Report: Appleby Frodingham 0-2 Iron

Following a successful victory to open their pre-season campaign against Brigg Town the midweek prior, United came into their second encounter of their 2026/27 season preparations against local outfit App Frod looking to get more minutes in the legs after a heavy week of double training sessions as well as maintaining their unbeaten start to pre-season.

Similar to the previous fixture, the Iron would field two XI’s for both half’s of the encounter. However, with Branden Horton sidelined along with fellow full-back Joe Starbuck, the Scunthorpe squad would be completed by the inclusion of midfielder Alfie Beestin who looked to return to full fitness following a recent double hernia operation.

As United got proceedings underway at Brumby Hall they would look to immediately impose themselves onto their Northern Counties Division One opponents with several early attacks that were well defended by the hosts defence.

With just 6 minutes on the clock the Iron would have their first clear cut chance of the match when some determined forward play down the right flank saw the ball find trialist Sam Aston on the edge of the penalty area, who resisted his way into a shooting position before firing the ball just over the target.

Frod would take this as an initial warning sign and would respond with their own opportunity when they stole possession inside the Scunthorpe half and advanced towards the penalty area before striking an effort towards the target that failed to test Maison Campbell between the United sticks as it flew wide of the mark.

In the minutes that followed this opportunity, the Iron would respond by means of a Pat Jones run down the right hand side that saw him skip beyond the defence and fire a low cross into the feet of Danny Whitehall in the penalty area who appeared to be bundled over from behind by a defender. However, the referee would deem the contact not enough to warrant a penalty as he waved play on.

As half-time approached with the scores still firmly deadlocked, United midfielder Jacob Butterfield would have one final opportunity when he received the ball in acres of space on the edge of the area and drove one of his signature long distance efforts towards the bottom corner that cleared a crowd of bodies before dropping just wide of the target.

This would bring the first half action to an end and as the Iron’s second half XI took to the field at Brumby Hall they were still left with the task of breaking down the App Frod defensive blockade.

Within the opening 10 minutes of the second period United would have a golden opportunity to open the scores when summer signing James Gale burst in behind the hosts defence as he was sent bearing down on the goalkeeper. As he reached the edge of the area, the linesman’s flag would be raised to deem the forward offside, however before the referee could call a free-kick Gale would misplace his effort over the crossbar.

64 minutes into the fixture the Iron would be rewarded for their attacking persistence when they finally broke the deadlock courtesy of a remarkable finish from Gale. After being threaded into the penalty area at a tight angle, the former Mansfield Town man would lift the ball over the goalkeeper with a sensational lob that landed in the far corner to make it 1-0.

The next action of the encounter would see the second half substitute Beestin cause further problems for the Frod defence when he received a bouncing ball on the edge of the area, before lashing a volley towards the target that was constantly rising as it marginally evaded the roof of the net.

In a half of very limited action in which the hosts had barely left their own half, Scunthorpe would have to wait until the games final stages to kill off the encounter when Will Evans added a second goal by means of an unbelievable long distance effort, that the defender rifled beyond the goalkeeper from 35 yards.

This would be the encounters final action as the referee called time on what had been another valuable run out for Andy Butler’s men, who saw off a stubborn and persistent App Frod defence to come out 2-0 victors.

IRON FIRST HALF XI: Campbell, Belehouan, C. Howe, Whitehall, Rowley, P. Jones, Smith, Hurst, Ogle, Butterfield, Aston.

SECOND HALF XI: L. Jones, Rose (Beestin, 55), Evans, D. Howe, Brennan, Richards, Shipstone, Gale, Denton, Barrows, Uppal.

ATTENDANCE: 884

REFEREE: David Jones