Scunthorpe United (U18s) 2-3 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Scunthorpe United (U18s) 2-3 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)
EFL Youth Alliance
Friday 27th August 2021

Spirit and determination were on full show in this display as Doncaster Rovers battled back from 2-0 down at half-time to achieve a dramatic comeback win over Scunthorpe United.

In a topsy-turvy match which had talking points and unpredictability galore, recent first team debutant Ethan Harrison continued his great week by setting the wheels in motion for a comeback with his first goal of the season just after the re-start.

Tom Parkinson then levelled things up with a speculative half-volley with around a quarter-of-an-hour remaining before Owen Scattergood's late winner sparked scenes of joy, jubilation, relief and celebrations amongst the travelling Rovers contingent.

The lads had the numerical advantage for the overwhelming majority of proceedings and that was because a red card was shown to Iron defender Ollie Lobley for bringing down Corie Cole inside the opening 10 minutes.

In spite of this, Scunthorpe, who had already been denied by Luke Chadwick's spot-kick save from Harrison Poulter in just the fifth minute, played some decent football at times, grew with confidence and looked capable of defying the odds as they steadily built up their half-time advantage.

The opener came on 24 minutes when Tyrell Sellars-Fleming capitalised on a slip by Dan Wilds and slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box, before a looping header by Josh Robertson only a few minutes prior to the interval ensured it was a two-goal cushion they held.

Rovers' first half performance was indifferent to say the least and a neutral observer may have been forgiven for thinking that it was they who were a man down. Whilst some good chances were created yet not converted; both Tavonga Kuleya and Michael Nesbitt were guilty of squandering the best ones, in other areas of the pitch too many passes were either wayward or sloppy, the regaining of shape and recovery after losing possession wasn't quick enough and a big improvement was needed going forward.

The second half performance was the perfect response as Scunthorpe's defensive resilience was tested much more often and when Harrison fired home on the rebound within five minutes of the re-start, after Wilds pierced the offside trap to force a diving save from a goalbound header, there was a sense that the tide might finally be turning.

Rovers rallied and after a prolonged period in which they sometimes tried to force the ball forward too much in their efforts to gain a reward, an equaliser finally arrived when Parkinson found the target with a 25-yard half-volley after Jack Raper's corner had been partially cleared.

Amidst frenetic scenes inside the hosts' penalty box only a few moments later, the lads then grabbed what proved to be the all-important winning goal. Raper was initially thwarted by the Iron 'keeper whereas Harrison blasted the ball against the upright from the rebound, but play was quickly recycled by Raper for Scattergood who provided the eventual killer finish.

It was harsh on Scunthorpe, who had worked courageously up to this point and continued to give a decent account of themselves in the closing minutes - forcing no fewer than four successive corners during which Chadwick was kept busy in the Rovers goal without being breached.

Match Report

Having been defeated by both Grimsby Town and Bolton Wanderers in the past couple of weeks, youth team manager Gary McSheffrey again made a handful of changes to his starting xi which began in a 4-3-3 formation.  

The hosts made the brighter start and were given the perfect chance to go ahead on the five-minute mark when Josh Robertson was fouled just inside the penalty area. A short delay followed and responsibilities for the resulting spot-kick were left to leading marksman Harrison Poulter who already has six goals to his name this term. Nevertheless, the striker was left disappointed on this occasion as Luke Chadwick read the situation perfectly to palm the ball away and keep the scoreline goalless.  

The Donny ‘keeper, who seems to have grown in both stature and confidence in recent weeks, was soon tested again as he showed more expert reflexes to tip over a set-piece shot by Harry Lewis after another foul was committed in a dangerous position - this time in a central position just outside the area.  

Despite initially being on the back foot, momentum soon quickly took a significant turn in Rovers’ favour as Scunthorpe - harshly some might argue, found themselves reduced to 10 men.  

A lofted ball forward landed behind the Iron’s high defensive line and was latched onto by Corie Cole who had taken a touch before he was clumsily brought to ground by Ollie Lobley. With no covering player, the punishment seemed inevitable and, despite appeals, Lobley was given his marching orders by the referee. It was the correct decision, albeit harsh in the respect that it was so early on in the game and those watching knew it was always going to have an impact on whatever else unfolded.  

In theory, playing with a man advantage should have benefitted Rovers and they initially responded by seizing the initiative, getting on the front foot and creating some good chances.  

The lads should have gone ahead on 12 minutes when Will Hollings supplied a delightful cross into the box for Michael Nesbitt who connected with a bullet header across the ‘keeper which cannoned back off the base of the post before the ball was scrambled away to safety.  

Scunthorpe though were never going to throw the towel in and take an ultra-defensive approach - quite simply there was too many talented players in their line-up to even consider that approach, and despite their numerical disadvantage they replied with a decent spell of their own pressure during which a dangerous ball was flashed across the six-yard box in one move, whilst Will Flint made a vital interception to prevent a shot on target after Chadwick had parried a cross, in another attack.  

Tavonga Kuleya then came close to putting Rovers ahead when he hooked the ball over the upright at close-range at the far-post having stretched to get on the end of Jak Whiting’s piercing cross - with play allowed to continue after the referee had signalled for an advantage despite Ethan Harrison being pushed in the back (which happened a few times) by a Scunny defender.  

Kuleya had a more routine effort comfortably gathered by the Iron custodian less than a minute later as Rovers still looked to make a breakthrough in their efforts for an opener.  

Surprisingly in some respects it was Scunthorpe who put the ball in the net first in a goal which was a comedy of unfortunate errors from a Rovers perspective. It followed a Scunny corner where Rovers, having got the ball, saw Alex Fletcher’s intended pass towards Hollings intercepted with Flint then dispossessed. This allowed Lewis to whip a fine cross into the danger zone and Dan Wilds’ slip at the vital moment allowed an unmarked Tyrell Sellars-Fleming to take a touch and stab the ball past Chadwick for 1-0.  

It was an unlucky goal to concede in many respects but it meant the lads now hard work to do - work which would have become doubly difficult had Chadwick not made an instinctive reaction stop with his foot to prevent Sellars-Fleming from adding a second goal before the half-hour mark following a cross from out wide. An explosive reaction followed from the Rovers ‘keeper who demanded those infront of him stop slacking and get to grips with the danger but a series of misplaced passes and sloppy recovery play started to blight Rovers progress up the pitch.  

There were one or two attacks which nearly culminated in an equaliser as Michael Nesbitt slipped Harrison into the clear with a nicely-weighted through ball, only for the frontman’s cut-back along the six-yard box to be just behind the body of Kuleya who was up adding his support. Wilds also got a header on target from a Jack Raper corner but it was comfortably gathered.  

Scunthorpe, in open play especially, seemed more organised and dominant in the minutes leading up to half-time. Anyone just arriving in the ground may have easily believed it was they who had the extra man advantage and their pressure led to them doubling their lead on 43 minutes. Lewis was again the architect as he claimed his second assist with another great delivery into the box where Josh Robertson’s looping headed connection was inch-perfect and nestled in the top corner.  

Having failed to deal with another corner immediately prior to the half-time whistle - something which couldn’t come soon enough for Rovers, a tactical change of shape followed at the interval and there were some deadly serious faces in red shirts as the players emerged for the second period.  

In this adverse situation, both a marked improvement in the performance and an early breakthrough were vital and just two minutes after the re-start, Cole thought he’d halved the deficit only for his well-placed strike from inside the box to be ruled out by a linesman’s flag - something else which put paid to a number of attacks in the first half.  

The lads rallied, however, and quickly reaped the rewards from their improved response by pulling a goal back. It was Raper’s initial ball that was the catalyst for a good outcome and although Wilds saw his goalbound header met with a flying fingertip save from Jack Balme, before the woodwork was rattled, Harrison put the second follow-up shot into the net to put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons with 40 minutes still left to play.  

Scunny, managed by Tony Daws, continued to give a great account of themselves and although they gradually began to spend more time in their own half, a venture forward just before the hour mark resulted in a foul high up the pitch which saw Raper cautioned, though the resulting free-kick was blasted straight into the wall.  

The Iron’s 10 men looked resolute, organised and were difficult to break down and as the hour mark approached it was no surprise that Rovers turned to their substitutes with the player who earned all the plaudits in pre-season, Owen Scattergood, replacing Corie Cole, just after Bobby Faulkner had come on for Will Flint at the back.  

There was a feisty and competitive spirit about the game by the point at which Alex Fletcher scooped a shot over at close-range on the hour mark, though the flag went up for offside in that attack anyway. Scunny’s stifling tactics to waste a few seconds whenever they could were clear and obvious but who could blame them when they were still ahead?  

Rovers were now starting to retain the ball a lot better than previously and an urgency had developed in their efforts for an equaliser. Scunny’s tiring defence were holding firm, keeping their shape and discipline and offering little in the way of a mistake and it was somewhat unfortunate for them just how the equaliser unfolded on 79 minutes.  

Having won a corner, Raper delivered it into the box where it was met with a headed clearance out towards Tom Parkinson who hadn’t long since replaced Hollings. He took a touch to set himself and then let fly with a speculative half-volley from 25 yards. A goal seemed improbable as similar shots usually get blocked, are off target or saved by the ‘keeper, but this one flew past a crowd of players and bounced up and over Balme’s dive at the last moment to nestle in the back of the net.   

At 2-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining - plus any injury-time, Rovers had the initiative and sensed blood and it didn’t take much longer for more pandemonium to unfold inside the hosts’ penalty area which saw the turnaround completed altogether.  

This time, a right-wing cross into the box caused chaos, and Balme did well to initially deny Raper before Harrison smashed the ball against the upright with a thunderous effort from close-range. The hosts couldn’t clear their lines and Raper made another telling contribution by finding Scattergood who had found the perfect position to score - after which he was mobbed by his delighted team-mates amidst contrasting emotions from Scunny’s gutted players.  

With the turnaround completed but with time still remaining on the clock, Rovers still had work to do in order to earn all three points and they came under an intense spell of pressure where Chadwick made another outstanding contribution by pulling off two crucial saves, including an ‘up and under’ following an awkward flick on amidst a series of four straight corners.  

The excellent Faulker and Wilds helped provide a calm and reassuring presence as they marshalled the defence superbly through six minutes of nail-biting injury-time and the joy at the final whistle was evident from every player; Jak Whiting sinking to his knees and clenching his fists in delight, Michael Nesbitt wearing a huge grin and Luke Chadwick roaring with pure emotion.  

Personal Thoughts

This win - and precisely how it was achieved, clearly meant a lot and although it was far from a perfect overall performance, the spirit showed during the second half (even against 10 men) should breed confidence and act as a massive momentum boost going forward. A bad situation, which the lads had got themselves into really, was overcome by hard work, dedication and a collective effort to achieve something good. That winning feeling, especially in this manner, is excellent to have!  

A special mention must go to Luke Chadwick who pulled off a number of saves and deserves a tremendous amount of credit for not only those but also with how he appears to have grown in confidence and character since this season started. He provides a big frame between the posts and the cheeky photo on Scunthorpe United’s website of him with his tongue out whilst holding onto the ball and wasting a few seconds towards the end of the game, highlights for me just how confident he is at this present moment in time. It’s an absolute pleasure to see and long may it continue!  

Elsewhere, Jack Raper had a largely good game in my opinion and played a significant part in the outcome. A few cock-ups were made and some passes went astray from time to time, but there was enough in his showing to be pleased about and if he’s able to replicate the good bits from his performance over all his games, then he could become a key player. Bobby Faulkner was also outstanding when he came on, never looked as if he would be breached and was especially solid, whilst both Dan Wilds and Michael Nesbitt can count themselves as a tad unfortunate they didn’t get on the score-sheet. Jak Whiting has also performed quite consistently at left-back over the past few weeks showing lots of energy and decent enough quality in his deliveries - in my eyes ‘a square peg into a square hole’ type of player who will only continue to get better. It was good to see Alex Fletcher back in the line-up too and if he can knuckle down and put a string of solid performances together (which he’s capable of doing) then he could be another to have a big influence over the next 18 months of his scholarship.  

Will Flint has had better performances than in this one but, considering he’s still at school and not yet a scholar, the experience he is getting right now will only help his development in the long-term and it’s testament to his own ability that he’s playing in the youth team already - and doing enough to earn regular game-time to go with it! Both Will Hollings and Corie Cole have been a lot more involved in attacking aspects of games in recent weeks and, though there’s more to come, that’s a positive step forward for them, whilst it’s good to see Tavonga Kuleya back playing again after a stop-start year up to now. He’s got a lot of good attributes and has enough about him to provide a stream of goals at some point.  

Ethan Harrison is the name which most fans will be familiar with now after his first team exploits and he grew into this game after a slow start - eventually using his frame to ‘back in’ and pose a few problems, rather than being pushed in the back by Scunthorpe’s defenders which happened three or four times in aerial duels inside the first 20 minutes. The goal will do him the world of good and, again, if he stays fit then more game-time and goals will surely follow. Likewise, Tom Parkinson will have been boosted by the goal and it was a positive confidence-boosting contribution from him after some indifferent displays in recent weeks where he’s played in a variety of positions.   

Finally, Owen Scattergood got the match-winning goal (his first since swapping to black boots) and he possesses a lot of good characteristics - including his pace and a knack of finding great positions in dangerous situations. As has already been pointed out by Gary McSheffrey he’s at the start of a long journey and if he’s able to coach him certain things and Owen then takes that onboard and develops in the right way, the possibilities for where he could go are endless. He seems to be at a good starting point as an individual and for now, he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing as it’s mainly worked up to this point, the goals return continues to be good, and the signs are very promising.  

In reflection, from a Rovers perspective - and as already highlighted, there are reasons to be hopeful and optimistic about the current youth crop. I see it as a long-term project and there’s definitely plenty of talent within this squad that are capable of working well together, progressing and getting better. Lots of things could be improved - whether it be on or off the ball or in regards to ‘dark arts’ which some other teams do more successfully. Performances are never going to be faultless but I’ve said consistently in the recent weeks that, sooner or later, they’ll put together a largely high bar performance and hammer some unfortunate team.  

There will be setbacks and learning curves before that point - some of which will be steeper than others, but a big scoreline is coming and I’ve no doubts it will happen eventually. For now though, all credit to the lads for overcoming adversity and earning this win to consolidate a place in the top half of the table!  

Credit also to Scunthorpe in this game as they put in a really good performance. I don’t mind them at all - they’ve always had a knack of producing talented players and being a good team in the EFL Youth Alliance and I’ve no doubt there will be some players who featured in this game who will go on to make first team appearances at Glanford Park. Their skipper was useful, their strikers a problem, one of their centre-halves was very awkward and difficult to play against and had they had 11 players on the pitch for the duration, they might well have been celebrating a win themselves.   

Good luck to them for the rest of the season!  

Team: Luke Chadwick, Alex Fletcher, Dan Wilds, Michael Nesbitt, Jak Whiting, Will Hollings (Tom Parkinson), Will Flint (Bobby Faulkner), Jack Raper, Corie Cole (Owen Scattergood), Ethan Harrison, Tavonga Kuleya.