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| The Iron celebrate Hawley’s goal against Carlisle |
So, Scunthorpe United have completed their first month of the Calendar year unbeaten. An improvement no doubt on what we have had to endure earlier on in the season, but we have only won 1 of the 4 games we have played.
Against Oldham we threw away a 2 goal lead which looking at the table now was massive. We really would have thrown Oldham into the deep stuff if we had of held on for those 3 points especially considering we still have a game in hand on them. Against Shrewsbury we failed to capitalise on our dominance in the game and then VERY nearly lost it at the death had it not been for an alert Sam Slocombe. Whilst I’ve mentioned super Sam I wanted to say he has been fantastic since Mildenhall left the club and credit to the guy for stepping up to the plate and erasing his poor confidence before Steve was brought in.
So we went to Carlisle on Saturday and faced a team who were on a fairly decent run of form at home so before the game I would have settled for a point. However after hearing the reports which suggest we really should have left with all 3 I can’t help but be a little disappointed, especially as the goal Carlisle did score was a freak free-kick that no-one on the pitch would have expected to go in. It was hit perfectly and you cannot take anything away from the lad that scored the goal as it was worthy of taking at least a point from the game, but maybe the Iron should have already secured the 3 points before this incident? Maybe maybe maybe, story of the Iron’s last 4 or 5 years straight. Maybe if we had turned even half of those draws last season there wouldn’t have been the pressure there was on Knill at the beginning of the season and he would probably still be the man in charge.
Anyway looking forward to this Saturday as we head to Crewe. Crewe’s last League victory came against Carlisle on New Year’s day. Worryingly it is Crewe’s home form which leaves them in mid-table solidarity as they are pretty poor away from Gresty Road (still managed to beat the Iron at Glanford Park back in August though!). The one thing I can say is in recent weeks we are becoming increasingly hard to beat which can only be a massive plus as we come into the closing months of another frustrating season. I am heading to the game via a train from Leeds and even with it being Monday right now I am incredibly excited for the game already. Although it is a friend’s birthday night out in Sheffield at the night time so if we end up winning I’ll spend the night getting incredibly high on life proclaiming ‘I am celebrating an Iron win and your birthday William!’, whereas an Iron loss would result in me morbidly ‘Drinking away my sorrows, but still celebrating your birthday William!’.
Right, now onto transfer news… Nothing. Well except the Eddie Nolan saga which will probably be over either today or tomorrow. I personally want to see Eddie given a contract till the end of the season as our depth at the back is dangerously low. An injury to Newey and Kennedy at the same time would leave us royally buggered. Eddie can play at LB, RB and even in a defensive midfield position which means his flexibility could prove pivotal in these desperate few months.
Apart from Eddie I really cannot see us signing anyone else which is really disappointing, but understandable. No Beast or Mirfin will be brought in to save our season like this time last year so it is down to the boys we already have. Can they do it? YES! If our players play like they have in the past Month we will stay up I have no doubt in that. We just can’t have anymore of our important players underperforming (not mentioning names “BARCHAM!”).
Get down to Crewe on Saturday and cheer on the boys. Up the Iron!!
Any Old Iron 