Scunthorpe United 0
United 1
(Collins 62′)
Gary Johnson’s men claim a 1-0 win with a solid performance away at Scunthorpe United to claim back to back wins.
Gary Johnson kept an unchanged starting line up from the 1-0 victory at Boreham Wood, with the only change coming on the bench at Tom Lapslie returned from suspension to replace Dylan Crowe.
United came out the blocks the quickest and created their first chance within the first minute, as Jack Stobbs effort from outside the area was gathered by Tom Billson in the Scunthorpe goal. A minute later and it was Aaron Jarvis’s turn to try and put the Gulls ahead, as a cross into the box from the right wing was met by the forwards head, but it lacked the power and Billson gratefully held the ball.
With both teams seeing equal amounts of the ball it was the Iron’s turn to get forward for the first time on seven minutes, when Dion Sembie-Ferris got past Dean Moxey on the right hand side, but his cross into the box was cleared behind for a corner, which was then cleared. The game ebbed and flowed with a few half chances created firstly in the 16th minute when Asa Hall’s ball into the box was just too heavy and the Scunthorpe keeper got down to claim the ball before Jarvis could reach it, and then a quick break by United in the 21st minute, led to a Stobbs cross but again Billson was equal to it and the danger was averted.
The best chance of the first half though fell to the hosts in the 35th minute, when Jacob Butterfield found himself in space on the edge of the area, but his shot was well saved by Mark Halstead who pushed his shot behind for a corner. Chances were few and far between after that chance, though Hall had another shot on the Scunthorpe goal in the 44th minute which again was comfortably saved by Billson, and despite three minutes of added time the scores remained level at the break.
The second half started as well as the first half for the Yellows, when Frank Nouble got down the right and his ball found Kevin Dawson whose shot brought a good save from Billson, before two minutes later it was Scunthorpe who had the next chance when Thompson’s deflected shot was gathered at the second attempt by Halstead. Like a basketball match it was United again three minutes later when Lewis Collins got the ball and his shot was well saved by Billson, and though the ball fell to Jarvis he couldn’t get a shot away and the hosts cleared the ball.
With Evans then replaced by the returning Lapslie, we were then treated to a Moxey shot from about 45 yards out in the 57th minute, as he spotted the Iron goalkeeper off his line, and just when you thought it was going to dip under the bar it landed on the roof of the net instead, though that was just the warm up for what was to come five minutes later. Jarvis receiving the ball then played it through to Collins to run onto, and with a swing of the boot he lashed his shot past the despairing Billson and United lead after 62 minutes, with the travelling Yellow Army behind the goal in absolute dreamland.
With the Glanford Park faithful and their team stunned, it took them a good ten minutes to create a chance as the Gulls controlled the game, when on 72 minutes substitute Feeney’s shot from outside the box was saved well by Halstead and the United lead stayed in tact. Scunthorpe continued to try and press the Yellows backline, but it stayed firm and despite getting in and around the Torquay penalty area during the last ten minutes, they never troubled Halstead, and the five minutes of added time passed without incident.
As the final whistle went United and the joyous Yellow Army celebrated what has been a tremendous week, with back to back league wins for the first time this season.
SCUNTHORPE UNITED: 12. Tom Billson, 2. Reagan Ogle, 13. Ben Richards-Everton, 19. Jacob Butterfield (c), Cameron Wilson, (30. Tom Pugh, 69′) 25. Jake Leake, 26. Liam Thompson, 27. Dion Sembie-Ferris, (7. Lian Feeney, 63′) 29. Will Smith, 31. Dean Rance, 49. Richie Bennett (Danny Elliot, 57′)
SUBS NOT USED: 6. Andrew Boyce, 22. Finley Shrimpton,
Yellow Cards: 13. Ben Richards-Everton, 60′, 31. Dean Rance, 61′, 2. Reagan Olgle, 90+3
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 8. Asa Hall (c), 9. Aaron Jarvis, 11. Kieron Evans, (Tom Lapslie, 56′) 16. Shaun Donnellan, 19. Nico Lawrence, 21. Dean Moxey, 27. Jack Stobbs, 28. Kevin Dawson, (15. Ben Wyatt, 90′) 31. Lewis Collins. 45. Frank Nouble (7. Ryan Hanson, 87′)
SUBS NOT USED: 5. Ali Omar, 22. Rhys Lovett,
Yellow Cards: 8. Asa Hall, 32′ 31. Lewis Collins, 90+3′
Attendance: 3,467 (158 Away)