REPORT: Scunthorpe v Vale
League One
At Glanford Park
Saturday 28th January 2016
Scunthorpe United v Port Vale
Attendance 4,442
before Scunthorpe eventually took the lead. Vale shot themselves in the foot after twice going ahead at Glanford Park, each time letting the home side back into the game
Vale were deserving of the lead when Tyler Walker fired them in front on 38 minutes and despite the home side levelling from the spot early in the second half, Vale again took the lead through JJ Hooper.
Scunthorpe took advantage of a mistake to punish Vale when they equalised for a second time just three minutes later, then a further nine minutes on they scored their third, to effectively wrap up the points.
Anthony de Freitas came back into the starting eleven to take up the place vacated by Ryan Taylor and in came Scott Tanser for his debut at left back, at the expense of Kjell Knops.
Despite being the subject of transfer talk linking him with Glasgow Rangers, Jak Alnwick returned from injury to take up his place in the Vale goal.
Michael Brown made three changes to the side to face promotion chasing Scunthorpe as Vale looked to stretch their unbeaten run in the league under the caretaker manager.
Vale started the game brightly, pinning the home side deep inside their own half, silencing the home crowd at the same time.
Jak Alnwick was little more than a spectator and wasn’t forced to make a save until the ten minute mark, when he made a routine save, holding the ball tight to his body.
Sloppy play in the middle of the park saw the home side threaten but Callum Guy raced in to rob Scott Wiseman of the ball, fouling the Scunthorpe man at the same time and earning himself a yellow card.
Vale continued to play slick, attacking football, though they couldn’t quite take advantage of their display in the final third of the pitch, where it really mattered.
It was inevitable the home side would start to show their quality before too long, but Vale were just as organised and determined at the back and restricted their opponents to a couple of hopeful shots from a distance.
No wonder the home crowd were so quiet. We didn’t hear a peep out of them until midway through the first half when they final broke into song behind the goal that Vale were attacking.
Ivan Toney headed over at one end for the home side and then a minute later JJ Hooper was allowed time and space to try his luck at the other end from 25 yards, but he lifted his shot narrowly over the bar.
The home side were presented with a great chance to go in front when Jerome Thomas committed a foul 25 yards from his own goal and Scunthorpe lined up the free kick looking to take full advantage.
Iron skipper Stephen Dawson and Josh Morris stood over the ball and it was the latter who hit a shot which was heading for Alnwick’s top right corner, but the sought after keeper somehow got across to pull of an impressive save.
Just minutes later the importance of that save was highlighted when Vale took the lead with a well-worked goal at the other end of the pitch.
GOAL: squeezed the ball between Luke Daniels and the post to put Vale in front.TYLER WALKER minute when Thomas curled a cross from the left towards the back post. Hooper haded the ball back across the goal and thWe were in the 38
The home side came out looking for an early equaliser and they got it, although they were a little fortunate in how it came about.
The home side went close to levelling the scores in first half stoppage time when Iron defender Murray Wallace got up highest to meet a right wing corner kick, and his headdr scraped the top of the Vale crossbar.
Former Vale loanee Craig Davies looked like he might have conceded a goal kick, but with the ball about to go out, he was pushed in the back by Remie Streete and the referee pointed to the spot.
GOAL: placed the ball on the spot and proceeded to hit it inside the left hand post, sending Alnwick the wrong way to make the score 1-1,Josh MorrisScunthorpe’s
Moments later Vale made an enforced substitution when Nathan Smith, who had played every minute of the season up to that point, went down inside the Vale box. He was forced to go off and was replaced by Kjell Knops.
GOAL: on the edge of the box and he made no mistake, firing low to the keeper’s right.JJ HOOPER minutes when a low cross from the right landed at the feet of thVale retook the lead in the 59
GOAL: made the most of a mistake by Purkiss to lift the ball over the advancing Alnwick from twenty yards and into an empty net.Ivan ToneyThree minutes later the home side were level when
GOAL:.Tom HopperOn 71 minutes the home side were in front for the first time in the game, with a well worked goal. A low cross hit with pace from the left was finished at close range by substitute
Two minutes later Vale made another substitution, when Chris Eagles was introduced into the play, with JJ Hooper making way.
Then on 78 minutes Vale made their third anf final change when Callum Guy left the field of play when Michael Brown decided to throw Anton Forrester into the fray.
Ryan Boot, Kjell Knops, Rigino Cicilia, Anton Forrester, Sebastien Amoros, James Gibbons, Chris EaglesSUBS: Jak Alnwick, Ben Purkiss, Remie STreete, JJ Hooper, Jerome Thomas, Scott Tanser, Nathan Smith, Callum Guy, Tyler Walker, Anthony de Freitas, Anthony Grant. PORT VALE:
Joe Anyon, Neal Bichop, Tom Hopper, Hakeeb Adelakun, Jonathon Margotts, Conor Townsend, Matt Crooks.
SUBS: Luke Daniels, Scott Wiseman, Murray Wallace, Stephen Dawson, Josh Morris, Harry Toffolo, Sam Mantom, Duane Holmes, Charlie Goode, Ivan Toney, Craig Davies. SCUNTHORPE UNITED: