Second half sub Jaime Peters netted Town’s equaliser in a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe. The home side went ahead in the first half through David Mirfin with both teams having more than a few opportunities to win it.

At a cold and breezy Glanford Park, Town boss Roy Keane fielded the same side which beat Cardiff 2-0 last week with new signing Jake Livermore among the subs.

The game’s first serious action came in the fifth minute when Scunthorpe midfielder Martyn Woolford sent a 20-yard freekick over the bar after Tommy Smith had tripped Jonathan Forte. Soon after, Town were a touch lucky when Chris Dagnall slipped as he chased a pass which would have seen him through on goal.

As against Cardiff last week and at Millwall on Tuesday, the Blues had started slowly with the Iron putting on the early pressure.

The home side ought to have gone in front in the 15th minute when Eddie Nolan crossed from the left, the ball was just too high for Tommy Smith and Jonathan Forte behind him headed over the bar when he should have scored. Seconds later, Woolford scuffed wide from the edge after good work from Dagnall.

Jones headed wide from a corner in the 20th minute with the Iron still well on top against an out-of-sorts Town side unable to impose themselves on the game.

The Blues’ first significant penalty area action came in the 22nd minute when a couple of Carlos Edwards long throws threatened some danger but Scunthorpe’s backline, including the 6ft 7in tall Rob Jones, cleared. Soon after a clearance cannoned off Wickham and into the arms of Joe Murphy.

Cliff Byrne, sent off against Town at Portman Road last season, picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on Andros Townsend in the 28th minute. Town’s freekick summed up the performance up to then, the ball looping straight out of play.

The home side deservedly went in front on the half hour when Sam Togwell returned the ball from deep after a corner had been cleared and Forte and David Mirfin got behind the Blues’ defence. The latter deftly nodded the ball over Márton Fülöp and into the net.

The goal had been coming with the Blues still having failed to get going. Midfielder Luke Hyam was already waiting to come on prior to the goal and immediately took over from Connor Wickham, who had been on the periphery, perhaps after picking up a knock in an early challenge with Jones. Hyam went to his midfield holding role as Town switched to their 4-3-3 formation.

Scotland just failed to get his head to an Edwards cross in the 36th minute but Town chances were rare. However, two minutes before the break, Edwards whipped in a cross from the right after his throw had been returned to him and the ball fell for McAuley at the far post, only for Byrne to block his shot.

In injury time, Darren O’Dea headed weakly to Iron keeper Murphy, but a Town equaliser would have been harsh on the home team. The Lincolnshire side had been very much on top during the opening half, despite the Blues coming more into it in the closing stages after Hyam’s introduction.

The 18-year-old had shown an ability to find a blue shirt, something which had been absent in the opening half hour. There had been numerable candidates for possible replacement while the midfielder prepared to come on.

Town were lucky to be just the one goal behind with Scunthorpe having failed to make the best of their opportunities and Gareth McAuley in particular remaining resolute as the home side pressed.

Jaime Peters took over from Andros Townsend for the second half, the loanee from Spurs having made significantly less of an impact than at Millwall in midweek.

Márton Fülöp was out quickly to claim ahead of Forte in the 53rd minute after Josh Wright had dispossessed Hyam. Soon after, Forte shot low to Fülöp.

The Blues got back on terms in the 58th minute when Edwards found Peters on the edge of the area. The half-time sub got a lucky break when Byrne’s tackle ricocheted off his shins and put him through one-on-one with Murphy, the Canadian having no trouble in beating the Irish keeper.

Moments later, Town could have been in front when Edwards was played in one-on-one by Leadbitter. The Trinidadian’s weak shot was saved by Murphy and Scotland seemed destined to tap home the rebound having given himself time with his first touch, but Mirfin got back to stop a certain goal. From the corner, O’Dea headed over.

It was by now all Town, Murphy mishandled a Norris shot wide then Eastman nodded over from a corner.

The Blues again were close to going in front in the 65th minute when O’Dea turned and hammered a shot against the bar from a corner. The on-loan Celtic man reached the rebound but couldn’t get any power in his header and the ball looped to Murphy.

Aside from a couple of scary moments from set pieces, the Blues were creating most of the chances and in the 77th minute they again nearly went ahead. Edwards crossed from the right to Peters at the far post and the Canadian was only prevented from scoring his second of the afternoon by Togwell’s clearance off the line. The ball flew quickly to Priskin but the Hungarian couldn’t keep his header down.

Scunthorpe continued to throw men forward and as the game entered its final 10 minutes Nolan shot wide from 20 yards, the ball catching a Town defender on the way through.

There was a more major scare for the Blues a minute later when Forte was sent through on goal but McAuley did superbly to get back to take the ball away from the corner Sheffield United man. Forte threatened again soon after, heading to Fülöp, then hitting a low shot from a tight angle too close to the Hungarian keeper.

Eastman shot wide for the Blues, then Smith nodded over from a corner with both sides having opportunities to score.

Scunthorpe ought to have claimed the three points in the 86th minute when Smith slipped 10 yards inside his own half, allowing Forte a sight of the ball. The Iron striker appeared to pull Smith back but was allowed to continue into the area but with only Fülöp to beat, screwed his shot wide.

In injury time sub Bobby Grant’s shot deflected through to Fülöp with the home side by now looking like the team most likely to score the winner. There was late danger when Forte got away from McAuley on the left and Fülöp could only palm his cross away but in the end a draw was probably a fair result.

Both sides had had more than enough chances to win it in a second half in which the Blues had been the better side overall, the home team having dominated the opening period.

Roy Keane will be disappointed with the lacklustre first half display and the Blues were only still in it at the break due to some poor finishing from the home side and some desperate defending with McAuley once again Town’s stand-out performer.

The Blues finally got going in the second half with Peters and Edwards providing threats from both flanks and the Canadian taking his goal superbly. Town will feel they should have wrapped up all three points in the minutes after equalising, while the Iron will think that they deserved the win with Forte missing his golden chance late on.

Town are still undefeated on the road with another tricky away fixture at Reading on Tuesday evening.

Town: Fülöp, Eastman, O’Dea, McAuley, O’Dea, Norris, Leadbitter, Edwards, Townsend (Peters 46), Wickham (Hyam 30), Scotland (Priskin 73). Unused: Murphy, Livermore, Hyam, Lambe, Kennedy. Att: 5,931. (Town: 1,026).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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