The Iron’s Under-18s made it six wins in a row in all competitions with a 2-0 Youth Alliance Cup group stage victory at Chesterfield on Tuesday lunchtime.
Joey Dawson scored a goal in each half to seal the success against the Spireites, with academy manager Tony Daws commenting: “Our performance improved as the game went on and we were much better in the second half, both in and out of possession.”
The hosts started brightest and hit the post on three minutes. Receiving a pass from the left, their No 10 drove low and across goal, with the ball coming back into play off the woodwork.
The Iron’s full-backs Oliver Lobley and Harry Baker got crosses in from the left and right flanks respectively, before the hosts hit the woodwork once more, with a shot from the right side of the area, although the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside.
On 12 minutes, after Levi Gallimore forced a corner down the right, Dan Gallimore sent the ball in, which his namesake connected with. However, claims of a Chesterfield handball were waved away by the referee.
The 15th minute saw more claims of a Spireites handball in the box, as Finley Shrimpton’s shot was blocked after Harry Jessop laid the ball off.
Two minutes later, the hosts hit the post again, as their No 9 shot low and towards the left of the goal from 12 yards.
The 19th minute saw Jessop latch onto a loose ball in the area after Dawson blocked a clearance by the hosts, but the goalkeeper was quickly out to gather.
The Chesterfield threat continued as Tom Collins raced out to clear on the left side of his area as the hosts looked to break. Charlie Barks then cleared a subsequent cross into the box.
The 23rd minute saw the Spireites miss a gilt-edged chance to go ahead as a low cross came in from the left, but their No 9 fired wide from six yards.
Just a minute later, United took the lead clinically as Dawson latched onto the bouncing ball on the edge of the 18 yard box and showed great technique to cleanly strike home the opener, low to the goalkeeper’s right.
Moments after, the home team came close from the right side of the area, but the shot was dragged wide.
The 33rd minute saw a free-kick sent in from the left, midway through the Iron half. A Spireites player got a head to it but Collins saved comfortably.
Seven minutes later saw a good move by the Iron, which ended with Jessop, from the left, finding Shrimpton central and 25 yards from goal. His shot was tipped over the crossbar for a corner, which was then cleared.
Just before half-time, the hosts’ No 9 threatened with a run into the area before his low shot was deflected wide. Dawson headed the corner clear before a cross-shot was sent in which was cleared off the line by Barks.
The start of the second-half saw the home team send a free kick in from the left, but their No 4 couldn’t fully connect and it was cleared.
The next chance arrived with an hour played. Picking up the ball from Jessop on the left, Shrimpton cut inside before firing a low drive to the goalkeeper’s right, which was just scrambled around the post.
The 70th minute saw the hosts break and, after spreading play to the right of the area, a low shot was sent across goal which Collins got down well to keep out with his feet.
Scunthorpe almost doubled their lead three minutes later as Jessop broke down the left, playing it to Dawson, who passed to Cameron Wilson. His shot was scrambled away with Dawson heading the rebound goalwards, which was cleared off the line before Levi Gallimore’s fierce drive was tipped away.
A minute later, latching onto a pass from substitute Alex Wilkinson, Dawson sent the ball just wide of goal from 12 yards, hitting the side-netting.
The No 10 made no mistake in the 78th minute, however. After substitute Luca Chadli charged down a clearance, the ball fell into his path, with the No 10 taking time to find space just inside the box before guiding a shot across goal and into the back of the net.
The Iron attacked again on 80 minutes and a challenge was put in just before Shrimpton could pull the trigger on the right side of the box.
With 84 minutes played, after winning a free-kick on the edge of the area, Wilson took it but the ball was deflected into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Then, with a minute left, Dawson’s low drive was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper. Straight after, Wilson flashed one just wide from the right of the area after Shrimpton’s pass.
IRON: Collins, Baker, Lobley, D Gallimore, Barks (Train, 62), Kemp, Wilson, Shrimpton, L Gallimore (Wilkinson, 75), Dawson, Jessop (Chadli, 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Balme, Silva.