With pre-season done and dusted for another year the Iron would open their 2025-26 National League season with a trip to one of their former foes in recent years in the form of Tamworth FC.
With Scunthorpe’s only prior experience of the Lamb Ground coming on the opening day of the season two years prior, Andy Butler’s side would be looking to make a strong start to the new campaign against a robust and determined Lambs side who were being led into battle by experienced serial winner Andy Peaks.
With regards to United’s team selection for the afternoon the Iron would shape up in a familiar four at the back formation with newly appointed captain Andew Boyce at the heart of the Scunthorpe defence. Elsewhere, there were competitive debuts handed defender Branden Horton, creative midfielder Oli Ewing and talisman forward Dec Howe who all came into the fixture with impressive pre-seasons under their belts.
It was the Iron who got the game underway and in doing so truly signified that finally football is back with a long ball forward into the oppositions final third.
After dealing with the first of Tom Tonks’ dangerous long throws United would look to mount a first attack of their own. after a smart flick from Howe to release Cal Roberts would be hauled down 25 yards from goal setting up a promising free-kick. With several Iron bodies over the set-piece it would be Danny Whitehall who stepped up to the plate and took it upon himself to produce one of the most picture perfect free-kicks you will ever see by wrapping the ball over the wall and past the planted Jas Singh, who stood no chance of denying Whitehall of his first goal of the campaign.
In the minutes that followed the goal that broke the deadlock Scunthorpe would look to maintain control over the fixture, despite managing to do just that the Lambs would come close to an equaliser with no more than 10 minutes on the clock. It was winger Tyler Roberts who created the opportunity when he carried the ball into the United penalty area from the left, as Roberts set up to strike the ball across goal, he would see the ball scythed from under his foot by the recovering Will Evans with what was an almost certain goal preventing tackle.
With the half progressing into an intense battle at the Lamb United would look to build on their advantage with a second. After a cunning counterattack set the Iron on their way the ball would be threaded into the run of Roberts who skipped beyond his marker and set himself to run through on goal. As Scunthorpe’s start man ran through on goal, he had just Singh to beat, until the hosts produced a fantastic recovery tackle of their own with a Tamworth defender wrapping his foot around the ball to hook it clear of danger.
With half-time approaching the Lambs would believe they’d found the equaliser they desired from their signature set-piece routines. With the initial knock down being won by a Tamworth defender they would go on to jump on the second ball and somehow scramble the ball into the goal. However, assistant referee Thomas Harland would deny the hosts of a goal as he lofted his flag in the air to signal there had been a foul on goalkeeper Maison Campbell.
Despite having one chalked off by the assistant he would be the one to award Tamworth’s eventual leveller after a tight call. Another long hurl into the area by Tonks would craft the goal as despite a sensational save from Campbell to deny an effort from point blank range the follow up would fall kindly to defender Haydn Hollis who lashed his strike against the underside of the bar before possession was swept away by the Iron, however the ball was deemed to have crossed the line making the game all square.
With half-time just matter of minutes away Scunthorpe would dig deep when it mattered to produce a ‘total football’ esque goal to restore their lead. After Starbuck neatly hacked the ball into the channel for Roberts to run on to, the United forward would slide the ball across the penalty area for the run of Whitehall, instead of attempting to take the shot himself Whitehall would instead let the ball run into the path of Ewing who made no mistake in marking his debut with a tremendous goal by smashing the ball beyond Singh for 2-1.
This would be the end of the first-half’s action with what had been an insanely physical yet impressive half of football from the Iron, who were well worth their lead heading into the break. When the teams returned for the second period it would continue in the same manner from the first, an extremely competitive encounter with both sides putting on an entertaining display.
There was quite frankly nothing to report for the majority of the second half as the game began to slow down with several long-winded stoppages of play that caused the hosts to become desperate.
The closest United would come to expanding their lead would come through the ever-hardworking Howe. After latching onto a lofted ball into the oppositions final third, United’s summer signing would find himself in a very wide position but still fancy his chances to strike the bouncing ball goalwards which he would do sweetly as the ball dropped marginally wide of Singh’s far post.
From that moment onwards the hosts would begin to gain control of the fixture as they flooded forward frantically for another equaliser. The introduction of winger Beck-Ray Enoru to proceedings had sparked life into the hosts who went close on the 70th minute mark. After driving at his marker, Enoru threaded a cross into the Scunthorpe area that cannoned off Will Evans who’s attempted clearance bounced back off the post and back into Campbell, however the ball fortunately deflected behind for a corner off of the goalkeeper.
With the fixture coming to a nail-biting finale, it was the Lambs who were creating chances and Tyler Roberts was presented with an ideal one to level the scores late on. It was another troublesome ball into the area from Enoru that found Roberts’s disguised run in the centre of the area who’s headed effort made time stand still as it glided towards the corner, however United were fortunate as the ball dropped marginally wide of the target.
With a large stoppage in play resulting in an enormous 11 minutes of additional time the Iron continued to do the dirty work in both attack and defence, determined to hold onto their slender lead. With just seconds remaining in the encounter the hosts would have their best chance to draw the game level through Enoru when he raced into the Scunthorpe penalty area, leaving him alone with just Campbell to beat. The United goalkeeper rushed to meet the Tamworth winger and did everything right to deny Enoru with a diving save to guarantee the three points.
This would be the final kick of the game with the Iron securing an hard-fought and perfect victory on the day and in doing so made it four straight years of opening day victories.
IRON: Campbell, Horton, Evans, Boyce, Howe (Beck, 82), Beestin (Scales, 60), Whitehall (Ubaezuonu, 66), Roberts (Chadwick, 82), Rowley, Ewing (Rose, 82), Starbuck.
IRON SUBS: Belehouan, Eze
ATTENDANCE: 2017 (806 away)
REFEREE: Elliott Swallow
