REPORT: Iron 2-1 Nottingham Forest U21's

With Scunthorpe making a disappointing start to their League campaign in the National League, Andy Butler’s Iron would be looking to build momentum when they welcomed Nottingham Forest U21’s to the Attis Arena for United’s second group stage fixture.

Almost wholesale changes for the Iron this evening as Maison Campbell was elected to start between the sticks, with a defensive unit made up of Branden Horton, Captain Will Evans, Joe Starbuck, and Hull City loanee Stan Ashbee, who made his first start for the club. United's midfield saw James Gale partner Joe Rowley, who started in order to comply with the competition's rule requiring four starters from either the previous or next game. The width in the Scunthorpe side was provided by Luke Brennan and Kyle Hurst, whilst Hugh Parker and Declan Howe were selected to lead the line from the front.

When proceedings were set underway at the Attis Arena, United would dominate the majority of the ball in the early exchanges, using the surface to their advantage and working the ball around their opponents with relative ease.

Despite the Iron’s early dominance, it would be Forest who had the first real chance of the encounter when a delicate ball through the Scunthorpe channel allowed Kristian Clarke to advance down the right flank, driving the ball into the penalty area before lashing an effort across the face of goal, drawing a crucial save out of Maison Campbell, who pushed the ball onto the far post, allowing Will Evans to recover and hook the ball away.

Following this chance, United would go back to controlling the encounter, and after several half chances that were dealt with by the Nottingham defence, the Iron would finally break through to open the scoring in the 35th minute. When James Gale worked the space for a cross on the left flank, the midfielder’s cross was perfectly weighted onto the head of Declan Howe in the area, who glanced the ball beyond goalkeeper George Jones to make it 1-0.

With the half-way point approaching, Forest would again call Campbell into action with a glorious opportunity to draw level. After some remarkable play to work the ball into a crossing position, Kalum Thompson would continue to chop the ball back into the path of Clarke in the penalty area, who attempted to wrong-foot Campbell with a finessed effort to the near post that the goalkeeper palmed clear with a fantastic diving stop.

Following the half-time break at the Attis Arena, both sides would make alterations to their side in an attempt to get the game’s next goal. After just seven minutes of action, Scunthorpe would earn the second goal they required with a cunning counterattack.

Breaking from one end to the other, Gale would thread a pinpoint pass through the heart of the Forest defence, releasing Luke Brennan in behind, who, upon catching up to the ball inside the area, the wide man chopped beyond the covering defender before driving a low, driven strike towards the bottom corner that left the goalkeeper with no chance, finding the back of the net for 2-0.

Now with a two-goal advantage to either try and expand on or protect, United would continue to play on the front foot, very nearly creating a third goal of the night in the 62nd minute when a sensational free-kick delivery found the unmarked run of substitute Danny Whitehall inside the area, who nodded the ball down towards the target, drawing a smart reaction save out of George Jones, who caught the ball confidently.

With 75 minutes on the clock, Scunthorpe would go from being unscathed to facing a nervy last 15 minutes when an initially well-dealt-with corner delivery fell back into the path of Kanye Bradshaw on the edge of the area, who stung the ball towards the target, leaving Campbell with no chance as the effort rifled into the top corner to bring the academy side back within one.

Despite Forest having 15 minutes to try and forge an equaliser, they would fail to threaten the Iron goal during this period due to some resolute defending from United, who, although not pretty at times, proceeded to clear every attempt to draw the visitors level.

With this, referee Aaron Bannister would call time on proceedings at the Attis Arena, marking a second win from as many games in the National League Cup for United, who will be hoping once again to build some momentum into their league form, with a difficult test of Sutton United to face this coming weekend.

IRON: Campbell, Horton (Denton, 61), Evans (Belehouan, 45), D. Howe, Brennan, Rowley (Barrows 67), Parker (Whitehall, 61), Ashbee, Hurst, Starbuck, Gale (Sellars-Fleming, 67)

IRON SUBS: L. Jones, Shipstone

ATTENDANCE: 513

REFEREE: Aaron Bannister