REPORT: Blackpool 1-0 Iron

With league action put on hold for yet another match day, the Iron were to face their biggest test to date for the 2025-26 season with an away trip to League One side Blackpool FC in the Emirates FA Cup. Their first opening-round tie in the cup for several years, the pressure was off Scunthorpe on the day, with hopes of causing an overdue ‘cup set’ at Bloomfield Road.

There were three changes for the Iron ahead of their battle on the coast, with Ty Sellars-Flemming deemed fit to start the fixture after a short absence due to injury. The young forward came into the Starting line-up in place of loanee Billy Chadwick, who was unavailable to feature. Elsewhere, creative midfielder Alfie Beestin returned to the squad after missing United's last league fixture against Aldershot Town due to a knock, with Zain Westbrooke dropping to the bench as a result. Finally, goalkeeper Rory Mahady was selected between the sticks, following the recent extension of his loan stay from Leeds United.

With the hosts getting proceedings underway at their sparsely filled home ground, the Tangerines would find themselves halted in the early exchanges as United applied a brave press, aiming to unsettle Blackpool early on.

Despite a valiant start from Scunthorpe, the first opportunity of the game would come from the hosts, who broke down the right-hand side before Josh Bowler, who looked to cut inside and lash an effort towards the so far untested Mahady. When the inevitable chop inside did come, Bowler would look to tee up a teammate, with the resulting low driven goal-bound effort turned away from the target by the outstretched leg of Andrew Boyce.

In the fixtures next action, the hosts would take the lead in rather disappointing circumstances as a cross into the area began pinballing around the box, with United given a couple of chances to clear the ball, before possession fell to the feet of striker Ashley Fletcher, who, without hesitation, tucked the ball into the bottom corner for 1-0.

From this moment onwards, it was fair to say that United more than grew into the encounter as they took the game to their opponents with what felt like endless waves of attack for the remainder of the first period.

With no more than 25 minutes played, Scunthorpe would create a golden chance to level the scores when Joe Starbuck collected the ball on the right flank with space to deliver into the danger area. Under seemingly no pressure, Starbuck would clip the ball towards the far post, where the unmarked Sellars-Fleming was waiting, although the ball came just too quickly for the forward to react efficiently, sending his shot back across the face of goal and out of a goal kick.

The Iron’s next chance was to come from an incredible set-piece routine straight from the training ground. With Cal Roberts and Joe Rowley linking to tee up a pull-back to the edge of the area, the ball would be perfectly weighted into the path of Alfie Beestin, who let fly with a first-time strike that evaded the upright by a matter of yards.

With the game in their control and half-time on the horizon, United would finally breach the Blackpool defence, putting the ball in the back of the net or be it from an offside position. With Roberts now pulling the strings for Scunthorpe, he would work a yard of space out wide before crossing the ball to the back post for the cunningly positioned Whitehall, nodding the ball beyond the onrushing Bailey Peacock-Farrell and into the bottom corner, only for the linesman to deem the striker offside.

This would bring a promising first period to an end, and when play resumed, United would pick up from where they left off with a number of early chances that really could’ve and probably should’ve led to the equaliser.

The first of these chances would come directly from the kick-off when Beestin did what he does best, pressing high and seizing the ball on the edge of the Blackpool area. Despite initially being pulled back before pulling the trigger, the Beast would twist and turn to make room for an effort that was struck low as it trickled just wide of the far post.

With the Iron looking to build upon this chance, they would do so in style, moving the ball around their opponents with relative ease as they worked the ball into the penalty area with some intricate one-touch passing that allowed Oli Ewing the chance to try his luck from the edge of the box, calling Peacock-Farrell into action again to deny the leveller with a stop down to his left.

With half an hour left to play, an almighty mess would see Scunthorpe presented with their best chance yet. As the goalkeeper raced to keep a loose back pass in play, his heavy touch would see Whitehall seize the ball and back heel possession to his teammate in Roberts, who had a shot into an empty goal snatched away from him by a recovering defender, with the ball ricocheting back towards the goal before being hooked off the line.

As time progressed, the hosts would make some crafty substitutions to slow down United’s momentum, which they would manage to do long enough to reestablish a foothold in the game, especially when a speculative effort from Tom Bloxham, who volleyed the ball towards goal from 25 yards, flashed his shot past the near post with Mahady backtracking.

In the minutes that followed, the subs Blackpool would gain some more momentum and had a brilliant chance to expand their lead when Fletcher broke clear of the Scunthorpe defence with just Mahady to beat. Looking to chip the ball over the onrushing Scotsman, Fletcher would be denied as his effort crashed into the goalkeeper, with the rebound turned away from goal in what would prove to be an outrageous double save.

With time running out for United to draw level, the Iron would throw everything at their opponents and, in doing so, managed to create two final promising chances. The first of these opportunities would see substitute Zain Westbrooke bring the ball away on the counterattack, as he ventured forward at speed. Westbrooke left the defender with a choice to make, as the last man opted not to close down the Scunthorpe man, allowing the midfielder to sting an effort down the throat of Peacock-Farrell, who smothered the ball at the second time of asking.

With mere minutes remaining, Andy Butler’s side would be condemned to defeat when one final chance would go begging at the death. Another floated cross to the back post from Starbuck would be pinpoint as it had been all afternoon, finding the run of Declan Howe in the penalty area, who managed to head the ball goalwards at full stretch, with time standing still as it travelled towards the target, only for the ball to soar just wide of the mark.

This would confirm Scunthorpe’s cup exit, despite a valiant performance that would’ve been well worth a victory if not taking the game to extra time at a minimum, a disappointing outcome, but nothing but positives to take into the league.

IRON: Mahady, Horton, Boyce, Beestin (Westbrooke, 83), Whitehall (Ubaezuonu, 75), Roberts (Scales, 83), Rowley, Sellars-Fleming, Ewing (Howe, 63), Starbuck, Denton

IRON SUBS: Johnson, Eze, Brogan, Beck, Dawson,

ATTENDANCE: 4,503 (1,400 Away)

REFEREE: Elliott Bell