Moments

Scunthorpe United 2-0 Darlington (National League North)

The first ever meeting between Darlington and Scunthorpe United was played at Feethams in November 1950, ending 3-2 to the Quakers in a match played in the old Third Division North.

95 times the two have played each other in league and cup, with Darlo on 39 wins to 33 ahead of kick off, this season’s match at Blackhall Meadow ending 0-0 on Boxing Day, not since 2003 have both teams scored in the same match against each other, and I expect tonight’s to be a close low scoring encounter too, Scunny drew 0-0 at Oxford City on Saturday but are second behind Chester in the standings, Darlington beat King’s Lynn 1-0 and are doing ‘ok’ mid-table under former Newcastle United star Steve Watson.

I’m out the door at 5pm, dog left with friends the wife is glamming it up at some works do in London, so I’m off early in the hope to grab a KFC which is literally outside the Attis Arena, the corporate branded home of Scunthorpe United, Glanford Park is an hour twenty or so, and is straight across the A46 to Lincoln and up the A15, left onto the M180 for five or six miles and then onto the M181 where you’ll eventually see the floodlights on the right, it’s as easy a venue to get to as there is, and one of my favourites in truth, ever since my Aerofilms Guide when in the early 1990’s it actually looked quite new, have I taken a shine to the home of the Iron.

The Venue

It’s a £4 fee to park in the East Car Park which is my usual action plan as it’s all shopping centres and food joints with strict looking parking notices around here, from the outside it’s all quite modern, but on Jack Brownsword Way besides Kwik Fit there’s an Iron entrance saying ‘Welcome to Scunthorpe United’ thereafter it pre-dates Millennial Lincolnshire, the home of United is clearly aged, decrepit, but in a nostalgic way I really like it.

Outside is grey, the road for the car park could do with re-tarmacking, the ground itself looks aged, as I walk around the back over potholes past a pub called ‘the Iron Bar’ which is built into the stadium itself, I walk around to a side door painted in Claret, behind some big yellow bins, it’s here I’m let in, name down on the list, “you know where you’re going” says the old boy in charge.

“Not before a cuppa” I reply, as I head through the turnstile into the opening at pitch level, a muddy playing surface as had some battering over the season, pretty firm tonight under the darkening clear sky, I’ve grabbed a brew and Mars duo before sitting myself down, the radio teams of both Scunthorpe and Darlington already here, post slightly obscuring my left view of the goal, a pull out table and a comfy padded chair offer me some delight, as the team sheets are handed to me, along with Boston and Manchester United, the best team sheets in football, padded A4 paper, almost cardboard like with purple colouring, each Scunny player listed with their sponsors name below.

The Game

I watched a few clips of Darlington’s match against King’s Lynn at the weekend and am quite excited to see their latest, in the flesh, they start well with a good noisy travelling support of three or four hundred to the right of my eyeline in a three quarter empty stand behind the goal, they’ve almost got in a couple of times as Main and Bakre look a handful paired up top, but Scunthorpe going forward have quality themselves, Alfie Beestin has wriggled his way into the box from nowhere, the midfielder through on goal slots past Jameson and puts the home side one up after just eight minutes.

At the weekend I called out ‘Chester’ as the best team in the division, knowing Scunthorpe have the best players, but Andy Butler’s men are a side who have ‘moments’ and rely on occasions in the game where there players do something special, rather than just bossing it from the off like the Seals often do, Scunny will give you a chance, sometimes they switch off, can look flaky on the break, where Chester are just big, horrible, organised, I think that’s the difference, as I ponder ‘who’s best’ in the opening half hour, then a moment comes to fruition on 28, Alfie Beestin, not a player I really notice too much in other games, one who’s solid in midfield, but largely unspectacular, he’s suddenly turned into Lionel Messi, dancing past defenders with quick feet on the edge of the area before unleashing a low drive which flies past the goalkeeper, another ‘moment’, this is the sort of thing I’m talking about.

Darlington haven’t been bad, just undone by a couple of ‘Bee stings’, the away side are competent with the football and have as much of it as Scunthorpe, the home side just have players who can have their moments, if it’s not Beestin it’ll probably be someone like Cal Roberts, capable of producing the spectacular, from nothing.

The Score

At half time the games as done as dead, I don’t see Darlo coming back into it and I don’t really see Scunthorpe adding too much to the score, they have the tall and awkward Mark Beck, a former Quaker, who’s worked hard in attack, winning pretty much all of the aerial balls played up to him, whilst Chris Wreh making his debut on loan from Tamworth flee footed is quick, light, eager to impress, it seems Andy Butler really likes the idea of pace up top, they have Carlton Ubeazuono on the bench who has it, they’ve signed Mo Fadera on loan from York who also has it, Wreh has it, but what they lack is a twenty goal a season man, Danny Whitehall is not in the team tonight, he’s usually that man, without him they don’t really look like penetrating the opponents defence too often, heavily reliant on either their midfield men getting forward, or perhaps from set plays.

The second half is a procession, Darlington themselves in damage limitation mode, make changes early, a number of subs unsettle the flow, the best bit in the second half is when the PA man announces ‘all food in the Kiosks is now half price’ that generates a loud roar and a clamour for burgers and pies as people lift of their seats and head for the discounted left overs.

A couple of near misses aside, it’s not much action as I often scroll through my phone to find out the latest scores in between the ball going in and out of play, the away side have been competent in defeat, but the home side had long won it, they see out the game as a promotion favourite would, the whistle blows on a pretty routine nights work for Scunthorpe, even the atmosphere usually loud, is fairly subdued tonight.

The Stars

Alfie Beestin was rightly named man of the match for his two goals and a performance in the centre of the park that stood out, next to him I like their skipper Michael Clunan who always keeps the ball well, they have a top-top goalkeeper in Ross Fitzsimons, two brilliant centre halves in Max Kouogun and Will Evans, a left back in Tyler Denton who for me is the best in the division, Cal Roberts out wide left tonight, not as dominant as usual, but is probably the best player in the division.

For Darlington, I saw a lot of good things, just lacking a Cal Roberts perhaps to take them up a level, in defence Toby Lees and Elliot Forbes were relatively solid at the heart, the experienced Scott Barrow at left back having a good match too, in midfield Matty Cornish standing out as one with quality in possession, Will Hatfield offering legs and energy at 33-years young. In attack their duo of Cedric Main and Hazeem Bakre are a handful. Main in particular causing problems when running with the ball in his possession.

The Verdict

Brackley, Chorley, Kiddy, Hereford, they all won and are all in the mix with Scunthorpe who stay second but close in on Chester, who could only draw 0-0 at Oxford City, this title race will go down to the wire, if anyone other than Chester or Scunthorpe do gain promotion, I’ll be surprised, but I am experienced enough to know now that nothing in football should surprise you. It really is still up for grabs.

Darlington aren’t far from that top mix of playoff hopefuls, but they are perhaps just off the bracket of those bragging amongst promotion wannabes, under Watson, I do think they have a good man, and a good manager who is heading them in the right direction, but one or two additions are needed, if they are to take the next steps forward and gain promotion, next season will be their tenth in the National League North.

The Teams

Scunthorpe United: Ross Fitzsimons, Max Kouogun, Will Evans, Michael Clunan, Alfie Beestin (Carlton Ubaezuonu 75), Callum Roberts (Joe Starbuck 89), Joe Rowley, Chris Wreh (Kian Scales 60), Mark Beck (Mo Fadera 66), Tyler Denton (Michael Kelly 76), Oli Rose.

Darlington: Peter Jamseon, Ben Hedley, Scott Barrow (Charlie Stirland 84), Tom Platt (Sam Hetherington 56), Toby Lees, Elliot Forbes, Matty Cornish (Andrew Nelson 69), Will Hatfield (Jack Maskell 76), Cedric Main, Will Flint, Hazeem Bakre (Caden Kelly 55).

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 25th February 2025, Glanford Park, Scunthorpe (att 3,503).