REPORT: Hornchurch 1-0 Iron

After a disappointing 2-1 defeat to league leaders Boreham Wood midweek, the Iron will look to build on their spirited second-half performance against the Wood this afternoon, while first-time opponents Hornchurch look to end a three-match losing streak in the Enterprise National League.

Regarding United’s team selection for the afternoon, Manager Andy Butler adjusted his side's formation and made two alterations. Firstly, after being 50/50 in terms of being able to feature, Joe Rowley dropped out of the Scunthorpe squad with a knock and was subsequently replaced by Alfie Beestin. Also, James Gale came back into the United midfield with wide-man Luke Brennan dropping to the bench.

When proceedings were set underway at the Hornchurch Stadium, Scunthorpe would make a promising start to the encounter, a start reminiscent of their previous away endeavour against Sutton United as they began by dominating early possession.

After a strong opening five minutes from the Iron, the first chance of the game would fall for United when a loose ball was collected by Kyle Hurst on the edge of the Urchins area, presenting the midfielder the opportunity to advance forward and release a shot, driving the ball towards the target but clearing the crossbar in the process.

The game’s next opportunity would come for the hosts as they began to grow into the encounter and very well could’ve resulted in the opener when Aaron Rowe burst down the right-flank. Despite originally appearing to be in an offside position, Rowe would be able to cross the ball low into the area for the run of Josh Walker, who flicked the ball towards goal from a matter of yards, forcing an outrageous diving stop from Campbell to turn the ball around the post.

Following this chance, Scunthorpe would begin to establish their foothold again and would go on to have the best chance yet of the fixture when some determined forward play from Tyler Denton allowed for the ball to drop kindly into the path of Ty Sellars-Fleming inside the penalty area, who unleashed an instinctive half-volley towards the mark that had Arthur Nasta well beaten between the sticks, rattling the ball against the far post to deny the Hull City loanee a third goal in as many games.

As the Iron continued to create chances to put themselves in front, the half-time break was fast approaching, and a sense of urgency was beginning to creep into the Scunthorpe players, especially when Jacob Butterfield had several attempted crosses into the Hornchurch area, with the last of which finding the unmarked Stan Ashbee at the far post, who had a golden opportunity to direct the ball towards goal but instead he could only balloon it over the crossbar.

This would be the last action of the first period, and when the sides returned for the second half it would take ten minutes for either outfit to test one another, as the game suddenly sparked into life.

Firstly, the Iron would go close as a cunning counterattack saw Hurst carry the ball forward at pace, drawing in several markers before sliding the ball through to Whitehall in the area, who fired an effort towards Nasta from a tight angle that the goalkeeper would react quickly to turn around the post.

In the minutes that followed this attack, the hosts would hit back with a chance of their own when Aaron Rowe was granted the space and time to drive the ball into the United area, taking advantage of the backing-off defence by wrapping the ball into the far corner, although the effort would hit the inside of the far post and spin back across the face of goal, somehow not providing the opener.

After the next ten minutes of nothing but United half-chances that would prove to no avail, Scunthorpe would find themselves behind in the scrappiest fashion. Following three failed attempts to clear the Hornchurch danger, Dominic Poleon’s low driven strike was flicked up into the air by a blue shirt, forcing Campbell to punch the ball clear, but only as far as a Urchins player who diverted the ball back towards the target and into the path of Ryan Inniss who turned the ball home to make it 1-0.

With 20 minutes following the goal for the Iron to find a way to draw level, Scunthorpe would begin their desperate search, flooding forward into the Hornchurch half but failing to create any chances of real note due to the resilient hosts’ defence.

The closest that United would come to levelling the scores would be through substitute Brennan, who looked to make his mark on the game when he was threaded into the area with a bouncing ball, swivelling and sending a volleyed effort towards the target that seemed destined for the bottom corner if not for Nasta, who had other ideas as he tipped the ball around the post.

Despite Butler’s boys’ best efforts, they weren’t able to find a way through the Urchins blockade, as the hosts stood firm to deny United any chance of an equaliser, drawing first blood in the head-to-head contest between the sides by taking all three points on home soil.

IRON: Campbell, Evans, Beestin (Ogle, 81), Whitehall (Parker, 71), Ashbee, Sellars-Fleming, Hurst (Bailey, 71), Starbuck, Butterfield, Gale (Brennan, 60), Denton

IRON SUBS: L. Jones, Rose, Barrows