Incisive Iron stay hot the ugly way
WINNING pretty matters little at this stage of the season, insisted Scunthorpe boss Nick Daws, after his side saw off dogged strugglers Walsall to maintain their top-six push.
This win came courtesy of a late Ryan Yates header which, combined with Plymouth’s surprise loss at Northampton, gave sixth-placed Scunthorpe a three-point cushion over the Pilgrims.
Daws cared little about the manner of the win in a poor game, saying: “We defended resolutely as a team and the one really good opportunity that we got in the game, we took it.
“We were a little bit off it in certain areas at certain times but we made the changes needed and got the goal.
“That’s the important bit at this stage of the season – the result – however it comes. But I know we have a team here that can win in different ways and we are proving that.”
A dire first half was bookended by two moments of quality from Scunthorpe that were denied by fine margins – first the linesman’s flag and, later, the woodwork.
Only five minutes had gone when Conor Townsend’s cross was cushioned down by fellow full-back Jordan Clarke for Yates to poke home from close range but he was ruled offside.
And seven minutes before the break, the Iron came within inches of taking the lead as Josh Morris’s 25yard free-kick came back off the post.
Walsall, desperate for the points in their own right, offered little going forward and their best chance fell to Luke Leahy on 51 minutes but his strike was pushed wide by Iron keeper Matt Gilks.
Scunthorpe responded as Funso Ojo’s 20-yard strike was thwarted by a fine save from Walsall keeper Liam Roberts and Clarke’s header from the resulting corner was cleared off the line.
It was United pressing for the winner and it came 14 minutes from time as Townsend’s inviting cross was superbly headed home by Nottingham Forest loanee Yates from eight yards.
Defeat leaves Walsall one point off the drop and boss Dean Keates said: “It’s a tough one to take as 0-0 would have been a fair result.
“The table doesn’t look good but survival is still in our hands and that’s all that we can ask. We can control it and the lads know what they have got to do over the last three games of the season.
“Next Saturday against Northampton is massive now. Other teams are picking up points. We’ve got to pick up a win.”