Report: Iron 2-2 Crewe Alexandra

The Iron performed impressively as they drew 2-2 at home to Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, with Jacob Bedeau and Kevin van Veen on target.

The visitors attacked early into the match, with Callum Ainley’s shot on goal just going wide of the post within the first minute.

The Iron weren’t rattled by that early push, dominating possession and making the travelling side fight for the ball for most of the opening minutes of the half. Abo Eisa raced through and slid the ball into van Veen, but the latter couldn’t get a shot away. Meanwhile, a penalty shout was denied as Jordan Gabriel’s cross into the box was blocked by a Crewe player.

15 minutes into the half, Kevin van Veen’s shot on goal was just headed off the line and out for a corner as Scunthorpe continued their pressure.

Through this set-piece, a van Veen corner set Jacob Bedeau up perfectly to head the ball straight into the back of the net, with what was his first goal for the club and of his senior career.

10 minutes later, Daniel Powell did manage to see the ball in the back of the net for the travelling side, but it was called offside by the assistant referee.

Harrison McGahey came close to the Iron’s second goal 15 minutes later. Another van Veen corner saw the ball crossed into the middle of the box before being fired just over the crossbar by McGahey.

The Iron continued to dominate possession throughout the half, as van Veen took aim next after a good tackle by Matthew Lund.

Eisa then had an effort blocked after Junior Brown met a corner but saw the ball punched by away by the away goalkeeper.

It took only one minute into the second half for Crewe to level as Powell scored. His low shot from the left hand-side of the box was sent past Rory Watson and into the back of the net.

They looked to add a second and go ahead but United held firm, and tensions began to rise on the hour mark between the teams as Lund and Perry Ng were involved in an incident on the sidelines after the ball was kicked out of play, wide of the away dugout. Lund was shown a yellow card.

Soon after, an effort from him cleared the crossbar after Lund and Eisa combined. Eisa then curled an effort just wide after a McAtee throughball but was adjuged to be offside.

The Iron came close with just under 20 minutes to go after Abo Eisa’s powerful low shot was superbly saved by Will Jaaskelainen, tipping wide of the post.

The travelling side quickly bounced back from this Iron chance, a minute later, with Chuma Anene scoring their second goal of the game and putting Crewe ahead.

Crewe were not in front for long. Four minutes later, van Veen levelled things up for the Iron after the forward swiftly put the ball in the back of the net with a rocket of a strike from 20-yards out.

Not long after, Perch let fly from the edge of the area but his strike flashed just wide of goal.

Substitute Alfie Beestin had a shot saved after linking up with van Veen while, five minutes from time, Watson made a crucial save for the Iron after Michael Nottingham’s header was headed by Anene towards the goal. The goalkeeper pushed it out of play and saved the Iron from going one goal down again.

In the last minutes of the match, neither team were able to break the stalemate - both walking off with a point.

IRON: Watson, Lund, van Veen Miller, 90+1), Perch (C), Gabriel, Gilliead, McGahey, Brown, Eisa, Bedeau, McAtee (Beestin, 80’).

UNUSED SUBS: Collins, Butler, Sutton, O’Malley, Pugh.

CREWE ALEXANDRA: Jaaskelainen, Ng (C), Pickering, Wintle, Powell, Ainley (Green, 79’), Finney, Hunt, Lowery, Anene, Nottingham.

UNUSED SUBS: Richards, Jones, Kirk, Dale, Offord, Sass-Davies.

ATTENDANCE: 3,139.