Report: Iron 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

The Iron were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night, suffering their first league loss of the season.

The only goal of the match came in the 58th minute through a Marcus Antonsson volley from inside the area.

Manager Graham Alexander made two changes from the draw against Bury, giving a first start to deadline day signing Lee Novak. Duane Holmes also started the game.

The Iron’s Paddy Madden had an early chance in the ninth minute. He won the ball in the area before firing a shot straight at David Raya in the Rovers net.

Captain Rory McArdle then tried his luck with a volley on the edge of the box, after Blackburn headed away a Conor Townsend free-kick, but he got under the ball with it sailing over the crossbar.

Moments later, the Iron’s defence was put the test. Dominic Samuel swivelled inside the box, but didn’t get a good connection with Murray Wallace getting in the way of it.

In the 19th minute, McArdle passed to Holmes, who had found space in the centre of the pitch, turning and forcing Raya to fumble it before a Blackburn defender cleared the ball. The shot was close to the goalkeeper, but it was swerving and struck with power.

Raya was called into action again in the 30th minute, pulling a fantastic save in the top left corner to deny Josh Morris scoring from a free-kick 25-yards out. It was taken on the left side and Morris done well to curl it around the wall.

Blackburn’s goalkeeper prevented Morris again a couple of minutes later. The winger intercepted a clearance in the box and hit a low shot, but Raya was alert and down quick to hold onto the ball.

37 minutes in and Matt Gilks was down to make his first important save of the match. Using his pace, Samuel broke through the Iron defence with only Gilks in his way, but the goalkeeper got down quick to his right to save.

That chance woke Blackburn up and Rekeem Harper was presented with a golden opportunity. The ball was crossed in and the midfielder was left unmarked, heading wide of the left post.

It was Morris’ turn to whip a cross into the box next and Novak got a glancing header on it, but Raya got his body behind it.

One minute before the interval and Neal Bishop came close to getting the first goal of the game. He took the ball forward before striking it from outside of the area but past the wrong side of the left post.

After a good period of play from the Iron, Blackburn hit on the break to take a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute. Elliott Bennett put a wonderful cross into the box and Antonsson volleyed home at the back post.

In the 72nd minute, Morris cut in and passed to substitute Hakeeb Adelakun, who took it forward before shooting just over the bar from outside of the area.

Adelakun then whipped in a corner to the far post, which was met by the head of Bishop, but Rovers had players on the line to clear.

Blackburn nearly had a second goal in the 81st minute, but Gilks made a tremendous save with his feet to stop Danny Graham’s effort from going in. The ball had been pulled back to the striker and he struck it first time.

In a search of an equaliser, the Iron’s Adelakun came close. Morris put a driven cross into the area, which was only cleared to the incoming Adelakun, who drilled a shot wide of the left post.

Funso Ojo then nearly scored a screamer from range moments later. With the ball heading into the top corner, Raya got a hand on it to put the ball out for a corner.

In additional time, a corner found its way to Madden on the left of the area, he cut in and his attempt deflected inches over the bar.

From the resulting corner, Adelakun nearly scored directly from the set-piece. His curling effort had Raya panicking, as the ball just went over.

TEAM LINE-UPS
Scunthorpe United: Gilks, Townsend, Wallace, Ojo, Madden, Morris, Bishop (van Veen, 80’), Novak, Holmes (Adelakun, 65’), Sutton (Clarke, 69’), McArdle.
Substitutes not used: Watson, Mantom, Hopper, Burgess.

Blackburn Rovers: Raya, Williams, Harper (Dack, 46’), Smallwood, Samuel (Chapman, 81’), Muglrew, Ward, Caddis, Antonsson (Graham, 64’), Evans, Bennett.
Substitutes not used: Leutwiler, Whittingham, Gladwin, Downing.

Attendance: 4,330.