55 - Sat Oct 23	DIV 3N	Tranmere 1-2 Iron	Brown, Haigh
1953-54 - Tue Apr 27	DIV 3N	Tranmere 1-1 Iron	Jones
1953-54 - Sat Apr 10	DIV 3N	Iron 3-1 Tranmere	Gregory 3
1952-53 - Sat Mar 7	DIV 3N	Iron 2-0 Tranmere	Haigh, Daley
1952-53 - Sat Oct 18	DIV 3N	Tranmere 0-1 Iron	Mynard
1951-52 - Mon Apr 14	DIV 3N	Iron 2-0 Tranmere	Ottewell, Wallace
1951-52 - Fri Apr 11	DIV 3N	Tranmere 3-1 Iron	Ottewell
1950-51 - Sat May 5	DIV 3N	Tranmere 1-0 Iron
1950-51 - Sat Feb 10	DIV 3N	Iron 1-1 Tranmere	Payne
1935-36 - Sat Dec 14	FAC R2	Tranmere 6-2 Iron	Lewis, Allen

	SCUNTHORPE WINS	DRAWS	TRANMERE WINS
LEAGUE	22	8	20
CUP	1	0	0
LEAGUE CUP	1	0	0
FA CUP	2	2	1
TOTAL	26	10	21

ELSEWHERE IN SKY BET LEAGUE TWO

Saturday, October 3rd
Carlisle United v Barrow (3pm)
Colchester United v Oldham Athletic (3pm)
Crawley Town v Southend United (3pm)
Exeter City v Cambridge United (3pm)
Forest Green Rovers v Walsall (3pm)
Grimsby Town P-P Bradford City
Harrogate Town v Bolton Wanderers (3pm)
Leyton Orient v Cheltenham Town (3pm)
Morecambe v Port Vale (3pm)
Newport County v Mansfield Town (3pm)
Stevenage v Salford City (3pm)

Match Reports

Report: Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Iron

3 October 2020

A James Vaughan brace saw the Iron suffer a 2-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers in League Two on Saturday.

Jake Taylor came into the side for his Iron debut in place of Jordan Hallam in the only change from the side that won against Carlisle a week earlier.

The hosts came forward early on with an inviting ball across from the left side. Mason O’Malley cleared before Lewis Spence surged to the loose ball to block an incoming shot.

With five minutes gone, Lewis Spence was teed up on the edge of the area, with one touch before shaping to shoot. However, his effort deflected wide for a corner, but nothing came from the resulting set-play. United won a couple more corners soon after.

There was a chance with 14 minutes gone, as Alex Gilliead had a go from range, with the effort blocked. Handball shouts were waved away with Myles Hippolyte almost getting to the loose ball before the hosts cleared.

Spence received treatment for a cut midway through the half and had to change his shirt as a result. It was an opening period of very few opportunities as Scunthorpe patiently tried to work openings, and also limited chances for the hosts.

However, striker James Vaughan swept Tranmere into the lead on 41 minutes with their first real opening of the game, from close range following a low cross from the right side by substitute Paul Lewis.

The start of the second period saw Loft win the ball down the right side of the box and play the ball in low for Hippolyte, whose shot from close range was blocked away.

The two combined down the left again soon after but couldn't find that touch to unlock the home defence.

Not long after, Otis Khan cut inside for Tranmere, shot and saw his shot deflect for a corner, but nothing came from it and the Iron cleared.

With 53 minutes gone, Kenan Dünnwald-Turan replaced Frank Vincent and United won a free-kick on the edge of the area, but Hippolyte struck it over the crossbar.

Hippolyte then combined with Dünnwald-Turan on 58 minutes, getting to the German's lay=off before firing a fierce low shot which Scott Davies saved in the Tranmere goal.

Just after the hour mark, Hippolyte was replaced by Abo Eisa but the hosts doubled their advantage on 65 minutes as Vaughan slotted in from close range after a corner from the left flank was swung back in from the right.

Tyler Cordner soon cleared off the line after Vaughan threatened to make it a hat-trick from close range on 72 minutes, while Manny Monthe headed over the bar from the subsequent corner.

Three minutes later, Eisa attacked down the left for the Iron, receiving the ball from Gilliead, but he sent his effort wide of goal.

Tranmere came close again in the 76th minute, but Lewis sent his effort wide of the near post from the right side of the area.

With 84 minutes gone, the home side's Peter Clarke combined with an Ollie Banks free-kick but headed over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Eisa drove into the area and forced Tranmere to only partly clear. Taylor took aim with the loose ball but the effort cleared the crossbar.

The last Iron chance came during stoppage time as Dünnwald-Turan fired over from the right side of the area after Taylor brought the ball forward.

Scunthorpe return to action next Saturday when Forest Green Rovers visit for a League Two encounter (3pm kick-off).

TRANMERE: Davies, Ridehalgh, Clarke, Monthe, O'Connor, Banks, Spearing, Khan (MacDonald, 82), Morris, Payne (Lewis, 27), Vaughan.

TRANMERE SUBS: Murphy, Nelson, Ellis, Walker-Rice, Burton.

IRON: Watson, Bedeau, Gilliead, Loft, Hippolyte (Eisa, 62), Spence, Vincent (Dünnwald-Turan, 53), Cordner, Hornshaw (Green, 79), Taylor, O'Malley.

IRON SUBS: Kelsey, Onariase, Jarvis, Beestin.