Report: Farsley Celtic 1-5 Iron

The Iron won 5-1 at National League North side Farsley Celtic in their final warm-up game ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Debutant Reagan Ogle gave United an early lead before they were pegged back, however substitutes Cameron Wilson, Nat Wallace and Charlie Burden-Whittleton (two) tipped the game back into Scunthorpe's advantage.

On three minutes, Andrew Boyce got in the way of a goalbound effort before George Taft headed away from under the crossbar. The Iron cleared and broke with Joe Nuttall and found Liam Feeney. His first effort, a powerful one, was beaten away by the home goalkeeper Max Dearnley before his second effort towards the corner was also saved.

Five minutes into his Scunthorpe debut, Ogle coasted in at the back post to send the ball across goal and into the roof of the net. The chance came from Mason O’Malley’s cross after Alfie Beestin had fed him down the left.

On nine minutes, the Iron came forward again, first down the left with Feeney seeing his cross headed away. Nuttall then picked the ball up on the right and coasted into the box before flashing a low ball across the face of goal.

With 18 minutes gone though, former Iron forward Jimmy Spencer lifted the ball over Marcus Dewhurst for the equaliser for the hosts.

Eight minutes later, Jacob Butterfield spreaded play wide right to Ogle following good work from Beestin and Elliott Whitehouse. Ogle ran at his man but wass beaten to the ball by the Farsley goalkeeper after getting inside the box.

On 28 minutes, Feeney then worked the ball down the left before teeing up O’Malley for the cross. Ogle won the header, but the ball hit the defender and was cleared.

Ogle picked up the ball five minutes later, cutting inside across the half way line and driving towards the area. His threaded pass was intercepted, but Beestin picked up the ball before the hosts won it back soon after.

With 35 minutes on the clock, there was a vital touch from ex-Iron defender Andy Butler to head away an inviting cross from O’Malley as Dan Gallimore raced into the area. From the resulting corner, Butterfield saw his 25-yard effort blocked, with the ball ricocheting into the area and gathered by the goalkeeper.

Three minutes before the half-time break, the hosts waned a foul as ex-Iron George Hornshaw went down and stayed down in midfield. Play continued as Beestin teed up Feeney, who flashed a volley wide of the target from 20-yards out.

With 53 minutes gone, the hosts got in down the right channel before putting a low cross across goal. Ogle did enough to thwart any contact inside the six-yard box as the ball ran away for an Iron throw. Farsley then angled a shot wide across goal after they were slipped into the penalty area on the left side.

Ten minutes later, Gallimore stole possession before the ball was fed to Butterfield. His long range shot was deflected behind for a corner though. Beestin won the header from the corner, with the effort going over the bar.

There was then a raft of Iron changes, with the ten outfield players being replaced with fitness ahead of the season opener against Yeovil Town next week in mind.

On 66 minutes, Dewhurst made a decent save following a powerful shot from outside the box before the hosts were awarded a free-kick wide left. Butler rose highest to meet it, but sent his header across goal and wide.

Three minutes later, the hosts then sent a volley wide of the target from 20-yards after the Iron cleared an initial free-kick into the area.

In the 71st minute, Nat Wallace drove forward and teed up Finley Shrimpton before the cross to the back post was headed across goal by Ben Pike. Butler cleared but Jack Moore-Billam picked up the ball and fed Harry Lewis, with his low cross from the left well gathered by the goalkeeper.

There was then a fine save from Dewhurst low down to his left as the hosts were slipped in on the left side of the area, with the low effort heading for the far corner pushed around the post for a corner.

With 77 minutes gone, Shrimpton went in with a last ditch tackle as the ball was rolled to a Farsley substitute inside the area. The forward did manage to stab a boot at the ball, but it rolled beyond Dewhurst’s right-hand post.

Just a minute later, Scunthorpe retook the lead as Jai Rowe held up the ball for Pike on the far side. He nodded it down to Wallace who got himself into the area before cutting the ball back for Cameron Wilson, who sent an effort into the net.

Wallace went from provider to scorer in the 81st minute, as the second-year scholar sent an effort into the roof of the net shortly after Lewis saw his goal bound effort blocked.

Three minutes later, it was four for the Iron, with first-year scholar Charlie Burden-Whittleton getting in on the act. He shrugged off the final defender after being played in, before rolling the ball into the net.

Burden-Whittleton got his second in two minutes just after, as he steamed in at the back post with a volley following a cross from the left by Wilson.

IRON: Dewhurst, Ogle (Cribb, 64), O’Malley (Young, 64), Whitehouse (Shrimpton, 64), Boyce (Pike, 64), Feeney (Burden-Whittleton, 64), Beestin (Lewis, 64), Nuttall (Wilson, 64), Taft (Rowe, 64), Butterfield (Wallace, 64), Gallimore (Moore-Billam, 64).