Penalty kicks decided the Checkatrade Trophy tie at Glanford Park this evening after a 1-1 draw in normal time. The Imps triumphed 3-1 in the shootout leaving all to play for in the final group game against Wolverhampton Wanderers U21’s in a month’s time.
Ryan Colclough had given the home side the lead in the second half before Harry Anderson gave City hope with a late leveller with just . Then in the shootout, City were successful from the spot four times, Tom Pett netted the first, before Sam Slocombe denied Lee Novak, Matt Rhead netted before Charlie Goode did the same for the hosts, Lee Frecklington then blasted home before Matthew Lund missed the target. Bruno Andrade hit the woodwork, leaving Stephen Humphrys with the vital pen, his miss meant City took the win.
Scunthorpe United started the play quickly, pressing forward through Steven Humphrys who made a quick run into the area but James Wilson made a timely interception. The hosts continued to pour forward as Ryan Colclough raced through on goal but he found the former Iron stopper Sam Slocombe in his way, The Imps’ number 24 making himself as big as possible and making an impressive stop after he raced from his goalline.
The pace of the game was very rapid with the ball quickly back up the other end of the pitch as Kellan Gordon set Harry Anderson away down the right, he left Lewis Butroid behind but Matt Green was just denied in his efforts to get the ball into the box towards Matt Rhead and the supporting Bernard Mensah.
Slocombe was to deny Humphrys as the Iron striker tried to find the top corner, but the City stopper dived to his right, getting a solid hand to the goalbound effort. Gordon threatened once again for the visitors, crossing dangerously to the near post but Rory McArdle just got there ahead of Green as The Imps made inroads towards the goal of the hosts.
Mensah flicked the ball forward despite the onrushing Matthew Lund in close attendance, Green got his shot away but McArdle was there to block. City were having a good spell of pressure and following a Matt Rhead flick on, Mensah too had a shot blocked before the rebound dropped to Ellis Chapman, his sidefooted effort beat Jonathan Flatt in the Scunthorpe goal but it went the wrong side of the crossbar.
The game settled down somewhat as half time approached, with only the odd incursion into either penalty area, Colclough tried to find the top corner for The Iron but his effort went into the travelling City fans behind Slocombe’s goal. Green was denied for a second time for The Imps his shot getting past Flatt but ricocheting back off a defender and onto the City striker and again the ball crept towards goal but it was hacked away from under the crossbar.
Green was an ever present threat and was inches away from opening the scoring with seconds to go to the break, good work from Rhead and Anderson led to the Number 10 jinking left and right to create the space to shoot, his low shot was deflected a whisker off target with Flatt rooted to the spot.
Half Time
Scunthorpe United 0 The Imps 0
Akin to the opening throes of the first half, The Iron pressed high up the field quickly and the tricky feet of Colclough was to fashion a shooting chance inside the City box, but Wharton put himself in front of the ball to block.
City’s first opportunity of the second half came from a wonderful run down the right hand side by Gordon, he took on a couple of Iron defenders before rolling the ball back into the feet of Anderson who clipped a first time cross into the box and Mensah leapt highest to win the aerial battle but couldn’t get his header on target.
The hosts were to open the scoring through Colclough on 56 minutes, the Scunthorpe number 49 lashing a low effort just inside the left hand post of Slocombe. The Imps’ keeper was to deny Lund netting a second.
Chapman was inches away from levelling the scores just after the hour mark, Anderson the creator down the right for the teenager to get his shot away first time but it almost scraped the top of the crossbar. The Imps made a double change bringing on John Akinde and Bruno Andrade and the latter almost made the perfect introduction to the game, cutting in from the left flank before smashing a thunderbolt of a shot that had Flatt beaten but it went agonisingly wide.
Andrade was hungry for the equaliser, and the home side had to bring him down to stop him during another positive run forward. He got up to fire the free kick beyond the wall but Flatt read the flight of the ball to gather as Akinde lurked, eager to mop up anything spilled by The Iron ‘keeper.
City pressed for the late leveller as Wharton came striding out of defence with the ball, reading the flight of the ball perfectly to then slide wide to Gordon, his low centre found Chapman who shot low but Flatt saved. However, the breakthrough for the visitors did come with six minutes remaining. Chapman played the ball into the area and Rhead won the challenge, ANDERSON picked up possession to smash home in front of the travelling 807 City fans.
The Imps were now flying, pressing for the winner with the away fans now trying to suck the ball into the goal in front of them as the visitors sensed a late winner. But it wasn’t to be as penalty kicks would decide the winner of the tie. Pett, Rhead and Frecklington netted from the spot for City, Goode scored for the hosts but Novak was denied by Slocombe and then Lund and Humphrys were to miss, meaning Danny Cowley’s men took the points.
Full Time
Scunthorpe United 1 The Imps 1
(The Imps win 3-1 on Penalties)
The Teams
Scunthorpe United
27 Jonathan FLATT
7 Matthew LUND
10 Stephen HUMPHRYS
12 Andy DALES
14 James PERCH
15 Clayton LEWIS
20 Charlie GOODE
22 Levi SUTTON
23 Rory McARDLE
33 Lewis BUTROID
49 Ryan COLCLOUGH
Substitutes
25 Jak ALNWICK
2 Jordan CLARKE
3 Cameron BORTHWICK-JACKSON (68’ for Colclough)
6 Funso OJO
17 Lee NOVAK (73’ for Lewis)
21 Cameron BURGESS
40 Tom PUGH
Booked: 48’ Butroid,
Goal: Colclough 56’
The Imps
24 Sam SLOCOMBE
2 Kellan GORDON
6 Scott WHARTON
7 Tom PETT
9 Matt RHEAD
10 Matt GREEN
12 Ellis CHAPMAN
15 James WILSON
18 Bernard MENSAH
20 Adam CROOKES
26 Harry ANDERSON
Substitutes
21 Grant SMITH
8 Lee FRECKLINGTON (90’ for Chapman)
11 Bruno ANDRADE (69’ for Mensah)
14 Harry TOFFOLO
29 John AKINDE (69’ for Green)
30 Jordan ADEBAYO-SMITH
31 Elliott SARTORIUS
Booked: 47’ Wilson
Red Card: Wilson 90’
Goal: Anderson 84’
Referee: Martin Coy
Assistants: Duncan Street & Billy Khatib
4th Official: James Oldham
Attendance: 1,878 (809 Imps’ supporters)
