Following a disappointing result in the League the weekend prior, Scunthorpe were back in action for an evening fixture against Newcastle United U21’s in the National League Cup. With the Iron already eliminated from the competition it was a final chance for the Iron’s squad players to get some much-needed minutes in the tank ahead of the gruelling winter months that were on the horizon.
With regards to the Iron’s team news for the evening, there were near wholesale changes from the side that started at the weekend. The match saw the long-awaited return of Ross Barrows, as 336 days after sustaining a serious injury on New Year's Eve last year, the full back was selected to start. Elsewhere, Aramide Oteh leads the line for United up front after signing as a trialist on non-contract terms, while goalkeeper Louis Jones makes his Scunthorpe debut, having linked up with the squad for the first time at the weekend.
When proceedings started at the Attis Arena, Scunthorpe would be made to grow into the encounter as they were almost immediately put on the back foot by the visiting Magpies, who went in immediate search of the opener.
After several early set-pieces that the United defensive line dealt with, Newcastle would create the first chance of the fixture when Joe Brayson was threaded in behind the defence, sending him clean through with just Louis Jones to beat, only for Brayson to send his effort crashing into Jones, who tipped it around the far post.
In a somewhat possession-based half that Scunthorpe gradually established themselves in, The Iron would go on to take the lead with just over 30 minutes played as Oteh opened his account for the club. From seemingly nowhere, Kian Scales would part the Newcastle defence with a sensational splitting pass through to the debutant forward, who delicately tucked the ball beneath James Taylor to open the scoring.
With half-time approaching and the Iron still in the lead, they would create one major chance to extend their advantage when central defender Jean Belehouan picked up possession and stormed forward into the space ahead of him. Driving towards the penalty area, Belehouan would sting an effort towards goal that flew across the face of the target, narrowly avoiding the top corner as it curled behind for a goal kick.
This would bring the first half to an end, with Scunthorpe ending the period firmly in control, something Andy Butler’s side would be looking to continue in the second 45 following an array of alternations at the break.
One of these half-time substitutions would see Dubem Eze introduced to the fray, with the Bolton Wanderers loanee making an immediate impact on the fixture when his neat link-up with Oteh saw him released into the area. However, Eze would be hauled to the floor before reaching the ball, convinced the contact would be enough to warrant a penalty, although it wasn’t to be in the eyes of referee James Bancroft, who waved for play to continue.
With Newcastle in search of a route back into the tie, the North East outfit would rely on one million-pound midfielder Alfie Harrison to bring the ball forward, with the former Man City academy man bringing possession towards the Scunthorpe area before driving a low effort across the face of goal, although it failed to trouble Jones between the sticks who watched as the ball trickled behind for a goal kick.
The fixtures’ next action would see a near goal of the season contender from midfielder Kian Scales, who was looking to build on a promising performance when he received the ball 25 yards from goal and sent a curling effort soaring over the head of the back-pedalling Taylor, who could only watch as the ball cannoned back off the crossbar before being turned away by a recovering Newcastle defender.
With less than ten minutes remaining in the fixture, United would finally take one of the chances they’d manufactured to double their lead when their high press allowed Billy Chadwick to win back possession in a promising area, before sending Howe clear in the box. From this position, the Scunthorpe forward made no mistake from a matter of yards as he smashed the ball beyond Taylor at the near post, providing the Iron with some needed breathing room.
This would be the final notable action of United’s National League Cup campaign for the 2025-26 season, as the fixture was brought to a close by Bancroft, signalling six group stage points from a possible twelve for Scunthorpe.
IRON: Jones, Horton, Belehouan (Starbuck, 45), Howe, Rowley (Westbrooke, 45), Scales, Dawson (Eze, 45), Chadwick, Oteh, Denton (Shipstone, 45), Barrows (Ubaezuonu, 63).
IRON SUBS: Campbell.
ATTENDANCE: 369 (20 away)
REFEREE: James Bancroft
