Rob Apter scored a late equaliser to seal a 1-1 draw at home to York City for the Iron on Saturday.

The Iron came into the game having made three changes from Tuesday night’s fixture against Altrincham. Mason O’Malley, Alfie Beestin and Jai Rowe all returned to the side after being on the bench in the midweek fixture. New recruit Aiden Marsh also made his second start since completing his loan move to the Iron from Barnsley.

United were the ones to get the game underway and the Iron found themselves on the front foot in the opening minutes. Joe Nuttall was presented with the opening chance of the game when he found himself in a one-on-one situation with York keeper Ethan Ross. Ross spread himself well and managed to make the save.

Apter had a chance from the edge of the 18-yard-box a minute later. Nuttall was once again involved but this time he didn’t take the shot on himself. He laid the ball off to Apter who took a touch and unleashed a left-footed shot which curled just wide of the left-hand post. The Iron started the game off brightly.

Another chance came the way of the Iron when loanee Marsh broke down the left-hand-flank. He drove into open space ahead of him and spotted Nuttall, who was unmarked, in the middle of the area. The Iron striker took the shot on first time but it went straight at Ross and he made a comfortable save. It was the best chance of the game so far.

The visitors worked their first opening in the tenth minute of the game. A well worked free-kick from the right-flank found its way to Manny Duku and he took on his shot first time but his right footed effort flew over the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Marcus Dewhurst was untroubled and he just watched as the effort sailed over his bar.

United continued to press on to try and find the opening goal; A succession of corners were dealt with well by the York defence and then a deep cross into the area by Reagan Ogle was dealt with by Ross. He rushed off his line to claim the ball and deal with the danger.

York were the ones to take the lead in the 23rd minute. A challenge by Apter, just inside the Iron penalty area, was seen as a foul immediately by the referee and he instantly pointed to the spot. Lennell John-Lewis was the player who stepped up to take the penalty and he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-right-hand corner of the net. Dewhurst was sent the wrong way and City took the lead in the game.

They were presented with another big opportunity minutes after the goal. A free-kick from the right-hand corner of the Iron penalty area was whipped into the box and almost met by a York City head. George Taft did extremely well to get to the ball first, head it away and deny any goal scoring opportunity.

Jacob Butterfield almost grabbed the equaliser in the 31st minute when he took on a shot from distance. The Iron midfielder found himself around 30-yards out from goal and he had time and space to take on a shot. A powerful, low-driven shot was straight at Ross but the City keeper spilt the ball and it almost spun into his own net. The ball crept just past Ross’s left-hand post, much to his relief, and went out for a United corner.

The away side had another big opportunity in the game after Oliver Dyson beat his man through a nice piece of skill. He broke into Dewhurst’s area and chipped the ball up onto the head of John-Lewis. The striker tried to direct his header goalwards but he didn’t generate enough power to beat Dewhurst and the Iron’s number one claimed the ball with ease.

The first card of the game was shown to Nuttall after an aerial challenge with a York defender. Both went up to try and win the header and in the referee’s eyes Nuttall’s challenge was malicious and he was awarded a yellow card.

Scunthorpe had a chance to level things up just before the break. Butterfield whipped the ball into the away side’s penalty area and his cross was met by the head of Andrew Boyce. The Iron defender couldn’t keep his header down and the ball sailed over the bar and out for a goal kick.

The visitors got the second half underway and Ryan Fallowfield almost immediately put York two goals to the good. Fallowfield slid in and nearly put the ball past Dewhurst. The Iron goalkeeper was aware of the situation and managed to make the save.

United created another great chance to grab the equaliser in the 49th minute of the game. Butterfield made a pinpoint cross into the area and Rowe brought the ball down well and with his second touch he unleashed a powerful shot; However, he didn’t get a clean connection and the ball went wide of the target. 

Minutes later, the Iron put the ball into the back of the net only to find out that the goal was disallowed for handball. A neat bit of play down the left-hand-side by Marsh earnt him some space which allowed him to play a cross into the area. The cross was precise and Nuttall managed to get onto the end of it. He turned the ball into the York net but he used his hand in the process and the referee disallowed the goal and the score stayed at one-nil.

The Iron continued to pressure York and managed to work another opening when Apter crossed into the area and Beestin managed to head the ball goalwards. The direction was there but the power wasn’t and the ball rolled into the arms of Ross.

Marsh was sent through by a lofted through ball by Rowe. He had an almost clear opportunity but Gus Mafuta reduced the angle for the shot. His quick closing down pressured Marsh into taking on the shot earlier than he wanted to. However, Marsh couldn’t sort his feet out quick enough and he tripped over the ball and the chance came to an end.

A lovely chipped ball, over the top of the defence, by Ogle set Nuttall free. He drove at the York defence and then cut inside on his favoured right foot and managed to direct a strong shot goalward. It looked to be heading straight in but an excellent reflex save from Ross denied the Iron an equaliser. A firm right hand managed to just tip Nuttall’s effort over the crossbar. 

The visitors should have put the game to bed after a Maz Kouhyar corner met the head of John-Lewis. The York striker was inches away from putting his team two-nil up.

City thought they had sealed the game in the dying moments of the game. Fallowfield was free at the back post and managed to slot his effort past Dewhurst into the bottom corner. The linesman took his time but his flag eventually went up and the goal was ruled offside.

In the last minutes of regular time, Apter cut inside on his favoured left foot and his effort looked to be heading for the left-hand corner. A wicked deflection took it away from the goalkeeper and into the top corner. This put the Iron level and sealed a hard-earned point.

IRON: Dewhurst, Ogle, O’Malley, Boyce, Beestin, Nuttall, Rowe, Taft, Butterfield, Apter, Marsh.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Foster, Whitehouse, Feeney, Young, Fletcher.

YORK CITY: Ross, Fallowfield, Kerr, Dyson, Kouhyar, John-Lewis, Hancox (Whittle, 49’), Sanders, Pybus, Mafuta (Greaves, 91’), Duku.

YORK CITY SUBS NOT USED: Hurst, Whitley, James.

ATTENDANCE: 3,758.