The Iron reserves rounded off their Final Third Development League home fixtures for the campaign with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Burton Albion on Wednesday evening.
There were once again a number of trialists amongst the United XI at the Hawthorns in Brigg, with Hull City striker Jonathon Margetts named in Andy Dawson’s side fresh from scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over Rotherham last week.Scunthorpe started the brighter of the two sides and had a couple of chance inside the first quarter of an hour to break the deadlock.
First Margetts headed over from a corner after good work by Kieran Bywater and Eddie Nolan down the right, while Billy Kee stabbed inches wide of the mark against his former club, having returned to North Lincolnshire from his loan spell with Mansfield Town.
Moments later, it was the Iron who drew first blood. Margetts received the ball on the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a strike which found its way through the crowded box, and past the unsighted Sam Hornby.
That was the Tigers youngster’s third goal of his trial spell with the claret & blue, and five minutes later it was a player who was used to donning the same colours with his parent club who doubled the teams’ advantage.
Bywater, who is currently on the books of West Ham calmly slipped the ball across Hornby’s body and in to the bottom corner of the net, after finding enough space to force his shot on target.
The Brewers picked things up after the shock of a second goal, and it was in fact a defender that almost cut the deficit just before the break; but thanks to a superb save from Sam Slocombe, Marcus Harness’ goal-bound effort was unbelievably kept out.
The second half continued in the same pattern as the first ended, with Burton on top. It took just four minutes after the re-start for Albion to pull a goal back, with Sam Austin sending Slocombe one-way before placing the ball in the opposite corner with coolness and precision.
Despite a rally from Scunthorpe, they couldn’t prevent the visitors from levelling arrears just after the hour mark. The ball bobbled inside the home side’s box, and Antoine-Currier capitalised by smashing home from relatively close range.
The Iron immediately attacked from kick-off to try and reclaim the lead, and they were a whisker away from doing so when Jack Dyche’s shot was saved, with Margetts failing to tuck away the rebound.
Despite this, the Brewers completed the turn-around on the 66th minute with their third goal of the match. Dominic Knowles smashed in to the roof of the net with a well-taken finish to leave the motionless Slocombe stranded, and hand newly promoted League Two side Burton the lead.
With the game almost up and Scunthorpe anxiously surging forward in hope of an equaliser, they couldn’t have come much closer when substitute Sonny Shilling slipped wide. Dyche weaved the ball through to the no.17 before he struck in search of the far corner of the net, but narrowly flew past the woodwork.
Unfortunately for the Iron time ran up, as Burton held out to produce a miraculous turn-around, with the hosts two up inside 25 minutes. The reserves are in action for the final time this season next Wednesday, where they face a trip to Rotherham United.
Scunthorpe United: Slocombe, Nolan, Mosanya, Assenso (Shilling, 69), Morris, Howe, Bywater, Edwards, Margetts, Kee, Dyche.
Substitutes not used: Ledger, Cleminshaw, Watkiss, Baker, Stockill.
Burton Albion: S.Hornby, Slade, Doyle, Fletcher, Maletic, Fox, Harness, Shelton, Knowles, Antoine-Currier, Austin (Dinanga, 86).
Substitutes not used: Hallahan, C.Hornby, Sejdic, Smith.