Preview: Scunthorpe United v Barrow

15 December 2020

Check out everything you need to know ahead of kick-off tonight in our full and in-depth preview of the action.

Scunthorpe United v Barrow
Tuesday 15^th December 2020, 7pm
Sands Venue Stadium
Sky Bet League Two

In Opposition
Iron boss Neil Cox has had a challenging start to life in the Scunthorpe United dugout and they find themselves sitting 17^th in the League Two table ahead of tonight’s meeting with Barrow.

Cox came through the ranks at Scunthorpe so fans were excited by his appointment in the summer after he was poached from Notts County where he had been acting as Neal Ardley’s assistant.

However, just one win in their first eight league outings saw them drop in to the division’s bottom two, though form has begun to improve since the middle of November.

Back-to-back Victories at Oldham Athletic and Port Vale were very welcome and a surprise 5-2 triumph at Harrogate Town at the start of December further boosted confidence in the camp.

Defeat at home to Colchester United was followed up by a disappointing defeat at Southend United last time out, so The Iron will be hoping to get back on track when they return to home soil tonight.

One To Watch
Ryan Loft has four goals to his name in all competitions so far this season after joining Scunthorpe United during the summer following his departure from Leicester City.

The 23-year-old front man actually spent last term on a season-long loan at our Cumbrian rivals Carlisle United before opting for a move to Sands Venue Stadium for 2020/21.

Loft scored in each of his first two games for The Iron and got back among the goals with strikes in their wins over Harrogate Town and Leyton Orient at the start of the month, so he needs well marshalling this evening.

Head To Head
The two clubs have met 22 times in competitive action previously but this evening’s encounter will be the first since the 1971/72 campaign.

The Iron have enjoyed the better of it in game between the clubs, having won 12 of the previous 22, while The Bluebirds have triumphed on six occasions.

Scunthorpe did the double when the sides last shared a division nearly 50 years ago, while you have to go back to February 1968 for Barrow’s last victory in North Lincolonshire.

Referee
Will Finnie will take charge of his first Barrow game this evening when he is on the whistle for our League Two meeting with Scunthorpe United.

He’s now in to his second season on the EFL list of referees having stepped up from the National League at the start of the 2019/20 campaign.

Finnie has overseen 15 games so far this term, across Leagues One and Two, with his most recent appointment coming last Tuesday when he saw MK Dons thrash Norwich City Under-21s 6-0 in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Betting
The bookies are struggling to separate the two sides ahead of tonight’s game with both Scunthorpe United and Barrow rated 8/5 for three points, while a draw is priced up at odds of 9/4.

Click here now to take a look at Sky Bet’s range of odds on this evening’s action.

Live Streaming
Match Passes to watch this evening’s game live on iFollow Barrow are now available – fans are reminded that Season Ticket holders do not get free access to away games.

You can buy a Match Pass to watch the action now priced at £10, while oversea supporters pay £7.

Click here now to buy your Match Pass for tonight.

Live Commentary
We will also provide an audio commentary of tonight’s game when we link up with BBC Radio Cumbria duo Adam Johnson and Mark Boyd, who will describe all the action as it unfolds.

You can purchase an Audio Match Pass for £2.50, an Audio Monthly Pass for £4.49 or sign-up for Audio Season Pass which provides all live commentary and video news for just £45.

Click here now to subscribe to iFollow Barrow.

Match Reports

Late Agony For Barrow

15 December 2020

A photograph of Scott Quigley scoring against Scunthorpe — Scott Quigley nods in Barrow's equaliser at Scunthorpe in 2020/21

Scunthorpe United scored in injury-time to claim three points at Sands Venue Stadium and consign Barrow to a fifth successive League Two defeat.

The Bluebirds looked all set to pick up a point after Scott Quigley’s close-range header had immediately cancelled out Abo Eisa’s opener for the home side.

However, Jordan Clarke was left free at the back post to head home a deep free kick right at the death as Barrow left North Lincolnshire empty-handed.

Rob Kelly, in caretaker charge, opted to make four changes to his starting line-up as Dior Angus, Harrison Biggins, Patrick Brough and Chris Taylor were drafted in to the team.

Barrow made a sprightly start and almost freed Quigley a couple of times in the opening minutes as the front man took up some dangerous positions to stretch the home defence.

And it was Quigley who could have opened the scoring when he cleverly turned inside on Patrick Brough’s left-wing throw-in before flashing a curling effort just wide of the gar post.

The Iron’s first threat came down the left when the pacey Eisa raced away in to space before delivering in to the front post but the arriving Alex Gilliead couldn’t convert under pressure from Brough.

Barrow were working hard to close down their opponents and they forced an error on the edge of the box which saw Dior Angus nick the ball and feed Quigley through on goal but his shot from a tight angle was well saved by home keeper Mark Howard.

The hosts went in front on 13 minutes when Ryan Loft nodded the ball down to the dangerous John McAtee on the right. The wide man jinked inside before laying a pass across the edge of the box for Eisa who took a touch before rifling a clinical finish in to the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

However, The Bluebirds were on level terms within three minutes when Scunthorpe made a meal of clearing away a corner and, when Harrison Biggins returned it in to the box, it looped up menacingly and Quigley reacted quickest to nod it home from close range to make it 1-1.

Matt Platt could have put Barrow in front just moments later when he ran on to a low delivery from a right-wing corner to strike a shot on goal which was well parried away by Howard.

McAtee almost produced another moment of quality to help The Iron get their noses back in front but, after finding space inside the box, his low ball flashed across goal with nobody and claret and amber able to get a decisive touch.

Barrow could have grabbed an early lead in the second half when Platt arrived to meet Josh Kay’s free-kick in to the box from the right but he got underneath it and volleyed it just over the bar.

The Iron enjoyed the better of it in the early part of the second half after that, McAtee coming close with a sizzling long-distance drive which flashed past the post with Joel Dixon looking concerned.

Kay then tried to provide some threat for Barrow down the left, finding space to drive in to the Scunthorpe penalty area but his low shot was blocked and cleared by a defender.

The encounter fizzled out and became scrappy during the final twenty minutes with neither side really finding their teeth and it looked as though the points would be shared.

However, in the first minute of stoppage a deep free kick from the left found Jordan Clarke at the far post and The Iron skipper looped a superb header back over Dixon and in to the net to nick the points for Scunthorpe.

Full Time: Scunthorpe United 2 Barrow 1

Scunthorpe United: Howard, Clarke, Bedeau, Onariase, Gilliead, Loft (Jarvis 87), Eisa, Hippolyte, Spence (Cordner 90), Beestin, McAtee (Hallam 76).
Subs not used: Watson, Green, Rowe, Pugh.

Booked: Clarke, Bedeau.

Barrow: Dixon, Brough, Hird, Platt, Wilson (Beadling 60), C Taylor, J Taylor, Kay, Biggins, Angus (James 60), Quigley (Reid 82).
Subs not used: Lillis, Zouma, Gribbin.

Booked: Wilson.

Referee: Will Finnie

Attendance: Behind Closed Doors