Scunthorpe United v Notts County

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Football League Trophy

Scunthorpe United :
Lillis, Byrne, Pearce, Mirfin (Hooper 81), Williams, Sparrow, Morris, McCann (Forte 67), Woolford, Hayes, May
Subs not used:
Slocombe, Wright

Notts County :
Hoult, Beardsley, Edwards, Tann, Mayo, Hamshaw, Smith, Butcher, Fairclough (MacKenzie 71), Canham (Weston 71), Facey
Subs not used:
Pilkington, Weir-Daley

OPPOSITION VIEW

FROM THE NOTTINGHAM EVENING POST

The message from the dug-out was clear. As Adam Tann lay prostrate on the floor receiving treatment, following an aerial challenge with Scunthorpe striker Ben May, Ian McParland was screaming to his players to stay switched on in the dying moments of the game.

After seeing the Magpies surrender victory against Shrewsbury late at Meadow Lane on Saturday, he wasn't getting complacent. And he wanted to make sure neither were his players. He wanted them focused to the very end in order to preserve their precious lead.

But they didn't. And just one minute after Tann had been carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Michael Johnson, in the first minute of injury-time, the Iron levelled as Paul Hayes headed Ian Morris' corner past Russell Hoult at the far post.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Three minutes further into injury-time, Hayes headed past Hoult from point-blank range after Notts failed to defend a long throw-in that Morris launched into the penalty area. Hoult showed incredible agility to block a first attempt, but was unable to deny Hayes a late, late, late winner.

McParland said Tann would have been marking Hayes from both set-plays, and that his enforced exit disrupted the Magpies' defence. Perhaps it did. Tann was quite simply outstanding alongside Mike Edwards in the centre of defence, time and again making crucial interventions to deny the home side.

But equally, the responsibility of marking Hayes would have shifted on to somebody else, maybe Johnson. Maybe not. Whoever the task fell to, they should have done better.

It means that once again Notts have played well and not claimed a win, and that will deeply frustrate McParland and his players. It's the story of their season so far.

Yes, they came under intense pressure at times against Scunthorpe, especially in the second half. But that was fully expected against the League One outfit. And while they relied on luck at times to stay ahead, they also defended resolutely - until injury-time, of course.

After Richard Butcher had given them an early lead, the Magpies also crafted a couple of glorious chances to kill off the tie with Delroy Facey notably spurning a wonderful chance to score in the second half.

Notts took the lead on nine minutes with Butcher directing an elegant effort into the bottom right corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area, after Sean Canham had headed Ben Fairclough's cross into his path.

The home side then went close to levelling the game twice in quick succession.

First, winger Martyn Woolford rifled a stinging long-range effort at goal that Hoult parried away uneasily. Mike Edwards was alert to track May's run into the penalty area, to deny the striker a chance to pounce on the rebound.

Hoult then pulled off a great save to deny Grant McCann, diving full-stretch to tip the midfielder's free-kick past his left-hand post.

Scunthorpe continued to utilise the aerial prowess of May, and it took another good save from Hoult to deny the tall forward when he met Matt Sparrow's measured cross from the right with a header just before the half-hour mark.

Iron left-back Marcus Williams raided forward and unleashed a powerful effort that flew just over the crossbar minutes later, as they continued to threaten.

And it took a great tackle from Tann to halt Hayes on 41 minutes as the striker looked to burst through. Tann was the last man and he needed to make the tackle, otherwise Hayes would have been clean through on goal. It was a vital interception to keep the Magpies' lead intact.

Scunthorpe started the second half in the same vein, with Sparrow thundering an early long-range effort against the crossbar.

Notts replied just after the hour mark with Matt Hamshaw playing a neat interchange with Facey and racing into the box. He fired an early low effort that Josh Lillis parried, and the rebound fell to Canham who rifled a first-time shot the Iron keeper smothered.

Myles Weston made an immediate impact, following his introduction on 71 minutes for Canham, racing down the left wing and crossing into the penalty area for Facey, but the striker sent a glancing header just wide of the far post. It was easily the best opportunity to double the Magpies' lead.

May then directed a free header wide of the post from a corner on 78 minutes and Jonathan Forte struck a shot just wide of the upright from the edge of the penalty area.

Scunthorpe were piling forward in search of a late leveller and Butcher and Weston very nearly wrapped up victory with a swift counter-attack on 85 minutes. The pair broke into the penalty area at pace but then took too long trying to tee each other up, allowing the Iron time to recover and eventually clear.

Then it all turned on Tann's injury.

The Magpies probably won't lose too much sleep about getting knocked out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. After all, the league is their top priority. But McParland might lose sleep over the way they went out.