Scunthorpe United v Northampton

Monday, August 30, 2004

Football League Two

Scunthorpe United :
Musselwhite, Stanton, Butler, Crosby, Taylor, Sparrow, Kell, Baraclough, Ridley, Keogh, Hayes
Subs not used:
Evans, Jackson, Barwick, Parton, Bailey

Northampton :
Harper, Chambers, Westwood, Willmott, Murray, Richards (Sabin 63), Low, Hughes (Cozic 83), Haslam, Youngs (Morison 63), McGleish
Subs not used:
Bojic, Hicks

SULSESC REPORT

by Chris Pettitt at Glanford Park

AND so the fine start to the season continues, with a convincing win over big spending promotion favourites Northampton.

It was a game which, in my experience, we should have struggled in and lost. In fact, it was a good job I sat down for this feast of football, otherwise I would have fallen down with shock as the world rocked on its axis as the Iron took a deserved three points.

Scunthorpe dominated the opening 20 minutes, playing some attractive football, and so frustrated were Northampton that they were reduced to hacking down both Sparrow and Hayes early on in an attempt to knock us off our game.

When Northampton finally settled into the game, it really was a credit to the fourth division and the football that can be played in the lower leagues.

For all the good football both sides played, there wasn't a clear cut chance on goal, although a couple of scares late on in the first–half when the Scunthorpe defence looked its usual shambles were, in the end, easily dealt with.

It was a mistake that led to the Iron taking the lead when a long clearance was headed up and behind the Cobblers defence from where Keogh waited on the edge of the 18 yard box to lash in a first time volley.

Northampton started the second half brightly and had a chance to equalise early on, but the shot bobbled just wide of Mussy's right post.

Both sides again played some pretty football but without any penetration, and the Iron's second goal came when Hayes went down under a clumsy challenge just inside the six yard box. The referee's assistant - and the ref. for that matter - had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

After what looked like a mini squabble between Hayes and Crosby as to who was going to take the penalty, the latter in the end placed the spot kick convincingly low right.

It wouldn't be a proper Scunthorpe performance without the usual penalty against, but this time Northampton smashed the spot kick against the post with Mussy again diving the wrong way.

Colin Calderwood took his frustration out on the water bottles by the side of the dugout, and was sent to the stands by the ref, which just about summed up Northampton's day.

I'm pretty sure they will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season, but the big question is: can Scunthorpe keep it up? Who knows but I still think we'll finish about ninth!