After a more than impressive start to the season for the Iron, they were back in action in the Enterprise National League for their second away fixture of the campaign against the Yellows of Sutton United.
Without a fixture in midweek due to postponement, Scunthorpe were looking to carry on their early momentum against a Sutton side that had fallen to some heavy defeats to start the season.
Regarding Andy Butler’s team selection for the afternoon, he maintained the majority of his side from the opening two fixtures, however he was forced into one defensive minded change with full-back Branden Horton missing out through illness his replacement Tyler Denton was brought in for his league start of the season. Elsewhere, there was one other alteration to the match day squad with goalkeeper Rory Watson selected amongst the substitutes following a recent return from injury.
Following a change of ends prior to the start of play it was the hosts who started proceedings with a long forward punt, looking to put United under some early pressure on home soil.
Despite a bright start from the hosts, it was the Iron who looked the more likely to take the lead when a smart corner routine allowed Cal Roberts to retrieve possession on the right flank. After checking and chopping to create some space, Roberts would appear to be hacked to the floor by a Sutton defender. With large Scunthorpe penalty appeals echoing around the ground the referee would opt against pointing to the spot, choosing to give a defensive free-kick for simulation.
Following this talking point the hosts would have a chance of their own to take the lead when a quick free kick over the top of the Scunthorpe defence found the run of striker Brandon Njoku. With Njoku bursting through on goal he had but to square the ball to a teammate for what would’ve been a certain goal, only for the former Cambridge man’s cross to be sublimely blocked by the recovering Will Evans.
After an entertaining start to the fixture, it was to be United who made the most of their chances by breaking the deadlock. With Oli Ewing looking dangerous down the left hand-side the midfielder would square the ball into the path of inform forward Declan Howe inside the penalty area who added a dept touch onto the pass to turn it beyond the keeper and the Sutton defender on the line who could only turn the ball into the goal for 1-0.
With the game in their grasp and the Iron looking dominant, chances were flowing for Butler’s boys who very nearly increased their lead to two through a quality piece of interplay. It was a tidy lay of from Howe to Ewing on this occasion that opened up the space for the former Leicester man on the edge of the area, who proceeded to attempt a finessed shot around goalkeeper Jack Sims who was left scrambling to his right, only for the ball to narrowly avoid the target.
With 34 minutes on the clock the hosts would find a rather undeserved equaliser with their first real opportunity of the game. After the initial contact from a dangerous corner into the area was sent spiralling into the air, a crowd of Sutton bodies emerged in order to attack the loose ball, with central defender Jack Taylor getting underneath the ball to nod the home the leveller from a matter of yards.
From this moment onwards in the first period it seemed as though the hosts had found a new lease of life. Despite not being able to create a chance of note in the time between the equaliser and the break it was clear the Yellows looked hungry for the second half before it had even begun.
When the teams returned for the second period at Gander Green Lane, Sutton kickstarted proceedings in a similar manner to how the first ended with a persistent spell of attacking.
It was this very period of dominance for the hosts that saw the Yellows go ahead for the first time in proceedings. With the ball out wide down the left side full-back Lewis Simper would look to whip a ferocious cross into the area for the run of Njoku at the far post. The cross was to be pinpoint from Simper with Njoku waiting to pounce which the striker did with a fantastic header into the bottom corner for 2-1.
Now behind for the first time it was to be a massive test of Scunthorpe’s character to come back from the position they found themselves in, which they would give themselves a chance of doing with a quick-fire equaliser from substitute Oli Rose. After driving forward at the Sutton defence at pace, Roberts would look to slide the ball back to the edge of the penalty area where Rose was waiting to almost pass the ball into the bottom corner in what could’ve easily been mistaken for a striker’s finish.
The Iron were now hungry for more than just a point from the game and went in immediate search of a winner by conducting another offensive onslaught. After winning a free-kick 25 yards from goal, Roberts stood over the set piece and set himself to cross the ball to the back post. The eventual cross from the Scunthorpe man was sublime as it arrowed towards Evans at the far post whose header was flicked back into the danger area by Sims, this reaction stop from the goalkeeper allowed Whitehall to latch onto the loose ball and prod it home in true poacher’s fashion.
After two quick fire goals it was the hosts who were chasing the game once again and their hopes of drawing themselves back level would be hindered by referee Andrew Humphries, with the official having no choice but to reduce the Yellows to ten men after Simper’s two footed lunge on Joe Rowley was deemed to be high.
With the game advancing into its latter stages the hosts weren’t appearing to be a man down as they launched the ball forward with desperate hopes of an equaliser. After being called into action on several occasions in the second-half, Campbell was there to deny the hosts best opportunity with a strong save to push Njoku’s effort wide of the target, with the second ball falling to a Sutton player who sent his goal bound strike straight at Denton who denied the shot with a brilliant block.
A cruel eight minutes of injury time had turned United into the walking wounded but their belief remained, shutting down the Yellows at every avenue. With a matter of minutes remaining the hosts would come close as an effort from range soared towards the bottom corner but was ultimately batted away by Campbell who produced a fine stop to confirm another vital three points for his side. It had been by no means pretty, but it was another show of strength from Scunthorpe to win the scrappiest of games.
IRON: Campbell, Evans, Boyce, Howe (Ubaezuonu, 76), Beestin (Scales, 32 (Rose, 49)), Whitehall, Roberts, Rowley (Chadwick, 76), Ewing, Starbuck, Denton.
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Belehouan, Beck.
ATTENDANCE: 2,332 (365 away)
REFEREE: Andrew Humphries
