Scunthorpe United v Newcastle United

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Football League Championship

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Williams, Byrne, Jones, Mirfin, Togwell, McCann (A.Wright 90), Woolford (Thompson 89), J.Wright, Hayes, Hooper (Forte 78).
Subs not used:
Slocombe, Spence, Canavan, Sparrow.

Newcastle United :
Harper, Jose Enrique, Simpson, Khizanishvili, R.Taylor, Nolan, Guthrie (Ranger 86), Gutierrez, Geremi (Harewood 61), Smith, Carroll.
Subs not used:
Krul, Kadar, Tozer, Lovenkrands, Donaldson.

SULSESC REPORT

by Matt Gray at Glanford Park

I awoke this morning with a dryness in my throat, heaviness on my eyelids and a dullness in my head that only acute sleep deprivation can bring. Struggling to the shower, cursing the early morning cold, it hit me. Was it all a dream? Had it really happened?

Then the memories flooded in, like a welcoming summer breeze on sunkissed cheeks. Two pints each for the four of us and a steak dinner each to boot, all for a total of 30 quid - God bless Scunthorpe Wetherspoons!

Not a bad match either...

Ha! Bloody fantastic match!

Who'd have thought it!? Scunthorpe United beating the mighty Toon 2-1. How on earth did that happen? Please tell me, because I have no answers whatsoever and I witnessed the full glorious 90 minutes.

After the opening 20-minute period a large defeat was on the cards, with only Joe Murphy in irresistible form to keep the score at 0-0. Two Gordon Banks-style saves that maybe gave the team a platform to get into the game. Only one team were going to win this match as the Iron struggled to impose themselves in midfield and on the wings.

Then, an absolute sitter was hit high over the away stand by (I think) Paul Hayes and suddenly a transformation occurred. Two more shots flashed just wide from Togwell and Hooper before half-time and the game was on.

The second-half began with Scunny looking more confident, more purposeful as suddenly the diminutive Hooper really started to physically impose himself upon the Newcastle centre backs. So it was that the scoring was opened, as Hooper bullied himself past the hapless defenders, laid off a simple pass to Woolford who calmly passed the ball home. Marvellous and well deserved.

But the Iron disease of falling back after taking the lead against 'bigger' opponents predictably reared its ugly head. Back came Newcastle, the deeper we sat and Kevin Nolan's sweetly taken equaliser was all too crushingly inevitable.

A battering was surely in the offing, but surprisingly none came, as Newcastle, seemingly shell shocked that they'd finally managed to score after a drought of 284 minutes, lost their urgency. So it was the Iron to take advantage and seal a famous victory. This time Togwell brutishly headed a cross on to a lurking Woolford, who beat his man and slid the ball under the onrushing Harper to send GP into delirium and disbelief.

Game over, job done, though five minutes of injury time to sweat through before the sweet celebrations. An absolutely unbelievable result and I ask again - how?

As has come to be expected from Championship managers, Chris Hughton was particularly disrespectful in his post-match comments, but it was great to hear Joe Murphy poker-facedly state, "it's just another three points".

Now get ready for the 3-0 defeat to Peterborough...