United were beaten 3-1 by Barnet on Friday night at Glanford Park.
Friday night football returned to Glanford Park as the Iron faced a strong Barnet side, who sit fifth in the table, under the lights. Jimmy Dean named the first starting lineup of his Scunthorpe career and he chose to start new signings Jake Leake and Gerry McDonagh. Fin Shrimpton and Liam Feeney (both back from injury) were also called into the starting 11.
In the second minute, Leake tried to set up a chance for the Iron by lifting a long throw into the Barnet penalty area. The away side’s defence looked a bit shaky as they failed to deal with the ball in and they allowed Feeney to latch onto the ball. The winger got to the ball on the edge of the area, after it had rolled all the way through the box, but could do nothing with it. It was an early warning sign for Barnet.
Cameron Wilson almost put the Iron one-nil-up a few minutes later. An excellent exchange between Feeney and Reagan Ogle on the right-flank created space for the United right-back to whip a cross into the penalty area. He drilled a low cross into the area and Wilson was the quickest player to react. When the ball came to him, he managed to get a first time shot away and his shot was heading towards the bottom-left corner. Laurie Walker had to scramble across his goal to make an important save to deny the Iron the lead. Scunthorpe had started the brighter of the two teams.
In the 21st minute, the visitors got their first chance of the game. A corner was given after a loose back pass by Ogle went out of play and from that corner a dangerous ball was directed into the danger zone. A Barnet player got their head to the ball first and then it broke free in the area; it was a scramble inside the 18-yard-box and the ball ended up being directed toward Owen Foster’s goal. Luckily the shot had no power and it was an easy save for the Iron goalkeeper to make.
Harry Pritchard was the next Bees player to try their luck on goal. The ball set up nicely for a volley on the edge of the Iron area and he decided to take on that opportunity. Pritchard improvised and tried a spectacular scissor kick but it didn't pay off and his effort blazed over the bar.
The momentum in the game had shifted and soon the visitors took the lead. Dale Gorman found himself standing over a free-kick just outside the United area. The angle was tight so it was expected that he would cross the ball into the area but instead he chose to take the shot on. His shot had the power and certainly the direction it needed. Foster was caught off guard by Gorman’s effort and he saw the shot fly past him and into the back of the net. Barnet had weathered an early Scunthorpe storm and now they had grabbed the opening goal of the game.
In the 40th minute, George Taft had a good opportunity to put the home side level. A pinpoint cross found its way into the penalty area and Taft was the player who climbed the highest. Therefore he got to the ball first and attempted to direct an effort goalward. His effort didn’t really have the power or direction to trouble Walker and it simply rolled out for a goal kick.
A long throw from Leake caused problems once again for the Barnet defence. His throw was directed into the area and the away side allowed the ball to bounce which caused all sorts of problems for them. Elliott Whitehouse anticipated this bounce and he was rushing into the area to get on the end of the long throw. He got his head to the ball, powered it goalward, but his effort didn’t have the direction and it narrowly passed over the bar. United were inches away from levelling the scores.
The visitors got the second half underway. It was a half where United had to respond.
Barnet were looking to grab a second goal early on in the second half; they began the half very strongly and they pinned United back in their own half. In the 52nd minute, the Bees were presented with a corner and they nearly grabbed that second goal they were looking for from it. A ball was whipped in dangerously and it was curling into the far corner of Foster’s net. The Iron keeper was being pushed around but he managed to jump and palm the ball away from any danger.
Gorman grabbed his second goal of the game minutes later. He found himself unmarked just inside of the Scunthorpe penalty area. He had all the space and time in the world. The ball found the Barnet captain, he wrapped his foot around the ball and his strike curled into the top-right corner. This gave the visitors some breathing space in the game and it left the Iron with a lot of work to do.
In the 62nd minute, Gerry McDonagh grabbed a goal back for the Iron, hoping to start the United comeback. A low cross came into the box and McDonagh found himself with acres of space. From around ten yards out, the debutant took on a first time shot and sweeped the ball into the bottom corner. Walker had no chance as the shot was hit with such power and the direction sent the ball right where a goalkeeper couldn’t reach.
Barnet soon restored their two goal lead. David Moyo was allowed a header at goal from close range and he took this opportunity with both hands. He powered his header into the ground and into the net, putting themselves three-one up.
Gorman was inches away from grabbing a fourth goal for the visitors and his hat-trick. He stepped up to take another freekick but this time it was right on the edge of the penalty area. A curling effort was what he went for; the ball curled around the wall and it looked to be heading into the top corner. However, the shot went centimetres wide of the target.
Wilson sent one wide after cutting inside late on, as the Iron couldn’t find two goals to draw the game level and Barnet took all three points with them back to London.
IRON: Foster, Ogle, Whitehouse (72’ Bunker), Boyce, Feeney (64’ Sembie-Ferris), Beestin, McDonagh, Taft, Wilson, Shrimpton (55’ Fewster), Leake.
IRON SUBS NOT USED: Butterfield, Pugh.
BARNET: Walker, Collinge, Armstrong (67’ Woods), Okimo, Gorman, Kabamba, Kanu (93’ Flanagan), Pritchard, Moyo (85’ Diarra), Wynter, Beard.
BARNET SUBS NOT USED: Azaze, Hall.
ATTENDANCE: 5,110 (101 away).