Scunthorpe United v Preston

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Football League Championship

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Byrne, Crosby, Butler, Youga, Sparrow, Goodwin, Baraclough (Taylor 89), Hurst, Hayes (Forte 73), Paterson (Iriekpen 89)
Subs not used:
Lillis, Cork

Preston :
Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, Chilvers, Davidson, Sedgwick (Whaley 81), Nicholls, Carter, Gallagher (Pugh 87), Agyemang (Ormerod 70), Carroll (sent off 62)
Subs not used:
Chris Neal, Hill

SULSESC REPORT

by Andy Kerr at Glanford Park

I MUST admit to still being in a state of disbelief as I watch the Iron take on and match yet another Championship side at what Scunthorpe Telegraph now describes as "The Iron Fortress"!

After a pretty dismal performance at Barnsley, United stepped things up tonight and without doubt deserved their win. Yes, we had to dig in deep and, yes, it wasn't pretty at times but overall we played some good stuff against a very good Preston side.

Preston passed the ball neatly but we matched their skill with our endeavour and Paterson was denied by a good save from Andy Lonergan in the Preston goal. Hurst also had a great chance to put us in front but hit his shot badly wide after good work from Hayes put him clean through. With a bit more composure, he would have got his first goal for the club.

However, we did not have to wait long and on 24 minutes Andy Crosby scored his second goal of the season (and neither from the spot!) when he hammered home a close range header from a Hurst cross. The place went mad, as is usual of late.

Preston, as you would expect, however, refused to lie down and twice came close to pulling it back to 1-1. Paterson, who is quickly looking like a very good replacement for ‘Our Billy’, was freed by a Byrne cross on the counter attack and hit a terrific shot which Lonergan was happy to save as it looked destined for the top corner.

Murphy was on top form as we approached half-time when he saved former Wimbledon man Patrick Agyemang's shot with an outstretched hand to deny what looked to be a certain goal. However, for the second straight game (and three in total if you count Bristol City) we conceded on the stroke of half-time.

Crosby brought Agyemang down on the edge of the box and Kevin Nicholls swung in an excellent free kick which centre-half Youl Mawene headed home…1-1 at half time..

This time United recovered early in the second-half when on 49 minutes Paterson played Hayes in on goal with a lovely back heel. Hayes smacked it into the net for 2-1 and his first goal back in an Iron shirt. “Deary me,” as Nige would say.

Then it started to get quite physical and when Andy Butler was clattered to the floor by two Preston players, the ref blew to give us a free kick, only to then have to send Newcastle loanee and former Iron target Andy Carroll off for kicking Butler whilst he was on the deck. Good job the linesman spotted it as the ref hadn't.

I then started to get worried as, of course, we never play well against 10 men. This seemed destined to happen again as Preston played with the usual fight of a team feeling hard done by and as the challenges flew in I had a feeling they would soon be down to nine.

What a game this was turning into though. Paterson failed to direct his header on target after another great cross from Hurst. Then Hurst turned Villain as he brought down right-back Billy Jones in the box and the ref gave a pen. Ireland’s number one, however, flung himself to his right and kept out the resultant spot kick from Preston skipper Kevin Nicholls. The Fortress went mad again!

Preston brought on Brett Ormerod but all to no avail as the Iron back line held firm with all of our back four, and especially Cliff Byrne, putting in fantastic performances with their never-say-die attitude.

Let’s hope we can do it again against WBA, which is in two hours’ time as I write this.

As Nige says: "Keep believing.”