PADDY PINCHES WIN FOR IRON
IN A season in which they have unearthed a new prolific goalscorer, Scunthorpe United were thankful to a seasoned one for coming to their rescue against MK Dons.
No one in the top four divisions of English football has scored more than Iron midfielder Josh Morris’ 13 goals, but this time it was Paddy Madden who came off the bench to strike twice in 15 minutes and complete an impressive turnaround.
Madden has been the Iron’s top scorer for the previous two campaigns and the manner in which he bagged this brace suggests he will not give up the mantle lightly.
“He’s a goalscorer and goals are his oxygen,” said boss Graham Alexander of Madden, who missed the start of the season through injury.
“He looked fit and sharp when he came on. He’s still got a bit to go to get back to peak condition, but I know he can score goals.
“Whether they are starting or not, every player has a part to play to help us be successful.
“The players responded in fantastic fashion to some negative things and deservedly won the three points. It was a real big win for us against an excellent team.”
Scunthorpe lacked ideas and support for Tom Hopper in the first half and though they should have had an early penalty when visiting keeper David Martin wiped out the striker, they were nowhere near their best.
The Dons went ahead eight minutes before half-time, owing much to the persistence of Ben Reeves, who beat Scott Wiseman and crossed low for Kieran Agard to slot in his fifth goal of the campaign.
After bringing on Madden and Kevin van Veen with an hour gone, Scunthorpe were a different side.
Within five minutes the former had equalised, firing the ball home after a powerful shot from van Veen had squirmed out of Martin’s grasp.
Nine minutes from time things got even better for the Iron’s enigmatic Irishman, who finished emphatically from Morris’s right-wing cross having started the attack with a clever flick.
The circumstances of this defeat are unlikely to do anything to improve the pressure on MK Dons manager Karl Robinson, whose side are locked in mid-table on the back of relegation from the Championship last season.
“I can’t argue with fans who are grumbling because results haven’t been right,” he said.
“I’m not going to gloss over things, but our performances have been excellent and we deserve more than what we’ve got. It was the same today.
“It’s a results-driven business, but we’re a club in transition. It will come for the players and I have to stay strong for them. Two breakaway goals cost us, but the players’ appetite and desire was there to see.”