Scunthorpe United v Nottm Forest

Friday, December 16, 2005

Football League One

Scunthorpe United :
Evans, Hinds, Crosby, Byrne, Taylor, Keogh (Torpey 85), Baraclough, Ridley, Beagrie, Sharp (Johnson 71), MacKenzie
Subs not used:
Musselwhite, Goodwin, Till

Nottm Forest :
Gerrard, Eaden, Holt (Lester 75), Morgan, Breckin, Southall, Curtis, Perch, Gardner, Taylor, Tyson
Subs not used:
Bopp, Dadi, Fernandez, Gamble

SULSESC REPORT

by Andy Skeels at Glanford Park

WHAT odds would we have got at the start of the season on United doing the double over Nottingham Forest?

No doubt it would have been worth a flutter, although back at the beginning of August, no-one in their right mind would seriously have expected the Iron to accomplish such a feat.

But fact can be stranger than fiction, as they say, and after this relatively comfortable victory over the once mighty former European champions, United can proudly boast a 100 per cent all-time league record against Forest. We've played them twice, and beaten them twice.

This was also a much-needed three points, bringing to an end another sequence of defeats - this time five in a row - which had extinquished the fanciful notion of back-to-back promotions and raised the ugly spectre of relegation once more.

An early goal was just what the doctor ordered, though almost half-an-hour had passed before the Iron deservedly broke the deadlock. Lee Ridley was the unlikely source with a scrappy affair, more deflection than anything, but it was still enough to give us the advantage at the break.

Forest threatened to take something from the match after Gareth Taylor converted a penalty midway through the second-half, but a cracking goal from the other Taylor on the pitch, of the Cleveland variety, restored the Iron's advantage within seven minutes.

Cliff Byrne added a third in the closing stages to put the issue beyond doubt as United's excellent form in Friday night fixtures continued. Fingers crossed this win will be the catalyst for some improved results in the coming weeks as I don't think anyone will be able to stomach yet another relegation following immediately on from a promotion...