After a 0-0 draw at the weekend that extended the Iron’s unbeaten run to eight games in the Vanarama National League North, Scunthorpe were back in under the lights action this evening with hopes of going one step further and picking up all three points against play-off hopefuls Darlington FC at the Attis Arena.
In regard to United’s side for the fixture with the Quakers there was to be a slight change of shape as manager Andy Butler opted to hand latest addition and loan forward Chris Wreh his first start for the club over the workhorse midfielder Kian Scales, who was unfortunate to see himself drop to the bench. This meant that the American-born Wreh was set to lead the Scunthorpe line alongside fellow frontman Mark Beck for the first time.
After a change of ends prior to kick-off the Iron were forced to attack towards their home supporters, it became clear in the early exchanges that the visitors were looking to unsettle Scunthorpe with their early tactics and immediate waves of attack.
The Quakers would conjure the first opportunity of the game within the opening four minutes when a loose ball would drop for captain Tom Platt 18 yards from the target. After taking a touch to settle himself, Platt would whip a dangerous ball towards the far post that narrowly glided wide of the target, much to the relief of scrambling goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons.
Despite the Quakers enjoying the majority of early possession it wouldn’t take long for United to open the scoring courtesy of wide man Alfie Beestin. After a towering header forward from centre-back Will Evans to kick-start an Iron attack, possession would be collected by Joe Rowley and flicked into space for Beestin to take in his stride in behind the Darlo defence. With barely any time to fire a shot on target, Beestin chose to pull the trigger with the ball set up for a half-volley that he caught perfectly and powered past the goalkeeper for 1-0.
The Iron would go in immediate search of a second after Beestin’s opener and would come inches away from finding it just minutes later. After Evans powerfully stole possession in the middle, he would go on to dink a pinpoint pass into Cal Roberts down the left-flank. Once he’d carried the ball to the by-line, Roberts would find the disguised run of Beestin in the middle who did extremely well to dig the ball out of the ground but could only steer his effort onto the post.
In an attempt to find a route back into the tie, Darlington made inroads into the Scunthorpe half on 15 minutes thanks to a forward carry from former Ajax striker Cedric Main. After receiving the possession from winger Matty Cornish, Main set the ball out of his feet and fired an effort at Fitzsimons that the keeper caught with relative ease.
After the first quiet period of the game had come to its end, Beestin would be given another chance to double his tally from range. After picking up the ball and storming in off the right-hand side he would go on to weave his way between two Darlington defenders and fire an ambitious low driven effort at goal that was never in doubt to beat Pete Jameson’s dive when nestling in the bottom corner.
This would be the last notable action of the first period as Darlington failed to test the United backline before referee Oliver Noonan’s whistle sounded to signal the end of a perfect first period from Butler’s Iron.
After the restart the visitors half-time message was made instantly clear as they flooded forward in search of a goal to restart their hopes of getting something out of the encounter. This was proven when Main was presented with a golden chance to half the deficit.
It was a brilliantly crafted move from the Quakers who played a direct ball down the channel into the run of Main, who’d calved a hole in the centre of the Iron defence. As the Surinamese striker bared down on goal with just Fitzsimons to beat but took a poor touch that carried the ball into the path of Fitzsimons who made himself big to block the eventual shot and turn it behind.
With half an hour remaining in the game another chance would go a miss for Beestin to claim his more than deserved hat-trick, this was when he was cleverly slotted into the penalty area by left-back Tyler Denton and hammered a shot at goal that was comfortably turned away by the outstretched Jameson.
It was at this point that United set up to see out another valuable result on home soil as they made a number of alterations to try and slow down the game, this tactical strategy would work perfectly for Scunthorpe as it prevented the visitors from establishing any momentum heading into the closing stages.
Deep into additional time Darlington would come close to a consolation when substitute Caden Kelly chopped inside off the right. After shaping up for a finessed effort, Kelly wrapped his shot towards the far post and had Fitzsimons scrambling to protect his 20th clean sheet of the season, however the ball fortunately dropped just wide of the target.
Soon after this chance Noonan’s whistle would sound again to call an end to proceedings and extend United’s home unbeaten run to nine games without defeat at the Attis Arena, after an extremely professional performance from the Iron.
IRON: Fitzsimons, Kouogun, Evans, Clunan, Beestin (Ubaezuonu, 75), Roberts (Starbuck, 89), Rowley, Wreh (Scales, 59), Beck (Fadera, 66), Denton (Kelly, 76), Rose.
