Following a bizarre week to start September, the Iron were back in league action this afternoon looking to build on their 0-0 victory over Wealdstone last weekend, although they were bound to face their toughest test to date. United’s opponents and hosts for the day were one of the only other unbeaten sides remaining in the Enterprise National League, Forest Green Rovers.
With regards to the Iron’s team selection for the afternoon it was a familiar shape and starting XI selected by Andy Butler, with the only alteration coming amongst the substitutes as with latest club signing Kian Johnson coming into the squad to add depth between the sticks if needed.
With the heavens set to open at the New Lawn Stadium, the Iron would unsettle their hosts with a change of ends that certainly worked to United’s advantage in the early exchanges.
From almost their first venture into their oppositions half the Iron would make no mistake in being clinical from a corner ball into the area. Stood over the set piece it would be midfielder Oli Ewing to whip a dangerous cross towards the front post with a crowd of bodies waiting to converge. With captain Andrew Boyce winning the eventual flick on in the Rovers area, the ball would fall kindly into the path of Declan Howe at the far post who provided the finishing touch to make it 1-0.
Following the first goal of the game Scunthorpe would revert to attacking on the counter with the hosts beginning to move up through the gears. With 10 minutes on the clock there would be a chance for Forest Green to tie the scores level as Tom Knowles disguised run into the area would part the Iron defence. With the ball at his feet and just Rory Watson to beat, Knowles looked destined to score but his shot would be misplaced and as a result cannon back off the outside of the post.
As the half continued to progress with United in the lead, the hosts would find themselves very lucky to not be reduced to 10 men when debutant defender Abraham Kanu’s late lunge on Ewing caused uproar amongst the Scunthorpe player and bench. With a card bound to be produced for the tackle, referee Ross Joyce would opt for just a yellow.
In the minutes that followed that challenge the hosts would come close once again and would’ve surely equalised if not for the goalkeeping heroics of Watson. It was a pull back to the edge of the area on this occasion that found attacking midfielder Nick Haughton in acres of space looking to hook the ball over Watson with a delicious chip. However, the Scunthorpe goalkeeper would produce a sublime stop to claw the ball away from the target.
In the dying embers of the first period there would be one final chance for the hosts to draw the scores level when a set-piece was inch perfect to find the run of Lauren Mendy in the area. With nothing but net to aim for, Mendy would try to direct his header beyond Watson who was somehow again equal to the effort with a strong palm to deflect the ball away from the target.
This would bring an intriguing first period of play to an end at the New Lawn with Scunthorpe’s hard-fought display making them worthy leaders going into the break. However, some attacking alterations from Forest Green for the second period were sure to produce an end-to-end second 45.
Immediately from the restart it appeared that the hosts hadn’t learnt from how they switched off in the opening exchanges of the first half when Roberts picked up possession and stormed towards the Rovers back line. With the defence Infront of him retreating, the Scunthorpe winger opted to try and place the ball beyond Luke McNicholas, but the effort was crucially blocked by defender Ryan Inniss.
With Scunthorpe looking to defend their slender advantage the hosts were desperately flooding forward in search for the leveller and came close to finding it when a threaded through ball sent substitute forward Harry Cardwell through on goal. It was down to Watson to deny Cardwell of an almost certain goal and when the striker attempted to take the ball around the United goalkeeper, Watson would do fantastically to displace the ball from the attacker’s feet.
Despite the hosts having the majority of the chances in the second half the Iron still looked impressive on the counter and should’ve really doubled their advantage with 65 minutes on the clock. After dispossessing their opponents in the final third, United would swiftly stride forward with Ewing who looked to square the ball to a United man in the penalty area. With the cross perfectly weighted from Ewing to Carlton Ubaezuonu the Irishman could only force his effort into the outstretched leg of McNicholas from a matter of yards.
With the game approaching its frantic end at the New Lawn it was simply one way traffic with the hosts flooding forward. Looking to get the ball out to their tricky wingers, Rovers forced Watson into action on another occasion with the Scunthorpe shot stopper producing another outstanding diving stop to deny wide man Yahya Bamba, who’s goal bound effort was turned behind to keep the pressure on United.
With all but 30 seconds of the indicated seven minutes of additional time played there would be late drama in the fixture that resulted in broken Iron hearts. After a clipped cross into the area was flicked goalwards by a Forest Green player Watson would look to knock the ball clear of the target, only for a goal line scramble to ensue with James Balagizi waiting to smash the ball home to tie the scores at the death.
Despite the equaliser to undo United’s valiant defending, it was still a positive performance to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.
IRON: Watson, Evans, Boyce, Howe, Beestin, Whitehall, Roberts, Rowley, Ewing, Scales, Denton.
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Johnson, Ubaezuonu, Eze, Brogan, Beck, Dawson, Chadwick.
ATTENDANCE: 1,963 (280 away)
REFEREE: Ross Joyce
