After a successful yet relatively seamless Isuzu FA Trophy campaign to date, the Iron were set to face their toughest contest in the competition so far this afternoon, when they welcomed National League South play-off hopefuls Horsham to the Attis Arena.
Just three games away from the delights of Wembley Way, Scunthorpe weren’t to underestimate their lower-league opponents, who were surely looking to pull off a cup-set.
There were almost wholesale changes for United for the encounter. Goalkeeper Louis Jones came in between the sticks, with Andrew Boyce, Jean Belehouan and Joe Starbuck all returning to complete the defensive unit. Versatile midfielder Alfie Beestin was inducted into the side alongside Connor Smith as the Scotsman made his first start in permanent claret and blue. To complete the starting XI, forward Declan Howe was chosen to lead the line, alongside last weekend's match winner Carlton Ubaezuonu.
When proceedings were set underway by the visitors, Scunthorpe would find themselves under some early fire as Horsham immediately looked to take the game to them.
With a flurry of early corners in the visitors’ favour, United would be forced into some frantic early defending, especially when possession dropped to York City loanee Ricky Aguiar on the edge of the penalty area, allowing the attacking midfielder to volley the ball towards the target, and the effort would’ve surely found the bottom corner if not for the intervention of Boyce to turn the ball away from goal with an outstretched leg.
Despite the early pressure they’d experienced, The Iron would be the side to show their quality first in the game, breaking the deadlock with their first opportunity. A sensational piece of play from Starbuck to drive his team up the pitch would set up the chance for United, with the wing-back neatly chipping the ball into the area for Howe to collect before neatly tucking the ball beneath the keeper for the game’s opening goal.
With almost 20 minutes on the clock, the Hornets would have their best chance of the game to date through wide-man Reece Meekums. Picking up possession 20 yards from goal, a swift drop of the shoulder from Meekums would open the space for a shot, curling the ball towards the far corner, beating Jones but not the goal frame as the effort cannoned back off the post.
This chance would spark life into the visitors, who would again go on the attack in the minutes that followed, but on this occasion, they would be rewarded with an equaliser through Meekums, who latched onto a low cross into the box from Leone Gravata to tie the scores from a matter of yards.
As the half progressed with the scores level, it became a tussle between the two sides as they both searched for the goal to put them in front. The closest Scunthorpe would come to this goal would be a tremendous acrobatic effort from Connor Smith, when the Scotsman attacked a cross from Joe Starbuck and performed a stunning overhead kick attempt that was well stopped by the goalkeeper Lewis Carey, who caught the effort on the full.
With half-time approaching, the visitors would be rewarded for their attacking persistence with a second goal to give themselves the lead. Using a short corner to catch United off guard, Meekums would hang a delightful cross up to the back post for experienced defender Jake Elliott to attack, allowing the Horsham man to nod the ball into the bottom corner.
The half-time break would soon follow at the Attis Arena, with the Iron requiring a much-improved second-half display if they wanted to keep their FA Trophy journey alive.
Immediately from the restart, both the Irons’ and the Hornets’ game plan became clear, with the visitors putting all 11 men behind the ball in an attempt to see out their victory and Scunthorpe flooding forward in desperate search of an equaliser.
Chances were limited in the second period, although it was United who were piling on the pressure, getting into promising positions on several occasions. Still, the closest they would come was through Ubaezuonu, when his low drive from a tight angle forced Carey into a quick-fire reaction stop, catching the ball to diffuse the attack.
As time ebbed away at the Attis Arena, the Iron were still frantically searching for a leveller, although the visitors were doing superbly to deal with what felt like endless crosses into the area, heading the ball clear at every avenue.
On one of the few occasions that the Horsham headed clearances fell into the path of a Scunthorpe player, it would fall to the feet of substitute Zain Westbrooke on the edge of the area, setting himself up for a volleyed attempt as he stung the ball on the half-volley towards the target, although Carey would have little work to do as he calmly stepped across to catch the ball.
In what had been a lacklustre performance and fixture from start to finish, there would be one final chance for Scunthorpe to draw level and send the game to penalties. With everyone, including Louis Jones in the box for the final corner of the game, Oli Ewing would swing the ball into a dangerous area, causing a goal line scramble to ensue. With the ball and bodies flying everywhere, a crucial hoof from a Horsham player to get the ball clear would bring the game to its end.
IRON: Jones, Horton, Belehouan (Denton, 45), Boyce, Howe (Whitehall, 57), Beestin (Ewing, 64), Roberts, Rowley, Ubaezuonu, Starbuck (Barrows, 77), Smith (Westbrooke, 57)
IRON SUBS: Campbell, Dawson,
ATTENDANCE: 1,890 (115 away)
REFEREE: James Oldham
