IRON JOY DEALS UP
SCUNTHORPE UNITED sent a pre-Christmas statement out to the rest of the Vanarama National League North, with a commanding 3-0 home victory against in-form Chorley.
Leading goalscorer Danny Whitehall took his tally to 13 for the campaign with a goal in each half, with Heart of Midlothian loanee Connor Smith notching his seventh league strike for the side who remain top of the division.
For Chorley, it was their first defeat in nine league games, and only their second in 11, following a positive run which had seen the Magpies surge to fourth position going into the game.
It was celebrations all round for the Iron, who marked their first home league game since taking ownership of Glanford Park, with a comfortable win.
Scunthorpe boss Jimmy Dean reacted to the win: “I think that it’s a significant one. It’s one I’ve been a bit nervy for this week as they were unbeaten in eight. I think we’ve done a really impressive job on them today.
“I sensed the boys were really up for it today and their performance vindicated that.”
Former Aberdeen winger Callum Roberts was the standout performer in the encounter and had twice stung the palms of visiting goalkeeper Matt Urwin before giving the match officials their first significant decision of the game on 25 minutes.
Having got goal side of Adam Henley, Roberts was felled on the line of the penalty area, with referee Dane McCarrick pointing to the penalty spot. Up stepped Whitehall for his 12th league goal of the campaign, beating the despairing dive of Urwin, despite the Magpies shot stopper guessing the correct way.
With the game firmly poised, it was the home side who doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half when Smith stroked home a goal after being left in the clear from a Whitehall knockdown before the former Eastleigh frontman made it game, set and match in the 63rd minute.
It was perhaps the simplest strike of Whitehall’s season, after scintillating work from Roberts saw him shift in and out before slotting Smith in on the left. When it looked as though he was about to get his brace, his deflected effort was stopped dead on the line, only for Whitehall to crash home his second and United’s third from a matter of yards.