The Iron returned to Attis Arena action this afternoon as they welcomed so far relegation candidates Radcliffe FC for what would be the first competitive meeting between the sides.
Scunthorpe were looking to build upon their fantastic performance and 6-0 victory over Farsley Celtic on Tuesday night and the Boro came into the fixture on the back of some positive results on their travels after winning their previous two away fixtures against Brackley Town and South Shields.
United first team manager Andy Butler was forced into two alterations to his side from midweek but with good quality depth to choose from Butler will have been confident with his selection. Firstly, in-form striker Danny Whitehall experienced a slight tweak in his thigh against Farsley and as a result was made to miss out but he was more than capably replaced by striker Carlton Ubaezuonou who was returning from an injury of his own. Elsewhere, after the birth of his child the morning of the game wingback Tyler Denton was left out of the match day squad allowing Scotsman Michael Kelly to make a rare start.
After a slow opening 10 minutes of play, the Iron were forced into an uphill battle as the visiting Boro were applying an onslaught of early pressure down the flanks that was being comfortably dealt with by the ever-present Scunthorpe defence.
It was becoming clear that Radcliffe were looking to exploit United’s high defensive line and were constantly pushing the boundaries of offside. This could be seen in the first real attack of the game when Brad Jackson bombed down the right-hand side and broke the offside trap to break in behind, after composing himself the wing-back swung a delivery into the box where Tunde Owolabi was waiting to meet the cross and headed the ball straight into the grateful grasp of Ross Fitzsimons to diffuse the attack.
With Scunthorpe looking to create a chance that would light a spark in a more than lacklustre half of football they would do so through Alfie Beestin. Fitzsimons built the attack by spraying a long-ranged pass to Kelly on the flank, after chopping inside the Scottish wing-back slipped a pass to Beestin midway into the Radcliffe half. The midfielder picked up possession and drove forward at pace, this allowed him to send a long-ranged shot goalward that flew just over the crossbar of the scrambling Mateusz Hewelt in the Boro’s goal.
As the half progressed the affairs grew scrappier and scrappier as neither side was able to establish a permanent foothold on their opposition and as a result deadlock ensued.
If there was to be a side to draw first blood before the break, then it looked more likely to be the visitors as they continued their physical approach to the game by trying to bully the Iron which was being shown by a number of dangerous tackles and fouls that prevailed right up until the half-time whistle.
Following the half-time break Scunthorpe required an elevated second-half display if they were to take the lead. When the Iron players emerged from the tunnel, they set about breaking down their opponents and would give themselves a great chance to do so when Cal Roberts won a free kick just outside the Radcliffe penalty area. Roberts’ has had a positive track record from set-pieces this season and nearly added to his impressive tally with a beautifully placed effort that dipped over the wall but was brilliantly denied by Hewelt.
The Boro were finding themselves under immense pressure from Scunthorpe during the second periods early exchanges but would remind their opponents of the threat they possessed with a single long ball over the United defence. The ball was struck down the channel and into the run of Owolabi clean through on goal, with just Fitzsimons to beat from inside the area the forward stung a volleyed effort that was sublimely kept out by the outstretched foot of the goalkeeper; however, the referee would pull back the play for a previous offside offence.
No further opportunities would present itself in the game until the 70th minute when the Iron would come the closest yet to breaking the deadlock in what could only be described as a truly poor game of football. The major chance would emerge from a set-piece as Roberts’ free-kick was clipped to the back post where Brad Nicholson nodded the ball back across the box where a scramble would occur, with eight Radcliffe players trying to prevent Maxim Kouogun from tapping the ball into the open goal they managed to do so by flicking the ball back into the air. This wouldn’t be the end of the chance however as the ball would land back on the head of Andrew Boyce whose effort was flying into the top corner if not for the intervention of Jackson on the line to deny Iron hopes.
With the game coming to its close there would be late drama at the Attis Arena as a last gasp penalty was awarded to the visitors. Substitute Anthony Dudley stood over the penalty in an intense face-off with Fitzsimons, Dudley strode up to the ball and attempted to place the ball into the bottom left corner, but it was brilliantly denied by Fitzsimons who well and truly saved his side.
This was to be the last action of proceedings as referee Jonathan Chadwick denied United of a final long throw with a short peep of his whistle to mean that the points were shared.
IRON: Fitzsimons, Nicholson, Kelly, Evans (Kouogun, 20), Boyce, Clunan, Beestin, Roberts, Ubaezuonu (Scales, 66), Fishburn (Brogan, 80), Barrows.
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Rowley, Shrimpton.
