The Iron were edged out in a 3-2 defeat away from home at York Road, the home of Maidenhead United, in their first away game of the 2022/23 National League season.
Joe Nuttall scored twice for United as he opened his account for the season, but it wasn’t enough to bring anything home to North Lincolnshire.
The Iron entered the game naming an unchanged side from that which beat Yeovil Town 2-1 at Glanford Park a week earlier.
Scunthorpe had the first corner, and big chance, of the game in the third minute. A Liam Feeney ball was met in the air by Nuttall, but it was fired marginally wide of the post.
Maidenhead soon grew into the game, with Upward registering his side’s first shot on goal from range. He wriggled away from defensive challenges, but his effort was tame and Marcus Dewhurst collected with ease.
Reagan Ogle then received the ball out-wide in the 15th minute, whipping a cross which deflected into the goalkeeper’s path before he punched away from danger.
In the 26th minute, captain Feeney struck the woodwork after some neat play from Mason O’Malley which saw the ball played infield. Feeney then took aim but cannoned his shot off the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
Following a drinks break, Maidenhead struck first in the 27th minute. The referee, Robert Massey-Ellis, played advantage which the Magpies took advantage of. The ball was played wide and then slipped into the right side of the area, a low ball across followed and was subsequently tapped in by Acquah.
Minutes later, Feeney and Nuttall combined on several occasions as the Iron looked to muscle their way back into the fixture through crosses and corners. The latter corner during the period was connected with by George Taft, who headed back across goal. Feeney then hooked the ball over his head back into the air to keep the play alive but ‘keeper Dan Gyollai collected.
In the 37th minute, Maidenhead doubled their advantage after Will De Havilland converted the Magpies’ corner.
The same occurred then again, when Kane Ferdinand nipped in towards the near post and scored Maidenhead’s third of the game in the third additional minute just before half time.
With work to do in the second half, Colin Daniel and Alfie Beestin made way for Cameron Wilson and Marcus Carver at the break.
Swiftly after the restart in the 47th minute, the Iron won a penalty through Nuttall. who was shoved to the ground as he went up for a header. The striker then stood up and converted high into the top corner of the net.
The Iron looked a threat again from a corner kick, with Andrew Boyce rising in the 63rd minute, but the header was angled across goal and narrowly wide.
Jacob Butterfield powered a shot in the 66th minute, deflecting off Wilson and then wrong-footing the goalkeeper but it flashed wide.
In the 69th minute, ‘keeper Gyollai made an impressive close-range save with his feet to deny Iron substitution Carver. It came after Wilson had the ball in the box before squaring it to the striker.
With only three minutes of normal time to play, Nuttall rose high in the area to connect with an O’Malley cross and give the Iron another one with time still left to chase the game
With a minimum of five additional minutes given, Maidenhead looked to keep the ball in order to close the game out.
Tempers flared in the 93rd minute as Ogle was clattered after clearing the ball. He retaliated to substitute Dan Sparkes, which saw both players booked, but it was Maidenhead who held out and yielded all three points.
IRON: Dewhurst, Ogle, O’Malley, Whitehouse, Boyce, Feeney (75’ Gallimore), Beestin (46’ Wilson), Nuttall, Taft, Butterfield, Daniel (46’ Carver).
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Rowe, Young.
MAIDENHEAD: Gyollai, Asare, Beckwith, De Havilland, Kpekawa, Clerima, Barratt (75’ Sparkes), Ferdinand, Acquah, Upward, Arthur (81’ Adams).
MAIDENHEAD UNUSED SUBS: McCoulsky, Clifton, Massey.
ATTENDANCE: 1,305.