After bouncing back to winning ways in the league last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Tamworth, United would start their FA Trophy campaign for the 2025-26 season this afternoon, when they welcomed Phil Brown's Peterborough Sports to the Attis Arena.
The Turbines entered the Third Round tie looking to mount a trophy run to counteract their somewhat inconsistent form in the National League North.
With regards to Scunthorpe’s team news for the encounter, manager Andy Butler would make a medley of changes, with Jean Belehouan, Tyler Denton, Joe Rowley, Alfie Beestin and Ty Sellars-Fleming all elected to be rested for the encounter. This would see a quintet of replacements come into the starting XI, with Cal Roberts and Oli Ewing selected to make their first starts since returning from injury, alongside the trio of Ross Barrows, Declan Howe, and Carlton Ubaezuonu.
When proceedings were set underway by the Iron, Scunthorpe would maintain the majority of early possession, moving the ball around their opponents with relative ease as they looked to create an early opportunity.
The first chance in the game would come for the hosts, with Barrows playing an instrumental part in the build-up, as some nice interplay saw Roberts clip the ball in behind to Barrows, who slid in to try and divert the ball beyond the onrushing Peter Crook, with the Turbines goalkeeper denying the effort and clattering Barrows in the process.
Despite a strong start to the half from United, Sports would look to mount a counterattack with their own spell of dominance and probably should’ve taken the lead when the ball was worked wide and into the path of wing-back Connor Wood, who drove a low cross into the mixer for experienced striker Shaq Coulthirst who saw his shot from a matter of yards brilliantly closed down by Rory Mahady, with the Scotsman spreading wide to block the effort.
With half an hour played, the breakthrough would arrive, and it would be Iron who found it through lone striker Howe. Scunthorpe were playing some neat football at times, and this occasion was no different when a slotted through ball saw Howe burst onto the ball and guide the ball beyond Crook, driving his effort into the bottom corner for his 8th goal of the season in all competitions.
For the remainder of the first period, the Iron would be in control, creating chances left, right and centre to extend their advantage. However, the closest they would come prior to Gareth Thomas’s half-time whistle would be through Ubaezuonu, when the Irishman sent a finessed effort towards the target that was destined for the top corner, only for Crook to produce a sensational diving save to tip the ball around the post.
This action would bring the first half to a close at the Attis Arena, although when the sides returned for the second period, Peterborough would come out of the tunnel visibly hungry for the equaliser and set about trying to break down the Iron defence.
The opening chance of the half would deservedly fall to the visitors, when a sustained period of pressure allowed former Swansea City man Maliq Cadogan to weave his way into the penalty area, receiving the ball just six yards from goal, but his effort was well met by Mahady, who again got down sublimely to protect his clean sheet as he palmed the ball wide.
Following this opportunity, United would look to provide an immediate reaction and would manage to do so when Roberts got his name on the scoresheet to double his side’s lead. When possession was at the feet of Ubaezuonu on the left, the forward would swing a delightful cross towards the back post that was missed by Sports defender Kevin Joshua, allowing Roberts to touch down the ball in the penalty area and hammer the ball beneath Crook for 2-0.
For the remainder of the fixture, it was safe to say that it was Scunthorpe in control, quickly adding to their lead through Dubem Eze’s first goal for the club since joining on loan from Bolton Wanderers. When Carlton’s initial effort was poked away from the target, the ball would begin to pinball around the area before falling at the feet of Eze, leaving the loanee with an almost simple finish as he stroked the ball into the bottom corner.
With just over ten minutes remaining and United’s progression to the fourth round of the competition all but sealed, they would rub further salt into the Peterborough wounds as Eze’s performance was topped off with a sublime run and finish. Picking the ball up just inside the visitors’ half, the attacking midfielder would storm forward with pace and determination, chopping onto his left foot to cut out a number of recovering defenders, before applying a neat finish by sending the ball beyond Crook and into the bottom corner.
With mere seconds left of additional time and the Iron’s substitutes having a brilliant impact, a fantastic team performance would be capped off by Max Brogan, repeating that of the previous season against Peterborough Sports when he received possession just inside the Turbines area. Bringing the ball under his spell, Brogan would make no mistake in the finish, rifling the ball beneath the goalkeeper for his first goal of the campaign.
This would be all she wrote at the Attis Arena, a well-deserved victory for United as they exploited their opponents’ weaknesses well, delivering several knock-out blows to comfortably win the encounter. Now just four victories away from that desired Wembley day out, the Iron will find out their next opponents on Monday.
IRON: Mahady, Horton, Boyce, Howe, Roberts (Eze, 62), Ubaezuonu (Dawson, 79), Ewing (Brogan, 62), Scales, Starbuck, Westbrooke, Barrows (Shipstone, 79).
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Jones.
ATTENDANCE: 1,167 (42 away)
REFEREE: Gareth Thomas
