The Iron got the ball rolling at Glanford Park for the first time this season as they were defeated 1-0 by a strong Nottingham Forest side on Wednesday night.
Ryan Yates was the scorer of the only goal of the game in the 24th minute marking his return to Glanford Park.
It was the visitors who got the game underway and they looked to attack from the outset. Diogo Goncalves ran down the left inside five minutes before sending a low cross into the area searching for Daryl Murphy in the middle but Conor Townsend was in the right place at the right time as he managed to control the ball on the goal-line and cleared, preventing a clear goal scoring opportunity for the away side.
United’s first attack of the game came after 13 minutes. Good play in the centre of the pitch saw Olufela Olomola send the ball out wide on the right to Lewis Butroid but his cross was hooked away by the Nottingham Forest defence at the far post before a Scunthorpe player could pounce in the area.
Forest continued to press forward in search of goal. Firstly, a loose ball was picked up in midfield before an over the top pass found the run of Goncalves. He tried to chip Rory Watson in the United goal but the keeper was alert and smothered the ball well.
A few minutes later the visitors did take the lead. A free kick from the right was launched into the area and a neat back heel flick by Adlene Guedioura at the near post found Yates who fired home from close range in the 24th minute to put Forest ahead against his former club.
Soon after, the visitors almost doubled their lead but for Rory McArdle making an excellent recovery to block a Gil Dias shot before Benjamin Osborn fired his effort over the bar. The United defender was called into action again moments later when he found himself one-on-one with Murphy as the striker was played through but a brilliant block tackle from McArdle stopped a shot flying towards goal.
The Iron looked dangerous from set pieces but struggled to muster any clear cut chances in the first half to challenge Costel Pantilimon in the Forest goal as the away side went into the break with a slender one nil lead.
Following half time, the visitors looked to control the game with possession. The first opportunity in the second half went to Forest as Goncalves drilled a shot over the crossbar before Guedioura fizzed a shot in from 25 yards that was just off target.
Scunthorpe then looked to bounce back. A high ball up towards Stephen Humphrys was controlled well under pressure as he did brilliantly to lay it off to Andy Dales on the edge of the area who struck the ball with some venom but his effort flew over the top of the goal.
A nice passing move in the 63rd minute presented Olomola with a chance but the forward couldn’t quite bring the ball under control after Butroid played him in from the right hand side. Humphrys then almost levelled for the Iron when a searching ball found him lurking at the back post. He cut the ball back onto his right foot before he dragged his shot just wide of the target.
Moments later Forest advanced up the pitch in search for their second. Tendayi Darikwa firstly saw his shot blocked on the line by the foot of Cameron Burgess before the follow up effort from Dias was also cleared away by a stern Iron defence. Burgess then did well again to stop Murphy from latching onto a through ball as he used his strength to hold off the striker allowing Watson to come out and claim possession back for United.
The Iron looked for an equaliser but it didn’t quite happen and the visitors were able to hold on for the win. Scunthorpe will play host to Lincoln on Saturday in the final pre-season game at Glanford Park.
TEAM LINE-UPS:
Iron: Watson, Townsend, Horsfield, Dales (Wootton, 81), Lewis (Pugh, 87), Novak (Humphrys, 45), Burgess, McArdle, Olomola, Butroid, Trialist A (Hornshaw, 81).
Substitutes not used: Flatt, Harrison, Goode.
Nottingham Forest: Pantilimon (Smith, 67), Darikwa, Figueiredo (Worrall, 45), Fox, Osborn, Yates (Colback, 45), Guedioura (Robinson, 72), Gonçalves (Soudani, 72), Carvalho (Lam, 72), Dias (Appiah, 72), Murphy.
Substitutes not used: Dawson, Cash.