The Iron were back on the road for tonight’s action as they travelled to the north east with hopes of extending their impressive midweek record for the 2024-25 campaign with eight consecutive victories under the lights.
There hosts were to be play-off chasers Spennymoor Town who came into the game on the brink of the top seven and with hopes of a major result to aid their promotion hopes.
In regard to United’s team news for the evening, the main talking point was the offensive line with the extended absence of Danny Whitehall who remained sidelined for the fixture despite initial hopes of a return. First team manager Andy Butler made two alterations to his side that drew with Radcliffe at the weekend with firstly central defender Will Evans missing out due to injury concerns and he was replaced by Maxim Kouogun. The last of the changes was local forward Sam Fishburn who dropped to the bench for Kian Scales adding further security to the Iron midfield.
As the game kicked off under a heavy cloud of bonfire night smoke, supporters were treated to early signs of a promising encounter with early chances a plenty at the Brewery Field.
The first real opportunity of proceedings was created by the hosts as a recycled corner made its way out to former Iron attacking midfielder Isaac Fletcher, the former Middlesbrough man has been in red hot form this campaign and looked to continue this with an ambitious effort from the edge of the box that he looked to wrap into the top corner only for it sail just over the crossbar.
Mere minutes after the chance for the Moors they would create an opportunity for their opponents out of their own doing. The ball made its way out to Ross Barrows on the right-flank who with limited options whipped a hopeful ball into the box that Michael Ledger tried to head back to the goalkeeper James who misjudged the header and was forced to gather the ball off his own goal line in an immense scramble.
After some back-and-forth action throughout the first half the deadlock would be broken in the 32nd minute by Scunthorpe. It was Barrows again causing problems for the Spennymoor defence as he gratefully received a cross-field switch from Tyler Denton and advanced into his oppositions final third. With nobody closing him down the wingback was allowed to drive further and further before unleashing an unstoppable rocket at James that he could do nothing about to deny making it 1-0.
The Moors refused to stay behind for long on their home turf and within five minutes they had struck level from a set-piece. It was softly given free-kick on the right of the penalty area that gave the hosts the means of drawing level when Matty Dolan stood over it. Dolan went to send the ball into the crowded Scunthorpe area but his in swinging cross evaded all attempts of a clearance and snuck into the bottom corner.
With an equaliser under their belt’s momentum was now fully with the home side who began advancing for a second before the break. The Moors press was relentless, and this would force a defensive mistake out of Fitzsimons in the Scunthorpe goal. A loose back pass put the shot stopper under the cosh, and he was hence dispossessed by Fletcher and forced into bringing down the forward to give Spennymoor a penalty.
Fletcher would claim the spot kick and face-off against Fitzsimons. After his penalty heroics at the weekend there was high hopes that Scunthorpe’s 'keeper would save the spot kick, however there was nothing he could do to deny his opponent who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give his side the lead going into half-time.
After the break a much improved second half performance was required if any form of points were to be recovered. However, early proceedings indicated that the hosts had no intent of surrendering their lead easily as they continued to surge forward.
Just five minutes into the second half a huge chance would go amiss for the hosts from just yards out. It was former Newcastle man Tom Allan who went on a wonder run and danced his way into the Scunthorpe area. After driving at Fitzsimons, Allan sat down the goalie and attempted to tee up his teammate Fletcher from just five yards, who somehow placed the ball wide of the post.
In a half full of goal line scrambles and a sustained period of kick and chase from the hosts who were being pushed to the limit by Butler’s inspired substitutions.
It was one of these previously mentioned changes who would conjure the opportunity to level the game as Max Brogan weaved into the penalty area and was cynically chopped down to earn his team a penalty. Iron’s star man Cal Roberts stepped up to the plate and produced the same product as Fletcher in the first half by sending James the wrong way from 12 yards to equalise.
The pendulum had well and truly swung at the Brewery Field as United were now playing a free-flowing style after a positive formation change. However, that momentum would be halted in controversial fashion when the referee blocked off Fin Shrimpton following an inside pass to him, leaving Scunthorpe exposed in defence allowing the Moors to break and at the death Moors captain Rob Ramshaw clinically put the game to bed with a finessed finish.
This would put the nail in the coffin for United as despite throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents they were denied the points on the road yet again.
THE IRON: Fitzsimons, Nicholson (Fishburn, 59), Kouogun, Boyce, Clunan, Beestin, Roberts, Ubaezuonu (Brogan, 67), Scales (Shrimpton, 67)), Denton, Barrows.
IRON SUBS: Kelly, Rowley.
