Report: Scarborough Athletic 0-0 Iron

After an intense end-to-end encounter, the points were shared at the Flamingo Land Stadium with neither side being able to hit the back of the net despite a vast array of chances.

The Iron were back in away action set for a highly anticipated seaside encounter with fellow National League North promotion contenders Scarborough Athletic.

Scunthorpe first team manager Jimmy Dean added three new faces to his ranks with the forward additions of creative midfielder Flynn Clarke on loan from Norwich City, the experienced but heavily versatile Liam McAlinden on a free transfer following his departure from Wrexham and the devastatingly direct Dylan Youmbi on loan from Bradford City. These acquisitions seemed to influence Dean’s starting XI as McAlinden came straight into the side to replace striker Danny Elliott. Elsewhere, two further changes were made as Tyler Denton came back into his familiar left-back position as well as defensively dominant centre-half Andrew Boyce who replaced Maxim Kouogun.

With the Iron getting the game underway at the Flamingo Land Stadium, the fixture took an immediate tone of high intensity as Scunthorpe came out the blocks the better of two sides with a number of valiant attacks that proved to no avail.

The first chance of the encounter fell to the visitors as a well-crafted move down the right-flank allowed the ball to make its way into the feet of in-form wide man Dion Sembie-Ferris, who confidently strode past his opposite man and sild a delicate pass to the captain Michael Clunan. The skipper composed himself, but blazed his effort over the bar from the edge of the area.

Throughout the next 10 minutes of action, the hosts hit back with multiple chances that put strenuous amounts of pressure on the United back line. The first notable opportunity came on 20 minutes as the Seadogs converged on a miss placed backpass from Boyce, from which former Leeds United striker Frank Mulhern pulled a pinpoint pass back to the waiting winger Dom Tear on the edge of the area who sent the ball sailing into the leisure centre next door.

Less than minute later, Scarborough were at it again with a dangerous attack that was forged from dispossessing the Iron far up the pitch. This time it was Alex Wiles to intercept a loose pass, but he snatched at the opportunity by lashing a half-volley wide of the goal that was guarded by Ross Fitzsimons.

As the half drew to a close, Scunthorpe began to take hold of possession within centre of the pitch, using this sustained period of passing dominance a superb chance was created from a corner as a deep Jacob Butterfield cross found the superb darting run from right-back Reagan Ogle, who directed a header goalward that was flicked behind by York City loanee Ryan Whitely. 

As the sides returned to the turf for the second period of play, both outfits were requiring a much better display as they attacked towards their respective supporters.

Dean and his coaching staff seemed to have sparked life into their side based on the opening exchanges of second half play. United were playing with an unlocked freedom that has yet been unseen in the game. The first of a number of exceptional chances for Scunthorpe came from a long-ranged Butterfield free-kick effort that evaded the wall and forced an important diving save out of Whitely.

Within a matter of moments Scunthorpe came within touching distance of an opener as McAlinden was denied a debut goal as he cushioned the ball neatly within the box and directed an effort that was surely goal bound if not for the intervention of a backtracking Seadogs defender.

The next chance of proceedings was awarded from seemingly nowhere to the hosts as the robustness of Mulhern proved too much as he effortlessly shrugged off his marker and struck a dangerous low driven effort just wide of Fitzsimons’s far post.

Despite the Iron dominating possession across the board, the Seadogs were by no means failing to create chances as the afternoons efforts of Frank Mulhern was almost rewarded as he rose highest to meet a fierce delivery, sending a powerful header goalward that crashed against the bar before being hooked away by substitute Tom Pugh.

That was to be all she wrote for the fixture as the sides were bound to a 0-0 draw on the coast. The Iron performed valiantly but did everything but score as the points were shared.

IRON: Fitzsimons, Ogle, Evans, Boyce, Clunan, McAlinden, Butterfield (Elliott, 76), Scales (Pugh, 76), Sembie-Ferris, Denton, Whitehall (Youmbi, 67).

IRON SUBS: Kelly, Kouogun.