Report: Iron 1-1 Stevenage

United earned a draw at home to Stevenage on Easter Monday. Harry Bunn’s strike drew the Iron level after an early second half goal from Stevenage forward Jamie Reid.

Scunthorpe came into the game having made four changes from Friday’s game at Leyton Orient. There were first league starts for Cameron Wilson and Jack Moore-Billam, while Joe Nuttall came into the side along with right-back Luke Matheson.

It was a vital game for visitors Stevenage; a win would boost their hopes of survival in the EFL.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors. A good bit of hold-up play from Luke Norris earned the visitors a chance. A nice throughball to Elliott List was played by the striker. The shot was driven low and breezed just past the left-hand post of the Scunthorpe United goal.

The first booking of the game made its way to Jai Rowe; the Iron player made a late challenge on Stevenage striker Norris. The away side crossed the ball into the area, but it was defended well by the Iron.

Boro received another chance minutes later when a loose ball made its way to Jamie Reid on the edge of the area; a tricky half volley was driven into the ground and the ball flew past the left-hand post of the Iron goal, with Rory Watson watching it go behind for a goal kick.

The first Iron opportunity came when Ryan Delaney made a long pass to midfielder Liam Feeney, who brought the ball down and crossed into the away side’s penalty area. No Iron player could get onto the dangerous ball and the opportunity faded away.

In the 21st minute, the best chance of the game fell to the home side. A good delivery from Feeney found its way to the head of Joe Nuttall, who got good contact on the ball, and he saw his header narrowly miss the target.

Good work on the right-hand side from Feeney earned the Iron another chance; this time Luke Matheson found himself in an attacking position and on the half volley he took on the shot and the ball struck the left-hand post and went behind for a Stevenage free-kick.

A few minutes later, the away team broke up the field and Norris saw his shot saved by Watson, who got down to his right quickly, but he pushed the ball into the path of Jake Taylor. The Boro midfielder had an open goal but he couldn’t convert the chance and fired the ball over the bar.

The away side worked the ball out to the right and a chipped cross made its way into the box; Taylor met the ball and a strong header was saved by Watson. The rebound was then picked up by Stevenage and Matheson blocked the shot on the line. It was a difficult ball to deal with but Matheson turned on the line and managed to scramble the ball away to safety.

Another chance opened up for the visitors in the 45th minute. List tried a shot from around 10 yards out and saw it tipped away by Watson’s left-hand. The Iron keeper got down quick to his left to prevent Stevenage taking the lead.

The second half got underway and the away side started off the brightest; a strong tackle from Delaney earnt him a booking early in the half. Nothing came from the resultant free-kick and the Iron cleared their lines.

Scunthorpe’s first opportunity of the half came when Cameron Wilson broke down the left-hand flank and delivered a dangerous ball into the area which Nuttall couldn’t connect with. Any touch would have likely taken the ball past Christy Pym (the Stevenage goalkeeper),

The first goal of the game went to the visitors. A ball into the area by Chris Lines found its way to an unmarked Reid. The forward took the ball down and turned, then unleashed a shot which went right into the bottom left-hand corner of the Iron goal. Watson couldn’t do anything to stop it and he saw the ball hit the back of the net.

As the Iron looked to get back into the game, they made a double change. Nuttall was replaced by Jordan Hallam and Harry Bunn replaced Wilson; both came on to try and add a bit of energy to the game and turn the result in Scunthorpe’s favour.

Substitute Bunn was presented with a good opportunity just a few minutes after he came on. He beat a Stevenage defender and then unleashed a strong shot which looked to be on target but Scott Cuthbert blocked the shot.

Bunn got another opportunity and this time he finished the chance off. Fellow substitute Hallam delivered a precise ball into the area and Bunn met it on the volley and fired the ball into the top right-hand corner. A great finish from the striker put the Iron level. The two players introduced to the game made an instant impact. This gave the home side a massive confidence boost and they looked to push on and get the winner.

Bunn created another opportunity late on. The striker drove forward with the ball and laid it off to Feeney who took the shot on but it was blocked well by the Boro defence.

That concluded the afternoon. The result didn’t do anything for the visitors, it keeps them 22nd in the league, but the Iron pick up their first point since March.

IRON: Watson, Delaney, Beestin (Lewis, 87), Nuttall (Hallam, 65), Rowe, Wilson (Bunn, 66), Feeney, Gallimore, Moore-Billam, Young, Matheson.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Foster, O’Malley, Shrimpton, Grant.

STEVENAGE: Pym, Wildin, Coker, Cuthbert, List (Daly, 90), Taylor, Norris, Lines, Vancooten, Reid, Bostwick.

STEVENAGE SUBS NOT USED: Walker, Prosser, Andrade, Upson, O’Neill, Read.

ATTENDANCE: 2,439.