Levi Gallimore scored a penalty, and Harry Jessop the winner, as the Iron’s Under-18s ran out 2-1 winners at home to Notts County at West Street, Winterton in their second Youth Alliance League fixture of the season.
“It was a good result, because we won the game 2-1,” academy manager Tony Daws told iFollow Iron.
“The lads showed a lot of character and resilience to come back from a goal down. In terms of performance, it wasn’t our best and we can play better than that. That’s something we’ve spoken to the boys about after the game.
“It was a fresh challenge for our boys as they had to cope with something they’re not used to. We didn’t dominate possession like we normally do and Notts County grew strong towards the end.
“We were under pressure in the last ten minutes but the lads were professional and saw the game out well.
“There were two or three chances we could have taken, but overall it was a good learning curve for the boys in the end.”
The first attack of the game arrived on four minutes as Levi Gallimore drove down the right side of the area. His cross was blocked away for a corner though.
The subsequent set-piece was sent in and reached the same player on the left side of the area but his path to goal was blocked and it was cleared. The away side then attacked down the right but Baker cleared well.
On 13 minutes, Scunthorpe attacked again through Levi Gallimore, who had a penalty claim denied. He went down in the box under a challenge following Harry Baker’s throw on the right, but there was nothing given though.
The first chance came two minutes later when Luca Chadli took a free-kick from the right side of the 18-yard box, which met the head of Charlie Barks but his effort went over the crossbar.
With 20 minutes gone, Levi Gallimore was played in down the left and sent a ball into the box, which Harry Jessop reached but saw deflected over the crossbar. After the corner was cleared, Baker sent in a cross which went out for a goal kick.
Midway through the opening half, the away side went ahead as the ball was played from left to right and reached a Magpies attacker on the edge of the box, who sent in a low cross which was turned in at close range.
Scunthorpe seeked an immediate response as Baker sent the ball into the box, and it reached Chadli, who touched back to Finley Shrimpton. His strike looked destined for the goalkeeper’s bottom left corner but was tipped wide for a corner.
After the corner was cleared, the ball was played into Levi Gallimore on the right side of the area, who was brought down and a penalty was given.
With 26 minutes on the clock, the same player stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot, firing powerfully into the right side of the goal.
United pushed for a second and Levi Gallimore was played through down the left and advanced towards the box. He sent a low cross in which Wilson stretched for but just couldn’t get to, and the visitors cleared.
Chadli came off on 32 minutes and was replaced by Patrick Virgo after he went down and received treatment following an attack down the left.
Two minutes after, Jessop quickly played in Levi Gallimore, who in turn passed to Cameron Wilson in the centre of the area. He tried to send an effort goalwards but County blocked away for a corner.
With 38 minutes gone, Iron goalkeeper Tom Collins got down to save comfortably as a low shot was fired towards goal from the edge of the 18-yard box by a visiting player.
Five minutes later, the away side played the ball down the right and threatened but Dan Gallimore blocked well and stopped the shot. United then counter-attacked through Jessop on the right side, who won a corner, but nothing came from it.
On 44 minutes, United took the lead as Jessop received the ball from just outside the area and drilled a low, powerful effort into the back of the net.
There was still time for one final Iron first-half chance as Levi Gallimore struck over the bar after receiving Shrimpton’s pass on the right side of the area.
The visitors then threatened but a cross into the box was cleared by Oliver Lobley, just before the half-time whistle.
The start of the second-half saw Levi Gallimore seize on a defensive mistake but his quickly-struck effort was tipped away by the Magpies goalkeeper.
With 52 minutes gone, Wilson was played down the right by Silva's free-kick and his cross was blocked away for a corner by the Notts goalkeeper at his left-hand post, with Jessop threatening to pounce. The subsequent set-play was then cleared.
Two minutes later, Dan Gallimore and Baker combined to head away the danger as the away side sent crosses into the box. Eventually it went out for a goal-kick. Then, United attacked and Virgo cut inside on the left before his strike was tipped wide.
The 60th minute saw good battling from United, who were equal to what the visitors were testing them with. Shrimpton nearly played Jessop through after a great touch by Levi Gallimore but the away side were quick to avert the danger.
With 66 minutes gone, Lobley and Collins combined to stop County after a dangerous cross was sent in from the right.
Moments later, the away side attacked through the middle and then a right-sided attacker had a clear sight of goal, but struck wide under pressure from Collins.
In the 72nd minute, latching onto a pass from Silva, Levi Gallimore sent a shot in from the left that was tipped away from goal and cleared before Wilson could latch onto the rebound. The Magpies then attacked down the right and a header was sent wide from close range.
On 76 minutes, the away team attacked down the right and sent a deep cross in, but a looping header went just over the crossbar.
With 12 minutes remaining, latching onto a pass from Barks, Levi Gallimore pressured and almost forced a mistake before the ball was gathered. The visitors then looked to attack through the centre but Baker slid in and cleared.
In the 82nd minute, there was pressure from the away side as they chased an equaliser. Barks cleared a dangerous cross though and United then killed the tempo by winning a couple of free-kicks in quick succession.
With four minutes to go, Wilson won a corner on the right as his pass into the box was cleared. He played the set-piece short to Levi Gallimore and then received the ball back before his cross from the right was cleared away.
United successfully saw the game out and made it back-to-back wins in the league.
The Iron Under-18s are next in action with a home Youth Alliance Cup home clash against Salford City on Friday (1pm kick-off), in a game which will also be played at West Street, Winterton.
IRON: Collins, Baker, Lobley, D Gallimore (Kemp, 84), Barks, Silva, Wilson, Shrimpton, L Gallimore, Jessop (Wilkinson, 69), Chadli (Virgo, 32).