Report: SV Wals-Grünau 0-3 Iron

The Iron wrapped up their summer training camp with a 3-0 win against SV Wals-Grünau at the Hans-Ludwig Stadion on Wednesday, in the second of two friendlies on Austrian soil.

Stephen Humphrys scored two while Conor Townsend added a third to the scoresheet, while the Iron were reduced to. Nevertheless, Scunthorpe still made sure they ended their pre-season trip to Austria in style. 

The hosts got the ball rolling but it was United with the first chance of the game inside the opening minute when SV Wals-Grünau were robbed of the ball in midfield. Olufela Olomola looked to set Andy Dales free but the opposition goalkeeper rushed out to stop the attack before Dales could latch onto the pass.

Eight minutes in and Townsend regained possession for United after a good piece of defending before he drove forward to win a throw. Olomola picked up the ball and passed it to Humphrys who ran into the box before getting his shot away - one that was well blocked by the SV Wals-Grünau defender.

The Iron looked to press and dominated the early exchanges of the game with Olomola and Dales continuing to link up well in the attacking third of the pitch as United searched for an opening goal. They were nearly rewarded after 15 minutes when Clarke’s whipped ball into the area struck a defender before cannoning back off the post. 

Humphrys then forced a fine stop from the keeper in the SV Wals-Grünau goal when Dales won the ball on the left before he neatly flicked it beyond the defence and into the path of the forward, whose right-footed shot on target took a wicked deflection off a defender. 

Scunthorpe looked bright and continued to be a threat from set-pieces when Dales swung the ball in towards the head of Humphrys who made a solid connection but the ball dropped just wide of the post.

The hosts then had a decent spell of their own with their first chance from a half-volley by the full-back after 30 minutes before a well worked corner on the left presented them with an opportunity to play the ball into the central area but the United defence stood firm to clear. 

The Iron then deservedly took the lead in the 33^rd minute as they broke from back to front. The ball was played over the top to Clayton Lewis who did brilliantly to break the offside trap before he squared to Humphrys who slotted the ball into the empty net to put the Iron ahead at half-time. However, Clarke was dismissed via a straight red card shortly after when he reacted to a late and dangerous tackle on him from a home player. 

As the second half begun, the Iron looked to continue in the same vein as the first, Humphrys charged down the left flank and fizzed the ball towards the oncoming Olomola in the area but it was just out of reach of the striker as the ball flashed across the face of goal. Lewis then forced the opposing keeper into another save when Townsend cut the ball back for the midfielder with his strike on goal parried away smartly.

After 52 minutes, United doubled their lead when Humphrys added to his tally with the second goal of the game. The high press from the iron proved to be too hot to handle for the SV Wals-Grünau defence as Olomola stole the ball from the defender before it dropped to Humphrys who placed his shot across goal and into the corner of the net.

Strong defending from Scunthorpe then stopped the hosts getting back into the game as a free kick was floated in but Charlie Goode headed away before the opposing player was brought down again on the left-hand side but more resolute defending meant the attack came to nothing and the ball was cleared.

Lee Novak entered the frame for the Iron after 61 minutes replacing goalscorer Humphrys and got straight into the thick of the action when a free kick from Lewis was put into the box. Novak got to the ball first but his header on goal was gathered by the keeper.

66 minutes in and United had three via Townsend. He produced a wonderful surging run that saw him beat three defenders, driving into the penalty area to smash the ball into the roof of the net emphatically.

The hosts looked to hit back with two successive corners. Cameron Burgess was alert to divert the ball behind before Rory Watson confidently claimed the second with his first piece of action during the second half after coming on as a half-time substitute. Tom Pugh then denied the home side a certain goal after 78 minutes with a superb goal-line clearance when another set-piece was headed goal bound.

The Iron then took control of the game and made it difficult for the opposition to create anymore clear-cut chances and they held out for a convincing three nil win to take back to Scunthorpe ahead of their final two home pre-season encounters against Nottingham Forest and Lincoln next week. 

IRON: Flatt (Watson 45), Burgess (Trialist A, 76), Clarke, Dales (Sutton 61), Goode, Hornshaw (Harrison, 76), Horsfield (Pugh, 76), Humphrys (Novak, 61), Lewis (Butroid, 73), Olomola (Wootton, 73), Townsend.