Report: Oldham Athletic 2-2 Iron

United earnt a point after a 2-2 draw against Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park.

The Iron came into the game having made the one change from Saturday’s fixture against Torquay United. Jai Rowe dropped out of the team and returning Kgosi Ntlhe replaced him. Former Iron full-back Jordan Clarke also started for the visitors. 

Caolan Lavery got the game underway and a long ball was played immediately up the field to try and catch the hosts out but Oldham were alive to the danger and they cleared it.

The hosts were the ones to create the first chance of the game; Clarke won the ball back in his own half and slotted a ball down the right-hand flank for Jack Stobbs to chase. He drove at the Iron defence with speed and managed to get into the area. However, a heavy touch took the ball away from him and the danger was cleared. 

Athletic got the first goal of the game in the opening minutes. A precise corner into the area was met at the back post by David Okagbue and he directed the ball towards goal and it trickled into the bottom-right-hand corner. Marcus Dewhurst couldn’t get across his goal quick enough and he just saw his net ripple. This gave the home side the lead within the first seven minutes in the game. 

United looked for an immediate response and Rob Apter slotted a lovely through-ball through to Lavery. The Iron striker found himself with one Oldham defender to beat. He drove at the defender and managed to beat him but Oldham recovered well and got many men behind the ball and one of them made a challenge and cleared the danger. 

Jacob Butterfield was the next player to try and find an equaliser for the Iron. He found himself with time and space at around 30-yards from goal. There was only one thought on his mind and he decided to take on the shot from distance but his effort was high and wide of the target and the scores stayed level. 

Scunthorpe continued to create the better chances in the game and they found themselves with another opportunity inside the Oldham penalty area. Joe Nuttall nodded the ball back to Lavery just on the edge of the area and then he laid the ball off to an onrushing Mason O’Malley. The Iron left-back took the shot on first time and it looked to be heading into the bottom corner. However, an Oldham defender slid in to block the shot and deny United an equaliser. 

In the 20th minute, Alfie Beestin was presented with the best opportunity of the game so far. The ball broke free inside the home side’s penalty area and he managed to get there first and unleash a shot. A low shot went through Okagbue’s legs and was heading for the bottom-left corner. It was difficult for Oldham goalkeeper Magnus Norman to see but he got down quickly to make the save. 

United grabbed the equaliser in the 25th minute of the game after a poor mistake from Nathan Sheron. James Carragher played the ball to Sheron and the ball bounced over his foot and broke loose. Nuttall pounced on the mistake and slotted the ball, first time, under Norman and into the bottom-right-hand corner to put Scunthorpe level. This shifted the momentum in the game. 

Apter had a chance a minute later. The Iron winger cut inside on his favoured left-foot and tried to curl and effort towards the far corner. He didn’t strike the ball cleanly and his effort went straight at Norman. 

Athletic created a rare chance in this first half. Mike Fondop found himself 12-yards-out from goal and unmarked. He met a cross but couldn’t manage to direct his effort goalward and his effort sailed past the post and out for a goal kick. 

Mitchell Roberts almost caught Dewhurst out with a cross into the area. His cross looked like it was going to creep into the far corner of the Iron net and he had Dewhurst worried. The ball went just wide of the post much to the Iron keeper’s relief. 

Another mix up at the back from Oldham game gifted the Iron the lead in the game. Nuttall intercepted the ball once again and played the ball into the area. Lavery was there but he miskicked the ball and it fell to Apter who was unmarked. He coolly slotted the ball home from six-yards-out. 

Oldham got the second half underway and they were the ones to get the first chance after the break. A cross was whipped into the area and Fondop was inches away from putting the home side level in the game. George Taft was aware of the danger and managed to get his head there first to clear the ball. 

United got their first chance of the half when Lavery neatly turned his man in the penalty area and managed to unleash a shot from close distance. His touch was a little heavy which meant he had to slide to reach the ball and this gave the defenders time to react and one of them slid in to block the shot. 

Fondop had another big chance in the game (this time he found himself on the right flank). He cut inside and tried to curl a shot into the far corner of Dewhurst’s goal. It looked to be creeping into the bottom corner but it narrowly went the wrong side of the post and off target. 

Athletic continued to press on to try and find the equaliser and they almost found it when John Rooney took on a long-range shot. It moved whilst in the air and Dewhurst had to readjust to make the save. 

The first card of the game made its way to Reagan Ogle and this meant he picked up a one match suspension after receiving five yellow cards over the course of the season. 

Substitute Junior Luamba decided to take on a shot from the edge of the Iron penalty area. A neat bit of footwork earnt him some space and he chose to hit a very powerful strike which missed the target by a matter of inches. It was always rising and this is what took it off target. 

Oldham were given a penalty in the 73rd minute after one of their players went down in the area. It took the referee a while to point to the spot but eventually he did. Ben Tollitt was the one to step up and he placed the ball into the bottom-left corner. Dewhurst guessed the right way but the power took it beyond him and the hosts were level. 

A few minutes later, the home side were denied the lead by an excellent Dewhurst save. Luamba found himself involved again and he met the ball on the volley at the back post. His volley was heading straight in but the United keeper made an excellent reflex save and tipped the ball onto the upright. 

From a corner at the other end, Nuttall was allowed a free header in the Oldham box but this time he couldn’t convert. He drove his header into the ground and it bounced marginally wide of the target. 

In the closing minutes, there was a potential red card shout against Luke Burgess. The substitute made an extremely late tackle on O’Malley and was very lucky to escape with only a yellow card. The tackle was high and late but the referee saw it only as a caution. 

Butterfield tried another one of his trademark long shots in the closing seconds but it was too high and it sailed over the bar. This shot was the last action of the game and it finished two-two. 

IRON: Dewhurst, Ogle, O’Malley, Boyce, Beestin, Nuttall, Lavery, Taft, Butterfield, Ntlhe (57’ Rowe), Apter (74’ Whitehouse).

IRON SUSB NOT USED: Foster, Wilson, Pugh.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Norman, Clarke, Stobbs (46’ Burgess), Sheron, Roberts, Cooper (63’ Luamba), Rooney, Tollitt, Fondop, Okagbue, Carragher.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC SUBS NOT USED: Leutwiler, Wellens, Couto.

ATTENDANCE: 6,074(406).