Report: Southend United 3-2 Iron

The Iron lost 3-2 against Southend United at Roots Hall on Saturday afternoon.

Tom Hopper got the Iron off to a perfect start when he headed his side into the lead from close range, but Michael Kightly levelled the scores towards the end of the first half.

United then fell behind at the beginning of the second 45 minutes when Stephen McLaughlin slammed home a free-kick, but Kevin van Veen netted an equaliser just three minutes later.

However, Michael Turner slotted home a winner for Southend in stoppage time, shortly after Cameron Burgess had been sent off for receiving his second yellow card of the game.

Manager Graham Alexander made one change to the starting XI, which saw Cameron McGeehan start his first game for the Iron, replacing Neal Bishop in midfield.

The hosts had the first sighting of goal inside the opening three minutes after Simon Cox turned and struck from outside the area, but Rory Watson gathered the effort comfortably.

However, in the 12th minute, Hopper headed home for the Iron to take the lead. Van Veen latched onto a deep cross by Josh Morris to put the ball back into in the area, and after a poor clearance from a Southend defender, Hopper converted into the corner of the net.

The Shrimpers nearly got back into the game with an instant response three minutes later, but Cox’s header just went wide of the right post.

They were asking more questions of the Iron defence immediately after, but Watson made a terrific reflex save high to his right to deny Marc Antoine Fortune following a corner kick.

After a quiet spell in the match, Watson made an incredible double save in the 30th minute. He first got down low to palm out McLaughlin’s long-range effort before reacting quickly to get back on his feet to keep out Kightly, who raced into the box to get the rebound.

Seven minutes later, and Southend had their equaliser. Kightly swung in a deep cross from the left side, which curled to hit the back post before the ball crossed the line to put the two sides on level terms at the half time interval.

Kightly then looked to add to his earlier goal at the beginning of the second half, but his right-footed free-kick missed the target.

In the 53rd minute, the Shrimpers took a 2-1 lead. They won a free-kick on the edge of the box, which McLaughlin drilled past the wall and the goalkeeper Watson.

However, the Iron responded almost immediately after when van Veen smashed the Iron level. Duane Holmes showed great determination to win his side a corner, and after Wallace’s effort was blocked from the resulting set-piece, the ball fell to the Dutchman who drilled the ball into the top right corner of the net.

As the home side looked to regain their lead, Watson was forced into another smart save when Cox unleased a long shot. The goalkeeper dived to his left to push the ball behind for a corner.

The young shotstopper was called into action again, diving to his left once more. Kightly advanced with the ball and tried to curl the ball into the right of the goal, but the goalkeeper parried it wide.

Hakeeb Adelakun went close to scoring the Iron’s third of the match in the 75th minute, but his long-range strike went just over the crossbar.

The Iron went close again through Cameron Burgess, but his header flew wide of the right post.

They went even closer with one minute left on the clock. Charlie Goode met a corner with a looping header, but McLaughlin jumped to head the ball off the line.

In stoppage time, the Iron were reduced to ten men when Burgess was sent off for picking up his second yellow card of the game for a foul on Kightly.

From the resulting free-kick, McLaughlin drove in a free-kick, which was excellently parried by Watson, but centre-back Turner slide home at the far post as the ball squeezed past the goalkeeper to give the hosts all three points.

TEAM LINE-UPS
Southend United: Oxley, Coker (c), Turner, Kightly, Timlin, Fortune (Robinson, 31), Cox, McLaughlin, Yearwood, Demetriou, White.
Unused substitutes: Bishop, Ferdinand, McGlashan, Klass, Kyprianou, Wabo.

Scunthorpe United: Watson, Wallace, Ojo (c), van Veen (Novak, 84’), Morris, Hopper, Adelakun (Toney, 90’), Holmes, Goode, Burgess, McGeehan (Yates, 60’).
Unused substitutes: Kelsey, Townsend, Sutton, McArdle.

Attendance: 6,723 (239 away fans).

Referee: Craig Hicks.