The Iron completed their Youth Alliance League campaign in similar fashion to a number of their victories throughout the season, coming from behind to claim all three points, this time against Huddersfield Town.
The side went 2-0 down in the first half, but had restored parity just minutes after half-time before a penalty put United in the driving seat. Joey Dawson (two) and Cameron Wilson got the goals to complete the quickfire league double against the Terriers, who they beat away from home only two weeks ago.
The win, coupled with Grimsby Town's defeat against Mansfield Town, guarantees that Scunthorpe finish the North East group as runners-up in the league, second to Notts County, irrespective of the results in the Mariners' games-in-hand.
Scunthorpe started the game brightly and showed good early attacking intent with Dawson and Wilson both involved, but it wasn't until seven minutes in when the first real chance of the game fell their way. Dawson slipped in the trialist down the right side with his low, powerful cross saved well by the Terriers' 'keeper low to his right.
Three minutes later, Harrison Poulter was fed a free-kick shot before his low cross from the left was cleared for a corner at the near post with Dawson lurking. From the resultant corner, the ball was recycled back to Wilson on the left side. He played a one-two with Oliver Lobley before combining with Harry Lewis, but the duo were crowded out before attempting a shot on goal.
12 minutes in, Huddersfield had their first chance of the game when they seized on a loose ball on the edge of the box. The shot came in from 20-yards but it was well-read by skipper Oliver Kemp, who put his body on the line to block the effort for a corner. It was only a temporary reprieve, though, as in the 13th minute, from the resulting corner, the cross was met with a bullet header from Charles Nduwuisi-Ondo which nestled into the top corner of the net.
Following the goal, Huddersfield grew in confidence and came forward again a minute later. Advancing down the right, the cross was cut back towards the edge of the box before being controlled and lashed towards goal. Kemp was again on hand to block.
On 16 minutes, it was very nearly 2-0 but for a fine save from Ben Crosher. The United shot-stopper got the slightest of touches on an effort from the Terriers' goalscorer Nduwuisi-Ondo to push the ball onto the underside of the bar, with the ball not crossing the line as it bounced down onto the surface.
Just a minute later, the Iron mounted their first attack since going behind as Dan Gallimore read a defensive header from one of the away side's central defenders before controlling and angling a low shot towards goal from 25-yards; an effort which the visiting 'keeper was equal to.
19 minutes in, Huddersfield won another corner following an inviting cross which was turned away. Crosher commanded his six-yard box well from the resultant kick, pouncing on the loose ball to stop any pending danger.
The Terriers were still pushing for a second and very nearly had it on the counter-attack as Dawson was dispossessed in midfield. The visitors strode forward before a long range effort, again from Nduwuisi-Ondo, was pushed onto the crossbar by Crosher before he gathered at the second attempt.
Huddersfield were having joy down the right channel and did so once more on 22 minutes before the ball was again cut back to the edge of the box. The resultant shot, on this occasion, was well wide of the target.
On 25 minutes, United had their best chance to draw level as Wilson stole possession on the Iron press. He feed into the feet of Dawson, who held up play nicely to slip in Wilson on the return to his right, but the 'keeper made a smart save with his feet from the following shot.
That would prove to be a costly miss as Huddersfield doubled their advantage just three minutes later as Michael Stone came down the right once more before squeezing in a shot on the right side of the area, with the effort beating Crosher at his near post.
The reaction to going 2-0 down was a good once though, with the deficit halved less than a minute later. Poulter advanced down the left before playing a brilliant cross into Dawson, who met the ball on the volley with his sidefoot, guiding it into the roof of the net to the 'keeper's right, despite his best attempts to save, getting a hand to the effort.
On 31 minutes, Poulter slid in on half way to win the ball back before Wilson then playing Dawson into space down the left. He drove forward before picking out a square ball to Ben Franklin on the edge of the box. His first-time effort was saved by the visiting goalkeeper.
Four minutes later, the Terriers had a chance to re-establish their two-goal lead, first seeing an effort blocked by Kemp before Crosher made a fine save following a long range effort.
With three minutes to go until the break, there was an extended break while a Huddersfield defender received treatment for a head injury after his own goalkeeper's goal kick was driven straight towards his head. He was able to continue, but it meant a few minutes of added time at the end of the half.
At the interval, the Iron changed their shape and introduced Finn Abraham and Ty Sellars-Fleming (formerly denoted in previous games as a trialist, scoring a number of goals, but has since signed scholarship forms for next season) in place of Harrison Poulter and Trialist A.
It took just short of two minutes for United to draw level with Sellars-Fleming intercepting a throw-in on the nearside touchline before Wilson latched onto the loose ball. He shifted the ball past the final defender, onto his left foot, before angling a low left-footed effort beyong the 'keeper and into the corner of the net.
Less than 60 seconds later, Scunthorpe thought they'd completed the turnaround when the ball was played left towards Lewis. He played the ball across for Dawson who converted, but the flag was up for offside, with Lewis making an early run.
Following the equaliser, though, United had grown in confidence and flooded forward again in the 49th minute with Lewis again crossing for Dawson, but a defender stepped across to hook the ball over his own crossbar for a corner. Jamie Moore was the beneficiary of a back-header from the resultant corner, before seeing his cross collected by the goalkeeper.
Five minutes into the second half, Franklin picked up possession before Wilson played a give-and-go with Dawson down the right. A low cross across the box was met by Sellars-Fleming, but his shot went just wide of the post.
On 52 minutes, Sellars-Fleming picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box before firing in a low shot towards goal, with the Terriers' 'keeper full-stretch down to his right to make a fine save.
It was attack-after-attack for the Iron, as they came forward again shortly after, winning the ball back before Lewis was slipped in down the left before seeing his shot across goal going over the bar.
United then came forward down the right and won an attacking throw-in, which led to the first yellow card of the game as the Huddersfield number 10 kicked the ball off the field to prevent the Iron from taking it quickly.
From the resulting throw, on 55 minutes, Sellars-Fleming got space on the right side of the area to fire in a shot which was tipped around the post by the goalkeeper. It was a save spotted by the assistant referee who correctly signalled for a corner, but the referee gave a goal kick.
Undeterred, United soon won the ball back once more and were awarded a penalty in the 56th minute as Dawson knocked a bouncing ball beyond an incoming defender who, without the ball to play, clattered into the Iron frontman. Dawson dusted himself down to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from 12 yards, placing to the shot stopper's right to make it 3-2 to the Iron.
On 62 minutes, Dawson was denied his hat-trick as he appeared to time his run to perfection following good battling in midfield by Gallimore. The ball was slipped into Dawson who angled a brilliant low shot across goal and into the far corner of the net, but that strike was ruled out for offside. Replays suggested Dawson was onside when the ball was played.
On 65 minutes, Huddersfield had their first opening of the second half, with a long range half-volley on the right side clearing the crossbar and the Barrett Steel Stadium fence behind the goal.
Just a minute later, it was one-a-piece in terms of yellow cards as Franklin - who had just been warned following a foul moments before - found his name taken following his latest infringement.
With 20 minutes remaining, a shot from range from the away side went wide of Crosher's left-hand post in a rare advance into the Iron half.
Following the caution, Franklin was withdrawn to be replaced by Harvey Cribb and that alteration was swiftly followed by Charley Strouther replacing Jamie Moore as the defender went down with a knock.
On 81 minutes, Wilson almost joined Dawson on a brace as he was assisted by the Iron frontman following a cut-back from the right, but his low shot went across goal and wide.
The final chance of the game came in the fourth minute of added time as Sellars-Fleming slipped in Dawson. He advanced forward, looking for his third trebble of the season, but he saw his effort cannon back off the post. Sellars-Fleming had also continued his run and saw the rebound well-saved by the goalkeeper.
Following the completion of the side's Youth Alliance campaign, the team will now enter a five-game merit league against the sides who finished in the top six alongside them. This is due to commence in a couple of weeks, once the other fixtures in the regular season have been completed. As soon as we have the fixtures for these, we will add them to the fixtures and results.
IRON: Crosher, Moore (Strouther, 73), Lobley, Kemp, Lewis, Gallimore, Franklin (Cribb, 71), Wilson, Poulter (Sellars-Fleming, 45), Dawson, Trialist A (Abraham, 45).
IRON SUBS UNUSED: Balme.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Roxburgh, Okpolokpo, Krasniqi, Adewoju, Eccleston (Aileman, 70), Stone (Spencer, 55), Whittingham (Jones, 55), O’Brien-Brady, Grubb (Helliwell, 70), Nduwuisi-Ondo, Baxter-Alleyne (Philpott, 51).
