Halifax v Scunthorpe United

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Football League Trophy

Halifax :
Butler, Ingram, Atherton, Young, Doughty, Midgley, Martin Foster, Jacobs (Thompson 65), Bowler (Killeen 6), Senior (Mansaram 64), Forrest
Subs not used:
Quinn, Leister

Scunthorpe United :
Evans, Byrne, Hinds, Butler (Goodwin 39), Ridley, Taylor, Baraclough, MacKenzie, Corden (Beagrie 79), Keogh, Sharp (Johnson 61)
Subs not used:
Till, Musselwhite

SULSESC REPORT

by Vic Duke at The Shay

AS usual, the social side of a visit to the Shay was most pleasant – the Timothy Taylor’s ales were excellent both before (in the Shears Inn) and after (in the Three Pigeons) the match.

Darren, where were you? Manchester is not that far and it was not freezing!

Reduced admission prices for the LDV Trophy resulted in a crowd in excess of a thousand, of which a maximum of 200 were on the away terrace. Changes from the Barnsley debacle produced starts for Ridley, Taylor, Baraclough and Corden.

This time United were up for it from the start, so despite a lot of Halifax possession the defence held firm (not a term in use at Barnsley). The speedy counter attacks in evidence at the Iron’s better away performances this season were displayed again.

United took the lead from one of these in the ninth minute. A long clearance from Evans was helped on by Keogh to Sharp, who turned sharply in the box and shot impressively past Butler.

The closest the Shaymen came to equalising in the first-half was on 35 minutes when a Midgley free kick hit the angle of post and bar.

The Iron continued to look threatening on the break at the start of the second-half and a second goal arrived on 59 minutes. A defence-splitting pass from Baraclough found Keogh in the inside left channel haring towards goal. He duly slid the ball expertly under the goalie and into the net.

Sub Johnson looked a class act in terms of control and passing to a black shirt. Keogh should have scored his second on 71 minutes when a clever Johnson pass put him through, he rounded the goalie but defender Ingram got back to block the shot.

Keogh returned the compliment on 77 minutes with an astute pass to Johnson on the left side of the box. Johnson made no mistake with a subtle chip into the far right corner…3-0 and coasting into the next round.

The Shaymen got the consolation goal their positive play deserved with two minutes remaining. Ridley conceded a free kick which Doughty struck low into the corner of the net via a deflection off the wall.

So, a comfortable win with some excellent finishing from United. General comment among Halifax fans in the Three Pigeons after the match was that it was a fair result. But given the tame surrender at Hereford, why did we bother?