Henry has a hand in penalty dramatics
SCUNTHOPRE interim boss Nick Daws urged his players to move on after they were held to a draw at Oxford, despite totally dominating the first half.
The Iron, playing in their first match since the sacking of Graham Alexander, should have been out of sight at halftime.
But they were unable to add to Ivan Toney’s 12th-minute poacher’s goal when he followed up a drive from the impressive Hakeeb Adelakun that keeper Simon Eastwood couldn’t hold.
Toney then struck the woodwork and Oxford twice cleared off their own goalline, with James Henry appearing to handle Rory McCardle’s effort.
But Darren Drysdale didn’t give a penalty and to add salt to the wounds, the referee then did point to the spot when Oxford sub Jon Obika went down in the box soon after coming on.
Henry converted the penalty to bring the U’s a first point under new head coach Karl Robinson but for Scunthorpe, it was a case of what might have been.
Daws said: “The penalty decisions, at both ends, were hard to take but disappointed as we are in the dressing room, we have to move on. My view on the handball was that it was a penalty. For the lad [Henry] to have chested it off the line from that angle would have been miraculous.
“Their penalty appeared a bit soft, coming at a time when the crowd was being whipped up.
“But I was pleased with our performance. For a long period, we were the better team and we should have been two or three up at half-time.
“I was really pleased with the effort, though we could have been more ruthless.”
Play-off chasing Scunthorpe are now without a win in nine games ahead of their clash with in-form Plymouth on Monday,
Daws added: ”It’s now a big game for us against Plymouth. They’re in great form so that really will be a great challenge for us.” Oxford boss Karl Robinson was at least happy that his team finished on a high.
He said: “We were not good enough in the first half but in the second we were the better team, it was a fair result.
“There was honesty in the dressing room at half-time. We changed to a 4-3-3 and coached them in how we wanted to play that system, and I was very, very pleased.
“I knew walking into this place, how hard it was going to be but I’m very proud with the way the players have performed.”