United travelled to The Easy Buy Stadium where they beat Barton Town 4-1 to get pre-season underway courtesy of two penalties and excellent strikes from Alfie Beestin and Devarn Green.
The opening game of the Iron’s pre-season saw several debuts given out. New signings Ross Millen, Harry Davis and Alex Kenyon all started the first half along with Dan Gallimore and Cameron Wilson, who signed professional deals this summer after coming through our academy. Two trialists also featured, one of which went on to win the first penalty.
The first chance of the game came when Davis played a ball forward to Jordan Hallam down the right-hand side. Hallam latched on before going down under a challenge, but nothing was given, and the ball was cleared away.
A minute later there was a half-chance down the opposite wing. Ryan Loft ran onto a pass sent up from Myles Hippolyte, but the Barton keeper came out and collected it.
Hallam continued to be busy down the right-hand side and in the eighth minute he won back possession before giving the ball to Trialist A who sent a cross in for Loft but it was too high.
United carried on applying the pressure to Barton and, in the 15th minute, two of the debutants linked up as Kenyon spread the play with a ball down the right to Millen. The home side stopped the attempted cross though and cleared away.
The Iron got their first goal of pre-season soon after, on 22 minutes. Trialist A was fouled on the right-hand side of the box and subsequently a penalty was given. Loft stepped up and fired low to the goalkeeper's right, who went the right way but was beaten and the ball rolled into the back of the net.
Just after the half an hour mark Hallam drove forward into the area. However, a good challenge was made, and the ball was cleared just as he prepared to pull the trigger.
As the first half wore on, Millen received the ball on the right and attempted to send a low cross into the box but Barton cleared it away. Then, in the 43rd minute, Hippolyte went froward with the ball and sent a cross in from the left, but again it didn’t find the head of an attacker.
Despite the complete change of team, the second half started as the first half finished. In the 46th minute, Beestin played Green in on the left, but the home keeper got there to smother it just in time. Only two minutes after, Aaron Jarvis flicked the ball into the path of Green again who attempted to cross it in, but it was cleared away for an Iron throw in.
Another chance came just after. Tom Pugh drove froward down the right and tried to pick out Kenan Dunnwald-Turan, but the cross had just too much on it and went out for a goal kick.
52 minutes in and United got their second goal and from another penalty. Jarvis ran through and as he went to go round the keeper he was brought down. Beestin stepped up and sent the goalie the wrong way to double the lead.
Following the goal, Green crossed a ball in from the left which was this time met by Dunnwald-Turan. The German rose up but sent the glancing header just off target.
In the 65th minute, Trialist B found space on the left and crossed a low ball into the box which was again met by Dunnwald-Turan who connected but fired his shot wide. Dunnwald-Turan continued to make himself busy as he linked up with Pugh for a one-two. Pugh then crossed the ball in, which forced the Barton keeper into making another save.
United continued to dominate the game even late on. Green cut in from the left and played in Jarvis who fired towards goal; however, his shot was deflected into the path of Jessop who slotted the ball into the side netting.
The Iron added to their lead with 15 minutes to go. After a strong spell of possession Beestin found himself in space on the edge of the area and fired a low and powerful shot into the back of the net for United’s third and his second.
The lead was added to in the 82nd minute when Green got his name on the scoresheet. Trialist B played in the forward who drove down the left before firing past the keeper to make it four.
The clock wore down and everyone seemed to want to get involved in the goals. Finley Shrimpton released another low powerful shot at goal from the edge of the area but this time the goalkeeper got down to save it.
With two minutes to play the hosts got a consolation goal. Former Iron man Scott Matthews curled in a free kick from the right hand side to soften the blow for Barton.
The Iron are next in action on Saturday 17th July as they take on Farsley Celtic in another pre-season friendly.
Iron First Half XI: Watson, Millen, Rowe, Davis, Hippolyte, Trialist A, Kenyon, Gallimore, Wilson, Loft, Hallam.
Iron Second Half XI: Collins, Pugh, Onariase, Taft, Trialist B, Shrimpton, Beestin, Green, Jessop, Jarvis, Dunnwald-Turan.