With the Iron in action for the first time this calendar year this evening, Andy Butler's Scunthorpe were looking to pick up where they had left off in their last game of 2025 when they welcomed Northern Premier League West side Clitheroe to the Attis Arena with a place in the Isuzu FA Trophy fifth round up for grabs.
The Blues came into the encounter having completed two giant killers already in this year’s competition, looking to add the Iron to their current hit list of Chester and York City.
There was some positive news with regard to the United team selection, with long-term absentee Will Evans returning to the starting XI for the first time since October, alongside Alfie Beestin, who also made his first start since returning to full fitness. Goalkeeper Louis Jones was named between the sticks for United, and midfielder Zain Westbrooke started the fixture just days after extending his loan from Doncaster Rovers; however, his fellow Rovers loanee Kyle Hurst was unable to feature due to being cup-tied.
Following a change of ends initiated by the visitors, proceedings were set underway with Clitheroe’s game plan seemingly obvious from minute one, camping in their own half and looking to hit their hosts on the counterattack as expected.
In the opening ten minutes of the fixture, there were limited attacks to report on, with any chances created by Scunthorpe quickly shut down or blocked by the Blues’ defensive unit. This theme would continue when a well-worked attack from the Iron saw Cal Roberts threaded into the Clitheroe area, before pulling the trigger on a low driven shot that seemed destined for the bottom corner if not for the intervention of a Clitheroe defender who cut across the shot to diffuse the attack.
With 15 minutes on the clock at the Attis Arena, the visitors would find themselves very lucky not to be reduced to ten men with a yellow card produced by referee Zac Kennard-Kettle for Clitheroe striker Luke Gill, after the forward caught Alfie Beestin with a disgustingly late challenge that left the Iron midfielder in seemingly some discomfort.
Almost halfway through the first half’s action, the Blues would create the best chance to date with a swift counterattack from back to front that saw former Chorley striker Harry Scarborough break into the final third and look to drive the ball across Louis Jones and into the far corner from a promising area, although Jones would be equal to the strike, producing a sublime diving stop to parry the ball clear.
Looking to regain control of the fixture, Scunthorpe would venture forward and arguably top Clitheroe’s last chance when Declan Howe latched on to a pinpoint forward pass before attempting to round goalkeeper Josh Ollerenshaw. Despite the keeper rushing out and doing enough to shepherd Howe away from goal, the chance wasn’t done yet as the United striker would tee up Roberts, who drove the ball towards the bottom corner again, only for defender Bradley Ditch to produce a last-ditch intervention to somehow clear the ball off the line.
This would be the last notable action of a goalless and relatively lacklustre first period as far as United were concerned, something they would be looking to undo in the second half with the introduction of Oli Ewing and Jean Belehouan at the interval.
Following the restart, the Iron would resume control of the game, although they were made to be patient for their first opportunity, which would eventually come in the 57th minute in the form of the opening goal, mere seconds after the introduction of Danny Whitehall. In what was his first touch of the ball since coming on, Whitehall would operate in a good position in the Clitheroe penalty area, waiting patiently for the ball that was whipped perfectly onto his head for the striker to nod the ball from a matter of yards.
After a touching minute’s applause on the 60th-minute mark for close friend of the club and father of Iron defender Harry Shipstone, Jamie Shipstone, who passed away last Friday, the Iron would find themselves pegged back thanks to a goal from Clitheroe forward Jack Morris who nipped in at the front post to meet a low cross, turning the ball beyond Jones to level the scores.
With 78 minutes played and the game fixed at one all, the Iron would kick into life in an attempt to avoid penalties as they flooded forward with Carlton Ubaezuonu spearheading the Scunthorpe charge, as the Irishman collected possession to the left of the penalty area before driving forward at pace and flashing the ball across the face of goal, with the effort just inches away from the far post and the late arriving Roberts.
The next action was one that would be more than welcomed by the Scunthorpe faithful as a lovely team move led to the goal that restored United’s advantage late on. Oscillating possession in the middle of the park to try and open up their opponents, it was Joe Rowley who would clip the ball through the Clitheroe back line with a tremendous pass for Joe Starbuck to run onto, with the wing-back taking the ball into his stride before pulling the ball back for Ubaezuonu in the area who was able to tap home from a matter of yards.
With proceedings coming to a close and the score line still tight, there would be one final chance for United to extend their lead, which they would manage to do in somewhat scrappy fashion. With Whitehall playing to his strengths and winning a free-kick in a dangerous area, the ball was allowed to be swung into the danger area once again, receiving a touch off a Clitheroe player on its way to the wide open Jean Belehouan on the goal line who had but to apply the finishing touch with a third goal that would guarantee his sides places in the next round.
Following that goal, the Iron's final switch would see Harry Shipstone take to the field in what was an moving moment for the club, Harry and his family following the weekend's sad news.
IRON: Jones, Horton, Evans (Belehouan, 45'), Boyce, Howe (Whitehall, 56'), Beestin (Ewing, 45'), Roberts (Shipstone, 90+1'), Rowley, Ubaezuonu, Westbrooke, Barrows (Starbuck, 65').
IRON SUBS: Campbell, Dawson.
ATTENDANCE: 1,364 (155 away)
REFEREE: Zac Kennard-Kettle
