Scunthorpe United FC

His effort late in the first-half cancelled out the opener from the Ammies' Tom Clarke.

 

The Iron made five changes from the team that won at Cambridge in midweek going into the game, as Myles Hippolyte, Jordan Hallam, Lewis Spence, Jai Rowe and Mason O'Malley came in for Devarn Green, Jem Karacan, Alfie Beestin, Jordan Clarke and Junior Brown.

 

With three minutes gone, Spence put a foot in on halfway to win the ball before Rowe surged down the right. He looked for a give-and-go with Hallam but was fouled on the return, which resulted in a free-kick on the right to the Iron. O’Malley’s in-swinging free-kick into a dangerous area was then punched clear by Vaclav Hladky.

 

Two minutes later, Ibou Touray saw his left-sided cross blocked by Rowe after Richie Towell found him from the right side. United then had a goal kick after a follow-up cross sailed wide.

 

On seven minutes, Hallam was fouled as Alex Gilliead found space to play into him following another interception by Spence. The subsequent free-kick was dinked into the area by Kevin van Veen, with Jacob Bedeau sending a header across the area towards Hallam. The hosts headed clear though.

 

Soon after, there was good play by Hippolyte down the left side as he wriggled free of the challenge before a pass into Eisa inside the box was intercepted.

 

With 11 minutes gone, the hosts had the first real chance of the game as Ian Henderson headed over from close range following a cross from the left side.

 

Seven minutes later, there was an opportunity for the Iron following a superb flick from van Veen to take two defenders out of the game. Hallam was then fed into the area and although his shot beat the ‘keeper, the defence cleared for a corner. The first corner was headed over for another before the second was punched clear by the ‘keeper.

 

United then won the ball back just outside the area with Hallam shaping to shoot before checking back in and finding Gilliead who saw his shot blocked.

 

With 22 minutes played, van Veen was yellow carded for a foul just in front of the dugouts.

 

Van Veen broke the offside trap down the left in the 25th minute before side-stepping a defender inside the area and squeezing in a low cross searching for Eisa, but the hosts cleared.

 

Straight after, Spence took one touch out of his feet before having a go from 35 yards. His shot took a big deflection and rolled towards Hladky in the home goal.

 

Just past the half hour mark, O’Malley read a cross-field ball into the Iron area to head behind for a corner with a forward lurking behind him. However, Tom Clarke hooked the ball into the net for the hosts from the resultant corner.

 

Two minutes after the opener, Jai Rowe was the latest to enter the referee’s notebook following a foul just past the half way line.

 

Just after, Touray controlled and lashed a long range effort over the bar after a cross from the right was cleared by Rowe.

 

In the 41st minute, United won a penalty as Eisa was hauled down in the area by Di'Shon Bernard. That same attacker stepped up and took the spot-kick, as goalkeeper Hladky went the wrong way.

 

With 45 minutes gone, Eisa chased the home defence down once more looking for another mistake from Bernard and did nip in, but the ball ran out for a goal kick. Soon after, Hippolyte was shown a yellow card just before the break.

 

At the interval, Harrison McGahey was replaced by Clarke.

 

Two minutes into the second period, Hippolyte went in for a 50-50, and the referee played an advantage. He then awarded Salford a free-kick after United won the ball back before talking to the midfielder.

 

Soon after, Ashley Hunter threw himself to the ground looking for a free-kick but the referee awarded a throw-in to the Iron. That came shortly after a neat move from Eisa, van Veen and Hippolyte.

 

On 63 minutes, van Veen was replaced by Karacan as United made their second alteration. It came immediately after the Dutchman was penalised for a foul on the halfway line with Salford players asking for him to be carded.

 

The 67th minute saw the Iron block a goalbound effort from Thomas-Asante to concede a corner. The hosts won the header but the Iron deflected that wide for another corner, which Mark Howard punched clear.

 

With 20 minutes left, there was a double Scunthorpe change with Beestin and Green coming on for Hallam and Hippolyte, the latter of whom had stayed down requiring treatment just prior.

 

On 75 minutes, the hosts won a free-kick on the left channel with Jordan Turnbull heading over from close range as the ball was crossed into the six-yard box.

 

Mani Dieseruvwe hit the post in the 80th minute with a header following a corner before Oscar Threlkeld fired over the stadium from the rebound.

 

The 84th minute saw a superb sliding challenge from Rowe on the right side of the penalty area as the hosts entered it.

 

Five minutes of added time were given but neither side could make the breakthrough and the scores ended level.

 

United return to action on Tuesday night when they host Exeter City at the Sands Venue Stadium (7pm k/o).

 

SALFORD: Hladky, I Touray, Lowe, Clarke, Hunter (Andrade, 81), Bernard, Turnbull, Towell (Thomas-Asante, 57), Gotts, Coutts (Threlkeld, 57), Henderson.

 

SALFORD SUBS NOT USED: Evans, Eastham, Burgess, Dieseruvwe.

 

IRON: Howard, Bedeau, McGahey (Clarke, 45), Gilliead, van Veen (Karacan, 63), Eisa, Hippolyte (Green, 71), Hallam (Beestin, 71), Spence, Rowe, O'Malley.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Watson, Brown, McAtee.