The head-to-head record between Scunthorpe United and Crewe Alexandra could not be much tighter going in to this weekend’s game.
The Iron have edged the 70 games between the two sides, with 26 victories for Scunthorpe, 21 for Crewe, and 23 draws.The last time the two sides met, a solitary goal from teenage forward AJ Leitch-Smith fifteen minutes from time gave the Railwaymen all three points in front of a 4000 strong crowd at Gresty Road.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN…
Twelve years separated the teams between their last clash in what was the old Division Three, and their first match in the 21st century on August 12, 2006.
A story of two penalties shadowed the game, with Alex forward Luke Rodgers dispatching the opening goal from 12 yards on the half hour mark after Lee Ridley was adjudged to have fouled Ryan Lowe.
It only took Scunthorpe nine minutes to find a response, with Billy Sharp tucking home from an Ian Baraclough cross.
Four minutes in to the second period, Crewe restored their lead through David Vaughan, but a penalty from centre-half Ian Crosby earned a point for the home side after a foul on Andy Keogh.
ONE GOES UP, ONE GOES DOWN…
By October 11, 2008, Scunthorpe United were flying high at the top of League One, however the visitors that day were second from bottom and starting to struggle.
A one-sided affair, the Iron took the lead at Glanford Park through winger Martyn Woolford, tapping home from close range after Gary Hooper’s pass.
Hooper got his second assist of the day after slotting through Paul Hayes to double the lead. Hooper and Woolford also both hit the woordwork on a day where it was all about Nigel Adkins’ men.
The third finally came on the 80th minute, with Izzy Iriekpen heading home a Woolford corner. Scunthorpe would go on to gain promotion to the Championship, while Crewe were relegated to League Two.
THREE IN A ROW…
Crewe have now beaten Scunthorpe in each of the last three games between the two teams.
The first of those three came in a five-goal thriller in Cheshire on January 17, 2009, the season the pair ended up being separated by two divisions.
Scunthorpe were given the early chance to take the lead after Luke Murphy tripped Martyn Woolford, but Paul Hayes missed the resulting penalty.
Hayes then made up for his miss by grabbing the opening goal inside 20 minutes to get the ball rolling, but it was a penalty from Crewe that levelled the score.
Marcus Williams fouled John Brayford, and Michael O’Connor scored the equaliser. An unfortunate own-goal from Daniel O’Donnell handed the lead back to the Lincolnshire side, before Clayton Donaldson again brought the Alex level. In stoppage time, the home side found the winner from the most unlikely source.
Substitute O’Donnell cancelled out his earlier error by stabbing home to earn all three points at the death.
MEMORABLE SCORES…
02/01/82 – Crewe Alexandra 1-3 Scunthorpe United (FA Cup)
04/03/86 – Crewe Alexandra 4-0 Scunthorpe United (League Division Four)
10/05/92 – Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Scunthorpe United (League Division Four Play-Offs)
13/05/92 – Scunthorpe United 2-0 Crewe Alexandra (League Division Four Play-Offs)
21/08/12 – Scunthorpe United 1-2 Crewe Alexandra (League One)