Ridiculous opening post.
First half: United hit post twice through Evans and Ward, Bartley misses free header, Cresswell inexplicably shoots when he should slide the ball across for an Evans tap-in and misses, United have several other half chances and opportunities and dominate the play. Scunthorpe sucker punch United with a blatant handball and a deadly finish. 0-1 at half time but a standing ovation and general support for the team.
Second half: Scunthorpe have a five minute spell around the hour mark, their only spell of the game. During this period, the United defence decide to make two suicidal mistakes. Someone (Nos?) loses his man at a corner, free header, 2-0 Scunny. A few minutes later, Nos tries to play out of trouble instead of being a defender, chaos ensues and Scunny get a third. By this time, we've had a goal chalked off questionably and a penalty turned down. United resume dominance of the game and have a few chance to give themselves a glimmer of hope but it dwindles away. A long punt forward and Nos is in trouble (again), Simonsen has to do something and does the right things until he decides to pass it instead of knocking it forward. Scunthorpe player hits it goalwards and it drifts into a empty net for 0-4.
Scunthorpe, as far as I could see, had probably six shots, four on target, four goals. They were, in a word, 'clinical' when they got their chances. The ref gifted them one goal and we gifted them the other three. Madness.
Nobody could have argued if we'd gone in 4-1 up at half time. We were that dominant. That, and Nos' performance, are my only grumbles tonight. We created enough to win the game - yes, we deserved to win - and on another day, we'd have taken a comfortable three points. Speed has the team playing the right way, it's coming together - we just need some luck and some lethalness in front of goal. Britton was the best player on the pitch - and he played on the side that lost 4-0. Says it all.
I don't know your reasons for not being at the game Torrix but maybe you should gauge the reaction of those who have attended before you come on and slate the team. I'll not be the only one saying how well we played and how much we didn't deserve what we got. This whole 'clappers' and 'knockers' thing - completely juvenile by the way, if I were Foxy/Linz, I'd ban the next user to put it in the thread title - is bringing this board down to school playground level. We're all United fans aren't we? So get behind the lads - as most at the Lane did tonight until they realised that it wasn't our night - and give Speed the backing because he is going to take us forward if the fans and the board back him. He's imposing a new style that is entertaining to watch with a bunch of players brought in by another manager who had a completely different tactical outlook. We're not a million miles away from being a very good side at this level. Give him chance.
