Coming into tonight’s encounter, high on confidence with three consecutive victories under their belts, the Iron would face their toughest test of this run of form by welcoming Enterprise National League table toppers, Rochdale, to the Attis Arena. The Dale would come into the fixture hungry to pounce on their title rivals’ mistake, following York City’s defeat to Gateshead last night.
In terms of the Scunthorpe team selection, there was to be three changes, as firstly Cal Roberts was inducted back into the starting XI following his return to fitness at the weekend, replacing Alfie Beestin, who dropped to the bench. Elsewhere, Jean Belehouan was selected to start his first game since recovering from an ankle injury, replacing Joe Starbuck, who was ineligible through injury, and United's top goalscorer, Danny Whitehall, came into the side to replace inform forward Leo Farrell. Finally, some positive news amongst the alternates as Will Evans returned to the 18-man squad for the first time since February.
From the off at the Attis Arena, the travelling Dale would look to set a fast tempo, starting the game with an early opportunity that very nearly resulted in the game’s opening goal. After a floated cross into the area from Dan Moss cleared the United defence, it would kindly fall back into the path of Devante Rodney, whose reaction strike was crucially turned away from goal by the recovering Tyler Denton.
Despite this early opportunity for the visitors, the Iron would produce a quick response, going route one from Louis Jones at the back. Sending the ball high over the Rochdale defence, Whitehall would exploit the space left behind, touching the ball down before looking to provide a volleyed finish over the top of debutant goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom, although the shot stopper was equal to the effort by getting down low to deny.
With Scunthorpe arguably in control of the fixture, they would use their good ball retention to their advantage in the 29th minute. Building through the thirds with some unstoppable flair, the Rochdale defence would part like the Red Sea, presenting Cal Roberts the chance to hammer the ball at the target, forcing yet another reaction stop out of Winterbottom in order to push the ball away from the target.
The game’s next action would see the Dale take the lead by means of individual brilliance from Luke Hannant. Picking the ball up on his favoured right flank, Hannant would shift the ball onto his left foot and drive forward towards the Iron defence at pace, before firing his effort low and hard beyond the helpless Louis Jones to give his side the lead.
With half-time approaching and United determined not to let their opponents’ opener disrupt what had been a positive first period, they would manage to muster one more chance before the break. Working the ball out to Tyler Denton on the left-hand side, the Scunthorpe wing-back would whip an inch-perfect cross into the area for Whitehall to attack, nodding the ball towards the bottom corner in what looked to be goal-bound if not for the intervention of Winterbottom, tipping the ball round the post.
Following the restart, the Iron would look to maintain their foothold in proceedings, although this job was made harder no more than five minutes into the second period when Dale doubled their advantage. After a long hopeful ball over the top of the Scunthorpe defence, Jones would come off his line to meet the ball, although attacking midfielder Aidan Barlow would win the footrace, intercepting the ball and rounding the goalkeeper before tapping the ball into an empty net.
With United now two goals down and in desperate need of a lifeline, they would be handed one on the hour mark when a defensive error from the Rochdale defence unlocked the door for the Iron to grab one back. Through a hopeful punt forward of their own, Scunthorpe would smash the ball into the Dale final third, creating a mishap between Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Winterbottom, allowing Roberts to steal in and drive the ball into the open goal from the edge of the area.
With the deficit halved and still plenty of football still to be played, Scunthorpe were back in the ascendancy, creating chances across the board, especially after the introduction of Leo Farrell and Alfie Beestin, who sparked instant life into the United attack.
With 85 minutes on the clock, the Iron would have their best chance yet to level the scores, and it would come through Farrell. Following some sensational link-up play, keep the ball on the edge of the Rochdale area, the Iron would thread Farrell into the area, leaving the goalkeeper one-on-one with the onrushing Winterbottom. Despite having received the ball on his weaker foot, it would take the Barnsley loanee a second too long to adjust his feet, sending his effort crashing into the wide spread keeper in what was a fantastic save.
With time running out for the Iron to salvage a point, one last roll of the dice would see the desired result in front of the DRE. After Zain Westbrooke’s initial cross was cleared away, it would only be headed back into the path of the clinical Beestin, showing shades of York Away as he stormed onto the ball before driving his volley past the already beaten Winterbottom, tying the scores in the 87th minute.
Despite both sides enjoying late breaks in the search for what would’ve been the winning goal, referee Andrew Miller would call for the full-time whistle, signalling that the points were shared at the Attis Arena. A point well-earned for United who performed valiantly up against the league leaders and on another day could’ve easily taken all three points.
IRON: Jones, Horton, Belehouan, Boyce, Whitehall (Farrell, 69), Roberts, Rowley, Jones (Dausch, 78), Ewing (Beestin, 69), Westbrooke, Denton.
IRON SUBS: Mahady, Evans, Smith, Barrows.
ATTENDANCE: 4,898 (630 away)
REFEREE: Andrew Miller
