TLG Stat-Pack – Scunthorpe United form

Saturday 16th October 2004 - Coca-Cola League Two

Kidderminster Harriers 3 Scunthorpe United 2

Nathan Stanton picked up a nasty injury and will lose his 100% record tonight

Goals: Torpey 18, Hayes 58

Booked: Torpey 44

Sent Off: none

Attendance: 2167

Match Report (by TLG):

Scunthorpe led twice against bottom club Kidderminster Harriers – but let the lead slip twice to crash to a 3-2 defeat at Aggborough and help the Black Country outfit move off the foot of the table.

Only 18 minutes had passed when, with the first real chance of the game, Ian Baraclough’s flag-kick was rifled into the far corner of the net by Steve Torpey, netting just his second goal of the season.

John Danby made a good save from an acute Paul Hayes effort five minutes later before a similar Simon Brown effort was kept out by Iron shotstopper Paul Musselwhite. However, Ian Foster was soon on hand to equalise for the hosts, a deflected attempt from fifteen yards wrong-footing Musselwhite.

Richard Kell’s dipping volley from just outside the penalty area in the opening stages of the second half threatened another period of Scunthorpe domination as it whistled past the left-hand upright. On 58 minutes Tom Brighton’s right-wing cross was flicked on by Kell and Paul Hayes side-footed past Danby for his sixth goal of the season.

Ten minutes later and the sides were level again, with Foster the goal getter once again. This time Brown’s cross from the right was turned in with ease after a slight deflection. Musselwhite tipped a Kelvin Langmead header around the post as the Aggborough outfit started to move on top, but the former Preston North End front man was not to be denied and he skipped past Andy Butler before rifling an unstoppable effort past Musselwhite to secure a much needed win for Harriers.

Friday 8th October 2004 – Coca-Cola League Two

Scunthorpe United 2 Wycombe Wanderers 0

Steve Torpey has struggled for goals (and fitness) this season

Goals: Hayes 27, Crosby 39 (pen)

Booked: Taylor

Sent Off: none

Attendance: 4373

Match Report (by TLG):

The Iron got back to winning ways and second spot in the League Two table as they overcame promotion candidates Wycombe Wanderers at Glanford Park.

Paul Hayes set up the first chance of the game twenty minutes in when he flicked on Paul Musselwhite’s long clearance and Steve Torpey fired over from the edge of the box unattended.

Five minutes later and Brian Laws’ side were in front, with central defender Andy Crosby the provider with the long ball forward again. Top goalscorer Hayes brought the ball down and then drove past Frank Talia from eighteen yards to send the 4373-strong Friday night crowd into raptures.

The Iron were well on top, and Cleveland Taylor’s run was ended with a pinpoint cross to Torpey, who volleyed the low ball wide. The goal came nine minutes before the break, with Stuart Nethercott hauling down Hayes and Andy Crosby slotting into the right-hand corner of the net from the penalty spot.

Taylor sent a low shot fizzling across the face of goal, and Torpey and Hayes combined for the latter to fire straight at Talia. Ian Stonebridge briefly threatened for the visitors as he fired narrowly over the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.

Zema Abbey should have brought the Chairboys back into the game straight after the interval but he headed Nathan Tyson’s testing cross wide. Roger Johnson also kept Musselwhite awake with a near post header midway through the second period, the closest the visitors came to grabbing a consolation.

Saturday 2nd October 2004 – Coca-Cola League Two

Boston United 2 Scunthorpe United 1

Flying winger Peter Beagrie has been available sparsely

Goal: Hayes 42

Booked: Hayes, Taylor

Sent Off: none

Attendance: 3640

Match Report (by TLG):

It took a stoppage time special from Matt O’Halloran, but the Pilgrims finally ended Scunthorpe’s unbeaten away record by two goals to one at York Street.

Andy Kirk followed up Jason Lee’s saved twenty-yard effort with a fantastic run that took him past Andy Crosby and around goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite, only then to have his eventual shot blocked on the goal line by right-back Nathan Stanton.

Danny Thomas’ cross was then met by the head of former Blues striker Lee, but this time Ian Baraclough was on hand to clear the ball off of the line. At the other end the midfielder then fired just inches over the frame of the goal from full thirty yards.

The source of the Scunthorpe goal was Cleveland Taylor as he galloped down the right-wing before squaring to Paul Hayes, who fired past Nathan Abbey into the roof of the Boston net. He followed that up seconds later by blasting wide from twenty yards.

In first half injury time David Noble’s swinging free-kick was palmed onto the bar by Musselwhite from Andy Kirk’s header, but after the break it was Baraclough again testing Abbey at the other end with three long-distance piledrivers.

Finally, midway through the second half, Boston got back on level terms. Austin McCann slipped the ball in behind Stanton, and Courtney Pitt made no mistake in out-pacing the defender to chip comfortably over Musselwhite from eighteen yards.

As the match seemed to be heading towards a stalemate, substitute O’Halloran, having been on for half-an-hour, delivered a telling contribution by firing an outstanding twenty-yard shot screaming past Musselwhite’s outstretched hand and into the net.

Tues 28th September 2004 – LDV Vans Trophy first round

Hereford United 1 Scunthorpe United 1 (HUFC win 4-3 pens)

Goalkeeper Tommy Evans made a rare appearance in the LDV

Goal: Torpey 58

Booked: Barwick, Sparrow

Sent Off: none

Attendance: 1414

Match Report (by TLG):

Conference side Hereford United knocked Scunthorpe out of the LDV Vans Trophy at the opening round stage on penalty kicks at Edgar Street.

Brian Laws made sweeping changes to his confident League Two side for the trip to the west of England, but it seemed to have had no effect when Cleveland Taylor forced former Glasgow Celtic custodian Jonathan Gould into action with a drilled eighteen-yard effort.

Michael Rankine also kept Gould busy, the goalkeeper making a fine save low to his right on this occasion, although Danny Williams outpaced Nathan Stanton to force stand-in shotstopper Tom Evans to make a save.

On 35 minutes the hosts were ahead. Craig Stanley was allowed to progress by Clifford Byrne and Stanton, and he moved from the halfway line to the edge of the penalty box in one movement before firing past Evans into the bottom right-hand corner.

Danny Williams’ header from a David Brown cross was cleared off of the line by pacy winger Taylor soon after the break, but the Iron pulled level on 57 minutes when Tom Brighton’s right-wing corner was converted by the head of Steve Torpey.

Adam Stansfield picked out Brown on the hour, but he shot wide at the far post, and the largely Scunthorpe reserve side were worried again when Stansfield broke free in the penalty area but fired over.

The quality of Gould was emphasised just seconds after Paul Hayes had replaced Torpey in extra time as he firstly denied the tall front man and then fellow replacement Wayne Graves with the midfielder’s rebound. Brighton then saw his twenty-yarder tipped onto the top of the crossbar and over.

The Bulls dominated the closing stages, Evans hitting a clearance straight at Mkandawire but fortunate as the ball fell into his gloves, and then Mills firing over in the final minute. Penalties it was, though, and with Brighton and Taylor having theirs saved, Carey-Betram smashed in the winning spot-kick.

Saturday 25th September 2004 – Coca-Cola League Two

Scunthorpe United 1 Mansfield Town 1

Matty Sparrow is another who has been in and out od the side

Goal: Baraclough 3

Booked: none

Sent Off: none

Attendance: 5463

Match Report (by TLG):

Two promotion hopefuls battled out a 1-1 draw at Glanford Park as neither side was worthy of all three points.

The Iron did make the perfect start just three minutes into the match, with a clearance falling straight to midfielder Ian Baraclough. He took one touch before smashing it back from whence it came and into the top right-hand corner of the net to hand Scunny the lead.

Alex Neil for Mansfield and Paul Hayes for the hosts both fired decent chances over the crossbar, and the Stags Adam Murray went a step closer to scoring when his attempt from fully thirty yards rebounded back off of the crossbar.

Colin Larkin then tested Paul Musselwhite on the hour mark as he rode the defensive challenges to poke the ball at the former Hull City man, who claimed at the second attempt. Kevin Pilkington also earned his mettle as he denied Hayes from a Peter Beagrie cross.

The Town pressure finally told twenty minutes from the end, from an unlikely source. Neil sent in a right-wing corner, and defender David Artell was the man to meet the ball and equalise for the visitors,

Ten minutes later sub Michael Rankine flicked on Andy Crosby’s free-kick for Cleveland Taylor to fire over, and the replacement forward himself was thwarted when he had though that he had scored from Taylor’s cross, the assistant referee adjudging that the centre had gone out of play for a goal-kick beforehand.

Summary – the Shrimpers vs. the Iron

(Last Five Matches)

Southend United

W4-2 (home; Swansea City; League Two; Freddy Eastwood 3, Spencer Prior)

W2-1 (home; Boston United; League Two; Mark Gower, Wayne Gray)

L0-4 (away; Darlington; League Two)

D1-1 [W5-3 on pens] (away; Colchester United; LDV Vans Trophy; Tesfaye Bramble)

W1-0 (home; Kidderminster Harriers; League Two; Mark Gower)

(Won 3, Drawn 1, Lost 1, Scored 8, Conceded 8)

Scunthorpe United

L2-3 (away; Kidderminster Harriers; League Two; Steve Torpey, Paul Hayes)

W2-0 (home; Wycombe Wanderers; League Two; Paul Hayes, Andy Crosby [pen])

L1-2 (away; Boston United; League Two; Paul Hayes)

D1-1 [L3-4 on pens] (away; Hereford United; LDV Vans Trophy; Steve Torpey)

D1-1 (home; Mansfield Town; League Two; Ian Baraclough)

(Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 2, Scored 7, Conceded 7)

Summary – the Shrimpers vs. the Iron

(Blues away and Scunny at home)

Southend United away

L0-4 (League Two; Darlington)

D1-1 [W5-3 on pens] (LDV Vans Trophy; Colchester United; Tesfaye Bramble)

W2-1 (League Two; Notts County; Adam Barrett 2)

W4-1 (League Two; Rushden & Diamonds; Lawrie Dudfield 2 [1 pen], Tesfaye Bramble, David Bell [o.g.])

L1-2 (League Two; Bristol Rovers; Adam Barrett)

(Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 2, Scored 8, Conceded 9)

Scunthorpe United home

W2-0 (League Two; Wycombe Wanderers; Paul Hayes; Andy Crosby [pen])

D1-1 (League Two; Mansfield Town; Ian Baraclough)

L1-2 (League Two; Chester City; Andy Butler)

W2-0 (League Two; Northampton Town; Andy Keogh, Andy Crosby [pen])

W3-2 (League Two; Lincoln City; Richard Kell, Andy Butler 2)

(Won 3, Drawn 1, Lost 1, Scored 9, Conceded 5)