Report: Iron U23s 2-2 Huddersfield Town Reserves

The Iron gained a point in Group C of their Central League campaign as they drew 2-2 with a strong Huddersfield Town Reserves side.

George Hornshaw and Andy Dales had given the Iron a 2-0 lead at the interval, with Aaron Rowe and Kian Harratt netting in the second half to give the Terriers a sharing of the spoils.

United ended the game with six scholars on the pitch, and began the game with three in the starting line-up, with Harry Baker, Dan Gallimore and Joey Dawson all playing the full 90 minutes.

The Iron started brightly and, after three minutes, good work from Dawson won the Iron a free-kick. The resultant ball into the box was headed goalwards, but the ‘keeper saved.

On 10 minutes, Tom Collins was called into action for the first time as he denied Alex Prithcard from a free-kick which bent over the wall and headed towards the corner of the net. Collins got down to his left to push the ball out for a corner.

The deadlock was broken three minutes later as Gallimore mounted the attack before slotting in Dales. He drove forward before he found Jessop who saw his curling effort hit the post. The Iron maintained possession, with Hornshaw drilling in from outside the box.

15 minutes in, Jessop drove through two challenging players with Butroid makes the overlapping run, but Jessop goes for goal. The effort is saved by the ‘keeper.

Gallimore did well shortly after to deny the visitors as they pressed for an equaliser just as they shaped to shoot.

On 20 minutes, Duhaney forced Collins into another save as his effort was pushed into the air to be gathered at the second attempt.

Collins again saved just a couple of minutes later as Ben Jackson conneced with a cross into the penalty area, with the Iron shot stopper equal to the effort, as he was on 25 minutes when he stood strong as a close range effort came in.

United were also pressing for that second goal with Butroid, Dales and Dawson combining before Gallimore met Dales' run down the left, with the visitors temporarily winning back possession.

Just two minutes later, the Iron did double their lead through Andy Dales. He advanced on goal before shifting the ball onto his right foot and finding the nearside corner of the net.

On 32 minutes, 2-0 could have been 3-0 following a free-kick into the box from the left. Barks connected, with Silva controlling and seeing his shot cleared off the line.

Soon after, Huddersfield got in on the left channel before cutting the ball back to Bright inside the box. He couldn’t connect on his effort as the ball span away for the Iron to clear.

Dales was yellow carded on 36 minutes after clipping the heels of Jaden Brown as the full-back looked to break forward.

The final chance of the first-half fell to Sam Sharrock-Peplow, who sent his volley over the bar following a dinked cross from the right.

The Terriers made four alterations at the break as they looked to come from two goals down and they started brightly, although Scunthorpe did have a couple of corners before their first attempt of the second half came on 50 minuts when Charlie Barks charged down a long range effort.

On 54 minutes, Jessop got back on the line to stop a goal bound shot from Myles Bright before Baker put in a superb tackle inside the area and got the benefit of the double ricochet to win a goal kick.

Just past the hour mark, Oliver Kemp and Oliver Lobley took the total of scholars on the pitch to five, as they replaced Jai Rowe and Harry Jessop, respectively.

Dales, looking to double his tally, then saw his shot clip the outside of the post and go wide on 65 minutes after Dawson had taken down the ball and found Raynner Silva, who played a neat pass into Dales for the chance.

Two minutes later, half-time substitute for the away side Romoney Crichlow headed wide from a corner.

On 69 minutes, Huddersfield halved the deficit as Aaron Rowe slotted his effort into the bottom corner.

Just 60 seconds later, the visiting team threatened to restore parity, but Barks and Collins came across to the near post to block an inbound shot for a corner.

72 minutes in, Gallimore used the outside of his right boot to mount an attack, with Dales eventually getting the ball in the middle, but he was crowded out before being able to pull the trigger.

On 75 minutes, Lobley won a free-kick on the edge of the box after battling for the ball. Lewis Butroid took the resultant kick, hitting the wall, with Gallimore picking up the rebound to send a volley looping over the bar.

The equaliser came 11 minutes from time as half-time substitute Kian Harratt saw his shot bobble across goal and into the net.

With 10 minutes left, first-year scholar Ethan Young took the tally to six academy players on the field with Collins making a fine save shortly after to deny a Huddersfield third.

On 85 minutes, Harratt connected well to a corner, but his header went over the bar.

Two minutes before the end, there was a big penalty shout for the away side as Baker slid in on Sharrock-Peplow, but the referee was unmoved, while Baker cleared off the line in the final minute as the Terriers had one final attempt - Gallimore further clearing the ball as the Iron held onto a point.

IRON: Collins, Baker, Butroid, Hornshaw, Barks, Rowe (Kemp, 61), Silva, Gallimore, Jessop (Lobley, 61), Dawson, Dales (Young, 80).

IRON UNUSED SUBS: Kelsey.

TERRIERS: Bilokapic, Duhaney (Daly, 45), Brown (Rowe, 45), Austerfield, Ayina, Vallejo (Crichlow, 45), McCamley, Jackson, Sharrock-Peplow, Pritchard (Harratt, 45), Bright (Camara, 77).