REPORT: AFC Fylde 2-0 Iron

After an extended ten-day period without a game, the Iron were back in Enterprise National League action this afternoon as they travelled to the coast to take on AFC Fylde for the first-ever meeting between the two sides. The Coasters came into the game looking to improve their record of three defeats in their last four, whereas the Iron were looking for an immediate return to winning ways after their previous defeat to Barrow.

With regard to the United team news for the afternoon, there were several enforced changes for Andy Butler’s side. Firstly, the latest addition, Regan Clayton, took his place on the left of the Iron defence, with Tyler Denton only fit enough to make the bench. Elsewhere, Joe Rowley’s absence with a back injury meant Tyrell Sellars-Fleming was granted a spot in the wide areas, with Kyle Hurst moved back into midfield.

When proceedings were set underway by Scunthorpe, who were sporting their emerald green third strip for the first time this season, the game’s early exchanges would be a nervy state of affairs for the hosts, who gave away possession in promising areas although United were unable to capitalise.

After just over five minutes of action, the first chance of the game would come for the Coasters when highly rated attacking midfielder Luca Thomas was granted space on the edge of the Iron area, bringing possession under his spell before lashing a low driven effort towards the bottom corner that trickled wide of the mark.

After 20 minutes of action, it was fair to say that Fylde were turning the encounter into a training game as they continued to pass the ball around the United defence, eventually resulting in the game’s opening goal. When a slotted through ball into the area found Thomas in acres of space, the midfielder forced a remarkable one-on-one save out of Campbell, who hopped back to his feet to deny the second chance from a matter of yards, sending the ball spiralling into the air for Danny Mayor to head home from merely metres out.

Now behind, Scunthorpe continued to find themselves under pressure from the relentless hosts, especially when Thomas came close again after being slotted into the penalty area and dragged his effort across the face of goal, narrowly evading Campbell’s bottom corner.

With the Iron requiring a response if they were to have any hope of pulling a goal back before the break, it would be a set-piece that nearly undid the Fylde defence as Jacob Butterfield’s delivery to the front post was met by defender Ross Barrows, who beat goalkeeper Zac Jones to the ball, diverting a header across the face of the open goal, marginally wide of the far post.

With half-time fast approaching at Mill Farm, it would be Scunthorpe who were starting to knock on the door for an equaliser, and after some neat interplay down the right-flank to feed Pat Jones into a crossing position, the Welshman would whip a delightful cross into the path of the debutant Clayton, who came steaming onto the ball, wrapping his foot around a volley that a covering Fylde defender crucially blocked to turn the ball behind.

Following the restart, United would look to mount a comeback, forced into counterattacking in order to try and find the leveller as Fylde were still looking dangerous every time they came forward.

After 15 minutes of second-half action, Scunthorpe would have arguably their best chance yet of getting back in the game when James Norwood held up play well in the middle of the park before sliding the ball into the path of Sellars-Fleming to his left, giving the Hull City loanee the space to drive forward, chopping inside before whipping an effort towards the bottom corner that landed narrowly wide of the mark.

The game’s next action would see United’s hopes of levelling the game dashed as wing-back Aaron Drewe added a second for the hosts, making the most of the retreating Scunthorpe defence, sliding in at the far post to turn home a low driven cross.

After a number of Iron changes following the second goal, Scunthorpe would begin to improve their performance, imposing themselves on the Fylde defence for a sustained period and even coming inches away from pulling a goal back as James Gale’s cross across the face of goal evaded all attempts to clear before hitting Norwood on the line, turning the ball away from the target.

With the minutes ticking away at Mill Farm the hosts would come close to grabbing a third as United were saved by the post. Hitting the Iron on the break who had been left exposed in their attempt to flood forward, one long ball over the top to Luca Thomas saw the midfielder bearing down on goal, rushing towards the oncoming Campbell before rattling the ball towards the far corner and into the far post, allowing for United to get back and clear.

With that the Iron would be dealt yet another disappointing defeat, something that Butler’s boys will be needing to put right over the coming weeks, starting with an FA Cup 4th qualifying round trip to Boston United next Saturday.

IRON: Campbell, Norwood, P. Jones (Evans, 68), Ashbee, Sellars-Fleming (Parker, 76), Batty, Hurst (Richards, 68), Starbuck, Butterfield (Gale, 68), Clayton (Denton, 68), Barrows

IRON SUBS: L. Jones, Brennan