United reached the second round of the FA Youth Cup, after Jack Moore-Billam's early strike secured a 1-0 away victory at Shrewsbury Town, but it came after resolute defending in the second half and more than one superb save from Owen Foster in goal.
With three minutes gone, Louis Lloyd steamed down the right channel for the Shrews and looked to float in a cross, but the ball cleared the crossbar, and hit the roof of the net, resulting in a goal kick to the Iron.
Just a minute later, there was good defending from Ethan Young as he chased a ball back towards his own goal before turning onto his left foot and sending the ball down the left channel.
Scunthorpe took the lead on six minutes as superb play saw Harry Lewis receive a give-and-go direct from his throw on the left. He then fed the ball first time into the path of Moore-Billam, who got some space in the area, slotting the ball between the ‘keeper’s legs.
Four minutes after, United goalkeeper Foster came a long way to claim a long cross-field ball into his penalty area, but it was an early shout and a commanding catch from the No 1.
After 12 minutes, Moore-Billam played short into Harrison Poulter. He turned and shot, but his effort was blocked, and the ball fell for Tyrell Sellars-Fleming who also saw his effort blocked en route to goal. Young then sent a third effort over the bar.
With 13 played, Poulter went up for an aerial battle as he looked to steer home a right-winged cross, but he received a shove in the back and ended up on the deck. The offside flag was already up very early to thwart any penalty shouts.
Jenson Cooper was then slipped in on the right side of the area for the hosts, with his effort beaten around the post by Foster for a Shrewsbury corner.
On 19 minutes, there was a penalty shout for the hosts as Young and Louis Lloyd grappled for possession as the ball bounced in the area. The Shrewsbury forward hit the deck, but the referee let play continue.
The Iron then turned defence into attack down the left channel, which culminated in a chance for Poulter, but his effort went across goal and narrowly wide.
Three minutes later, Moore-Billam’s corner was a good delivery, with the ball headed away. Oliver Lobley sent the ball back into the area with a header before Young’s goal bound effort was blocked by the legs of a defender.
Not long after, Foster did well after taking a heavy touch from a backpass to stall forward Jamie Spiers, before he blocked the long range shot on goal and gathered at the second attempt.
With 31 minutes played, there was a a superb save from home goalkeeper Thompson to deny Sellars-Fleming. Harvey Cribb won the aerial battle, Moore-Billam slipped in Sellars-Fleming, with the forward almost beating Thompson from a tight angle on the right side of the six-yard box.
On 34 minutes, Ben Crompton’s header for the Shrews was off target following a free-kick from the right. Foster gathered and played quickly down the right as the Iron turned defence into attack.
Nat Wallace played a lovely side-footed through ball first time on the volley in the 39th minute for Sellars-Fleming. He strode forward, beat one defender, but found the second in the way to thwart him going through on goal.
Three minutes before half-time, Shrewsbury latched onto a second ball following a knocked down free-kick from the right channel. An acrobatic effort came in, but Foster was equal to it and comfortably gathered.
Soon after, there were bodies on the line from the Iron defence as a loose ball fell to a Shrewsbury forward, but that effort was blocked before Wallace lashed the ball away from danger.
Right on the stroke of half-time, there was a glorious chance for a second as Cribb fed Lewis down the left. He played a superb ball ahead of the last defender for Sellars-Fleming who inched the ball past the advancing ‘keeper, but just past the far post.
At the start of the second half, the hosts won a free-kick on the right, with the ball floated into the area. It took a touch off a Shrewsbury head and out of play for a goal kick.
Josh Robertson was then denied by Thompson with a header on goal in the 49th minute, shortly after the Shrews goalkeeper punched clear a very inviting corner into the six-yard box.
Three minutes later, Poulter was threaded in on goal, but Thompson raced out of his area to head clear to thwart him.
There was superb work from Wallace not long after, as he outmuscled the Shrewsbury left-back and looked to advance forward, shrugging off the ball. He then strode down the right before his cross only just evaded the touch of Sellars-Fleming.
There was then a chance for the hosts as Lloyd broke the offside trap and ran through, but the ball bobbled off his boot following his first touch, with Foster out to pounce on the loose ball.
Then, at the other end, Wallace did well again on the right, this time cutting inside and feeding Poulter. He turned on his left foot and curled an effort towards goal, with Thompson just about holding onto the ball.
With 64 minutes gone, there was a fine save from Foster down to his left to deny a powerful drive from 25-yards from Callum Wilson. The resultant corner was a good delivery, curling in towards goal, but Robertson headed away from danger.
After 71 minutes, a low cross-field ball squeezed through to Spiers, who advanced on goal before drilling a shot towards goal, with Foster again equal to the effort.
Two minutes later, there was a superb tackle from Lewis inside the area, before Foster pulled off his best save to date, somehow getting down low to his right to deny Cooper from six-yards out.
Not long after, there was a big chance for a second as Poulter did exceptionally well to emerge with the ball as the defence looked to shield it out of play. He then looked to find Sellars-Fleming, but the ball dropped for Moore-Billam who sent his shot over.
As the clock showed 84 minutes, the crowd wanted a penalty as Cooper hit the deck after Lobley moved out the way as he looked to climb him from a cross. There were no appeals from anyone on the field of play and a goal kick was given.
Spiers then peeled away from his marker from a right-winged cross, but angled his header over the bar.
With two minutes left, Crompton won the header from a cross into the area, but it was straight down Foster’s throat as he gathered comfortably.
In the first minute out of five in stoppage time, Foster was beaten as a long throw came in and was flicked towards the far post, but Lobley was on the post to head the ball away just as it was about to cross the line.
Then, a minute later, the Shrews hit the underside of the bar from long range before the follow-up hit the inside of the post and landed between the grasp of Foster.
SHREWSBURY: Thompson, Wilson, Bailey (A Brown, 87), Hutchings, Crompton, Kaninda (Akinwe, 87), Owusu-Gyimah (Etienne, 60), Barlow, Cooper, Spiers, Lloyd.
SHREWSBURY SUBS NOT USED: S Brown, Kirby-Moore, Vicente, Antal.
IRON: Foster, Wallace (Elliott-Bell, 94+5), Lewis, Moore, Young, Lobley, Moore-Billam, Robertson, Poulter, Sellars-Fleming, Cribb.
IRON SUBS NOT USED: Franklin, Strouther, Pike, Burden.