Report: Iron 0-0 Blackpool

The Iron drew 0-0 with Blackpool at Glanford Park on Saturday, continuing their unbeaten league start.

Manager Graham Alexander named an unchanged starting eleven from last Saturday’s 1-0 away win at Bury.

The visitors Blackpool had the first big chance of the game inside ten minutes. Kyle Vassell played the ball into the box for the running Sessi D’Almeida, who flashed a shot across the face of the goal Iron goal from the right side.

Following a quiet period in the game, Blackpool had another opportunity in the 25th minute. The Tangerines worked the ball wide to Curtis Tilt, who put a low cross into the box, and with the goal open, Kyle Vassell could not turn the ball home as it evaded him.

The Iron’s first shot came in the 30th minute. However, it caused no concern to Blackpool, as Josh Morris’ free-kick struck the wall and he failed to get a clean connection on the rebound.

Morris then clipped a beautiful cross into the box moments later for Paddy Madden. From quite far out, the striker tried to loop his header over Ryan Allsop, but the goalkeeper managed to tip it over the crossbar.

The game had livened up and Hakeeb Adelakun was next to nearly put his side ahead. In the centre of the pitch, he drove with the ball, turning one defender, before hitting his left foot shot just wide of the post from outside of the area.

Matt Gilks then made a fine stop in the 38th minute. Viv Solomon-Otabor cut onto his right foot in the 18-yard box and got away a shot, but the goalkeeper was alert to parry it way from danger.

The Iron were next to have another sighting of goal. Adelakun’s curled corner, was flicked goalwards by Madden, falling to captain Rory McArdle at the far post, yet the central defender fired over the bar.

Just before the half-time whistle, Allsop made an incredible close range save to deny Adelakun low down, before Madden hooked an effort wide of the left post.

At the start of the second-half, Vassell drove a free-kick around the Iron’s wall, as it skipped past the left post.

The Iron’s Murray Wallace nearly scored an overhead kick in the 53rd minute, following an Adelakun corner. His acrobatic effort went wide of the right post.

Blackpool won themselves another free-kick in a dangerous position after D’Almeida was brought down by Wallace. This time Vassell ran over the ball, allowing Jimmy Ryan to strike, getting it over the wall but not past Gilks, who tipped it behind for a corner.

In the 70th minute, Solomon-Otabor raced past a host of Iron players, charging into the box, but Gilks came off his line and made himself big to block the winger’s effort, rebounding out for a corner.

Substitute Lee Novak then controlled the ball inside the area, before poking an attempt straight at Allsop in the Blackpool goal.

Minutes later, Novak went really close again. Levi Sutton put a great cross into the box, which was met by the head of Novak, with the ball narrowly going over. That proved to be the last major chance of the game, with the referee ending the game as a draw.

TEAM LINE-UPS:
Scunthorpe United: Gilks, Townsend, Wallace, Ojo, Madden (van Veen 79'), Morris, Bishop, Hopper (Novak 66'), Adelakun (Holmes 66'), Sutton, McArdle.
Substitutes not used: Watson, Clarke, Mantom, Burgess.

Blackpool: Allsop, Mellor, Roberston, Vassell, D’Almeida (Aimson 79'), Ryan, Tilt, Solomon-Otabor, Turton, Daniel, Cooke.
Substitutes not used: Williams, Taylor, Clayton, Anderton, Philliskirk, Quigley.

Attendance: 4,290.