Ben Garrity’s goal right on half-time is all that separated the sides in Scunthorpe as we make it three consecutive wins.
After scoring a goal of the season contender last weekend, David Worrall came close to getting his second in as many games on six minutes. A tremendous through ball from Tom Pett reached Worrall in the area, beating the offside trap, but his effort was saved well by Scunthorpe’s Rory Watson.
A win here would make it three in a row continuing our good run of form but the hosts responded well to our early pressure two minutes later with Myles Hippolyte who fired from just outside the area but his shot went wide of the near post.
James Wilson got off the mark last week at home to Harrogate Town and was close to scoring a very similar goal in the 13th minute. Scunthorpe felt the ball had gone out of play for a goal-kick but Wilson did extremely well to keep it alive and tried a low effort from the right curling towards the far corner but Watson got across well to claim the ball.
Scunthorpe had their best chance of the opening 20 minutes after 16 minutes played as Harry Wood struck a 20-yard half volley just over the bar. 12 minutes later Jamie Proctor won free-kick in a good area around 20-yards out. Tom Conlon stood over it and whipped the ball towards the top corner but Watson matched it with a great save and pushed it out for a corner.
With a minute left to play in the first half the Valiants struck and took the lead thanks to Ben Garrity’s third goal of the season. Tom Conlon drove through towards goal, almost showboating keeping the ball off the floor, and put Garrity through who took one touch round the defender and slotted the ball past Watson at his near post.
The Iron almost tied the game four minutes after the break but Alfie Beestin’s effort after a lot of pressure from the home side was tame and Lucas Covolan held onto the ball easily. The Valiants dominated after that for a large part of the second half but struggled to create a shooting chance until the 69th minute. Proctor received the ball in the area but his shot just went wide of the far post.
A huge chance for Scunthorpe with ten minutes to play as Emmanuel Onariase headed the ball over Covolan from a corner but Conlon was there at the back post to clear the ball away off the line. Substitute Jake Taylor came close to scoring on 87 minutes after some good work from George Lloyd found him on the edge of the area and took the ball close to the six-yard area but his shot went into the side netting.
A lot of late pressure from the hosts but they could not find the equaliser they were chasing as the Valiants made it three wins on the bounce.
Scunthorpe United: Watson, Millen, O’Malley, Taft, Onariase, Beestin, Hippolyte (63’ Green), Wood (63’ Hackney), Scrimshaw, Jarvis (75’ Hallam), Perry
Subs not used: Collins, Rowe, O’Neill, Pugh
Port Vale: Covolan, Gibbons (69’ Benning), Jones, Smith, Worrall, Garrity (77’ Taylor), Wilson (75’ Lloyd), Conlon, Proctor, Pett, Cass
Subs not used: Stone, Johnson, Amoo, Politic