Scunthorpe United v Barnsley

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

Football League One

Scunthorpe United :
Musselwhite, Byrne, Crosby, Butler, Williams, Sparrow, Hinds (Beagrie 75), Baraclough, Corden (Taylor 67), Parton (Keogh 67), Torpey
Subs not used:
Stanton, Capp

Barnsley :
Colgan, Tonge (Jarman 88), Carbon (Vaughan 45), Kay, Austin, Wroe (Conlon 74), Burns, McPhail, Shuker, Nardiello, Hayes
Subs not used:
Flinders, Joynes

SULSESC REPORT

by Andy Skeels at Glanford Park

HAYESY, Hayesy, what's the score...

The long slog up the M1 proved well worth it in the end thanks to Cleveland Taylor's dramatic winner which earned a come-from-behind victory for the Iron.

After a late-afternoon accident on the motorway near junction 21, which was causing long delays on the northbound carriageway and forced me into an unwanted detour, I then found myself stuck in a jam on the M69 wondering if I'd make Glanford Park for half-time, never mind the kick-off.

It was shades of the Barnsley cup replay 18 months ago, when myself and Neil Holland ended up having to turn round and go home when we'd got no further than the A1 at Hatfield by about 5.30 pm after a smash on the M25. Maybe it's something to do with games against Barnsley...

This time, however, luck was more on my side. The traffic jams began to clear and once I'd rejoined the M1 higher up, it was pretty much plain sailing thereafter, so much so that I was approaching the roundabout at the end of the M181 by 7 pm.

Amazingly, there was a queue of cars in the right hand lane of the M181 from about a mile before the roundabout. The new parking restrictions in force around GP were obviously working well!

Another quick detour round by Ferry Road and Avenue Vivian to Donny Road, dumping the car and calling up my dad to scab a lift to the ground, and I made it into the ground just as the teams were kicking off. Four and three quarter hours from leaving work to sitting in my seat... great!

Shortly afterwards, I was wondering why I'd bothered as some Keystone Cops defending at the back let in You Know Who to open the scoring for the Tykes. One game and ?? minutes into the new season, and most Iron fans were probably already pondering relegation.

But oh yea of little faith! Somewhat against expectations, United then proceeded to dominate the rest of the half, equalising through a Crosby penalty following a trip on Sparrow in the box, and should really have been ahead at the break as Torpey missed a sitter from six yards out.

Hopes were raised for the second period but rather falsely as it proved. Barnsley took over and it's no exaggeration to say we could have been hammered. I lost count of how many times Marcus Williams cleared off the line...

It's a funny old game, though. Just when we were hanging on desperately for a point, Cleveland picked up the ball on the halfway line, set off on one of his runs and just kept going... and going... and going. Until he reached the edge of the box and unleashed a ferocious shot which almost burst the top of the Barnsley net!

Unbelievable. But after Saturday's undeserved defeat at Brentford, we'll take an undeserved win in exchange any day.

My journey home was punctuated by numerous hold-ups for roadworks on the M1 and I finally got back at 1.45 am. It was an 11-hour round trip consisting of nine hours in the car and two hours in Glanford Park... but well worth it thanks to one C. Taylor.