After a two-week absence from on the pitch action the Iron returned to league football to face fellow promotion challengers Chester FC.
The Deva Stadium was the venue for the afternoon and United were hoping for a successful venture to the Welsh border against a Seals side desperate to knock Scunthorpe off their National League North table topping perch.
In regard to United’s team news for the encounter, first team manager Andy Butler would make just two changes to the side that disappointingly drew to Oxford City two weeks prior. The first of these alterations was in the centre of midfield where former Chesterfield man Joe Rowley dropped out of the matchday squad to be replaced by energetic middleman Kian Scales. The second of these changes was an all important one for the Iron as the Cameroonian commander Maxim Kouogun returned from suspension to regain his position in defence.
The visiting Iron got the game underway and set about putting their opponents under an onslaught of early pressure. It was this fast-paced start to proceedings that result in several early Scunthorpe corners that provided an early test for the aerial presence of Manchester United loanee Elyh Harrison between the Chester posts.
Despite United’s positive start, an opportunity would present itself for Chester to counterattack in the opening ten minutes and this would lead to the first real chance of the game for the hosts. A long hopeful loft forward was skilfully won back by Seals striker Tom Peers who tipped the ball back to Charlie Caton in a central area who rushed his strike from a promising position and in doing so saw his effort soar towards the corner flag.
As the half progressed, United continued to maintain the majority of possession, however apart from a couple of tame efforts on goal Harrison had been tested on very few occasions. The Cestrians always seemed to have means of coping with Scunthorpe’s attacks and were clearly looking to establish a purple patch of their own.
This previously mentioned period of dominance would come from the 20th minute onwards when the home side would test the Scunthorpe defence with some set-pieces of their own. The most notable of the chances created from this passage of play was when left-back Nathan Woodthorpe got the ball out wide and slid a pinpoint cross into the area that was destined for the foot of Peers in the centre if not for the crucial intervention of Will Evans who snatched a clearance and came inches away from turning the ball into his own net in the process.
With an entertaining first half coming to its close, a golden chance would present itself to United for them to take a much-required advantage into the break. Some quick thinking from goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons after he’d caught a free-kick allowed him to send Cal Roberts on his way in behind the Chester defence with a sensational sidewinder. As Roberts steamed through on goal Harrison rushed forward to meet him and did just enough to rush the midfielder’s eventual shot from a tight angle that was sent spiralling back into play off the goalkeeper. Kian Scales collected the ball and restarted the attack with a smart pass to Roberts in a wide area, after an intelligent look up the former Newcastle man saw the back post run of Danny Whitehall and when the ball eventually found the striker in the box his shot was tipped wide by the recovering keeper.
This would be all she wrote for the first period and the tasty, physical contest was set to continue in the second 45.
When the sides emerged for the second half, Scunthorpe did as they have done on many occasions this season by catching their opponents off guard with a multitude of high intensity attacks, looking to strike a blow to their opponents hopes of a victory with an early goal.
The Iron’s search for an early second half opener was short lived however as when the 60th minute arrived the Cestrians created a chance of their very own to take their lead and they were very unfortunate not to have done so. When Declan Weeks picked up the ball deep in the Scunthorpe half he drove at pace towards the home end and work a yard of space to cross the ball. His low-driven cross was perfectly placed into the run of Peers who failed to connect fully with the ball allowing possession to be calmly turned away by Scales on the goal line.
As time slowly dragged on the more and more desperate both teams became to find a winner and it was becoming increasingly obvious given the sheer amount of hopeless long balls that were being executed.
With the clock ticking down another great chance would emerge for United, and it would turn out to be the last of proceedings. The ball was worked back to Fitzsimons in goal who again proved his passing excellence with an astonishing first-time pass over the top of the Chester defence to set Whitehall in behind into acres of space. Under immense pressure from the recovering Reece Burke Whitehall tussled and turned to try and work the shot and by the time he managed to sting a shot goalward Burke was perfectly positioned to block the goal bound effort and put the sword to a very promising attack.
After four minutes of additional time from which both outfits were purely focused on earning a point and at that it would’ve been a fair reflection of the proceedings given the obvious class that both sides possessed. A stalemate would be the final result on the afternoon and Scunthorpe would keep their place at the summit of the National League North table with the busy winter period fast approaching for Andy Butler’s side.
IRON: Fitzsimons, Nicholson, Kouogun, Evans, Clunan, Beestin, Whitehall, Roberts, Scales, Denton, Barrows.
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Kelly, Boyce, Fishburn, Brogan, Shrimpton.
