Unbeaten in their last six fixtures and having secured a play-off position on Good Friday, the Iron would be back in Enterprise National League action for an Easter Monday encounter with a recently revived Gateshead side at the Gateshead International Stadium.
There would be a medley of changes for the Iron, as first-team manager Andy Butler looked to get much-needed minutes into his players. Club captain Andrew Boyce returned to the starting XI to partner Ross Barrows in the centre of defence. Oli Ewing was the only surviving midfielder in the side, as Alfie Beestin, Joe Rowley and Connor Smith came into the team from the alternates to replace Cal Roberts, Zain Westbrooke and Pat Jones. Finally, there was a new strike partnership, as Aidan Dausch and Dec Howe were chosen to lead the line.
When proceedings were set underway by United, it would be a slow start to proceedings to say the least, with the hosts looking to utilise Brad Nicholson’s signature long throw that Scunthorpe knew all too well.
With nothing to report from the game’s opening 20 minutes, the first chance of the encounter would result in the opening goal for the hosts, who took the lead from a corner. With Keaton Ward standing over the corner, he would swing a delightful cross into the area that was met powerfully by Nicholson, driving a header towards the target that crashed against the woodwork, dropping down onto the goal line before the intervention of linesman Matthew Malton, who awarded the goal.
Those in attendance would be made to wait until the stroke of half-time for the games’ next opportunity, and it would fall for the Iron after a long ball over the top. As first-half substitute Will Evans sent a hopeful ball over the top of the Gateshead defence, it would fall kindly into the path of Declan Howe, who attempted to head the ball on target, forcing goalkeeper Adam Desbois into his first action by making a low stop down to his left.
This chance would bring the first half’s proceedings to an end with United 1-0 down, requiring a much-improved second period if they were to get anything from the fixture, although this was made increasingly harder mere minutes into the new half when Scunthorpe were reduced to ten men.
After a sensational goal preventing block on the line just seconds before, Ross Barrows would again attempt to clear the ball away from goal when a volley from Ward was soaring towards the top corner, seeing the Iron defender handle the ball in order to clear it away, resulting in a straight red card and a Heed penalty.
From the resulting spot kick, it would be Ward who stood over it, collecting the ball before punishing United with a composed side-footed finish into the corner that sent Louis Jones the wrong way, doubling his side’s advantage and leaving Scunthorpe with a mountain to climb.
In an attempt to inspire some sort of fight back, Butler would go to his bench for reinforcements, introducing Cal Roberts, Pat Jones and Zain Westbrooke to the fray in an attempt to insert some energy across the pitch.
Within minutes of the alterations, Scunthorpe would see a good chance to half the deficit when Roberts and Jones combined to send the latter bursting into the area on the right side, firing an effort towards the bottom corner across goal that was well stopped by Desbois, pushing it clear to preserve his clean sheet.
In the time that followed, United would have another opportunity when Alfie Beestin picked up the ball inside the hosts’ half, performing a turn of pace to advance into the final third before rifling a fantastic effort towards the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted as it narrowly evaded the upright.
With time running out and the scoreline all but sealed, the Iron would have one final opportunity. After the hosts somehow failed to increase their lead when Ash Boatswain had his effort from a matter of yards swept away by Denton on the line, Scunthorpe would go up the other end to win a corner.
After a neat one-two by Westbrooke and Whitehall to create space from a quickly taken set-piece, the Iron forward would slide possession into the area for Beestin to control, separating himself from his marker before turning and lobbing an effort towards the top corner that fell just wide of the mark. Although even if this chance had been converted, it would’ve been nothing but a consolation as the ten-man Iron saw their unbeaten run ended in disappointing fashion at the hands of the Heed.
IRON: Jones, Belehouan, Boyce (Evans, 26), Howe (Whitehall, 72), Beestin, Rowley, Dausch (Roberts, 59), Ewing (Westbrooke, 59), Smith (Jones, 59), Denton, Barrows.
IRON SUBS: Mahady, Dawson.
REFEREE: Declan Brown
ATTENDANCE: 2,126 (676 away)
