The Iron’s Under-18s team were defeated 3-1 by their Burton Albion counterparts at St Georges Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Playing on a beautiful surface, Scunthorpe started really brightly and had an early chance in the third minute. Dan Gallimore put the ball into the box for Miracle Okafor, who shot straight at the goalkeeper.
United continued to press from the front and regained the ball. On five minutes, there was a shot on target for Harry Jessop which the goalkeeper managed to save.
Eight minutes in, Burton had their first chance with a free-kick on the edge of the area. It was put over the crossbar though.
Three minutes later, the hosts opened the scoring as their central midfield player picked up the ball and beat three players, running 30 yards, before slotting into the corner to make it 1-0.
In the 12th minute, Scunthorpe had a chance where Louis Collins forced a save from the goalkeeper.
Burton’s centre forward hit the post on 25 minutes, and they had another free-kick six minutes later that was whipped towards the bottom left-hand corner, but Tom Collins got across and saved it comfortably.
Just before the break, the home side had another chance when a shot was blocked well by Charlie Barks.
In the 48th minute, the Iron levelled as Louis Collins made a good run down the right and pulled the ball back for Okafor, whose shot hit the bar and came back into play and he then netted the rebound.
Three minutes later, a ball over the top from Oliver Kemp reached Louis Collins, whose shot was deflected over the crossbar.
At this stage, Scunthorpe were in the ascendency looking to take the lead. In the 52nd minute, Louis Collins’ overhead kick from just inside the box, after a cross, grazed the crossbar and just went just over.
With an hour gone, a kick from Tom Collins found Okafor and the frontman rounded the goalkeeper but still had a defender to beat. He then squared the ball back to Louis Collins, who shot but the home goalkeeper saved after recovering.
On 63 minutes, Burton had their first chance of the second-half as they broke and a shot from the edge of the box went just wide of the goal.
On 78 minutes, Burton took the lead as a cross was put in at the near post and deflected off Jack Harrison into the net.
With ten minutes left, Albion had another chance as a player went one-on-one against Tom Collins, who saved well with his feet to keep the score at 2-1.
Shortly after, the home side made it 3-1 through another set-piece as a free-kick from a wide area was headed into the goal. They managed to get across to the near post to glance the ball into the corner of the net.
In the 85th minute, United broke and Okafor’s shot went narrowly wide. It was the last chance of the afternoon.
It was encouraging to see so many chances created, but Scunthorpe failed to put them away. They stuck at it though and created chances which on another day might have gone in and the 3-1 scoreline didn’t do the team justice. It was also disappointing to concede two goals, after the changes that were made on 66 minutes, from set-pieces. A positive though was that four Under-16s played.
TEAM: T Collins (Riches, 83), Kemp, Harrison, Shrimpton (Wilkinson, 66), Barks, Jessop (Wilson, 66), Busby, D Gallimore (L Gallimore, 66), Okafor, L Collins, Silva.