|
2009 went out with a 2-0 defeat at Everton but little did we know what was going to happen in 2010. Before we'd kicked another ball in the league we had a new manager and staff and were facing Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Disappointingly the remainder of the Premier League season was somewhat disastrous with only three more games won and that meant a first relegation for the club in fifteen years.
Hopes were high in August but it's been a frustrating first half of the season. It's had its highs, absolutely no doubt about that, but it's also had its lows and that's left us very much in a lower position than we both wanted and expected.
It would be good to go out of the year on a high. We need that win and we need to follow that with a good start to 2011.
Scunthorpe are very much a club who are defying the odds. Playing in front of crowds, on average, some four and a half thousand less than the next lowest Doncaster and Preston it is difficult for them at this level.
Having had one season in this league they were quickly relegated, but a second promotion saw them survive last year, and reasonably comfortably in the end, but this season again, as expected, they are down there and are now in the drop zone.
They were already heading for the Championship when Brian Laws left to join Sheffield Wednesday but there is no doubt that Nigel Adkins stepped things up and took them on to where they are now. Unfortunately they lost him to Southampton earlier this season and in true Scunthorpe fashion they appointed from within with Ian Baraclough getting the job.
It's tough, and it's been made tougher for them with them not having played a game since 4th December and that inactivity has seen them drop to just above Preston at the bottom.
Michael O'Connor is their leading scorer this season with five league goals.
There is some good news and some not so good news in terms of team selection for Baraclough. He could welcome back central defender David Mirfin and forward Garry Thompson, both of them having been out for a while. Both are back in training but have had no competitive football.
Leading scorer Michael O'Connor had been suffering from a virus, as had both Josh Wright and Chris Dagnall, but all are now fully fit. Definitely ruled out, however, are Niall Canavan, Michael Raynes and Jimmy McNulty with knee, thigh and ankle injuries respectively.
Their last game was at Millwall, but three of the players on duty that day are no longer at the club. Freddie Sears, Dany N'Guessen and Kevin McDonald were all on loan and have returned to their parent clubs. Scunthorpe do hope to extend the Sears loan in January.
They lined up against Millwall: Joe Murphy, Andrew Wright, Cliff Byrne, Rob Jones, Eddie Nolan, Michael O'Connor, Josh Wright, Sam Togwell, Martyn Woolford, Chris Dagnall, Freddie Sears. Subs: Jonathan Forte, Dany N'Guessen, Kevin McDonald, Sam Slocombe, Garry Thompson, Matt Godden, Trent McClenahan.
It's always difficult to determine what the team might be during a period when so many games are played. We don't know whether any players took knocks at Barnsley but the only time I recall physio Ally Beattie being required was for Ross Wallace after the bad challenge from Nathan Doyle.
I'm sure Brian Laws will be hoping he can add both Danny Fox and Martin Paterson to the squad that was on duty at Oakwell when we lined up: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Brian Easton, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Jack Cork, Ross Wallace, John Guidetti, Jay Rodriguez. Subs: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Michael Duff, Dean Marney, Chris Eagles, Steven Thompson, Chris Iwelumo.
|
It was the same Burnley line up that had won at Coventry with just two changes on the bench. Alan Mahon and Steve Jones were both ruled out with injury and their places were taken by Steven Caldwell, on his way back from injury, and forgotten man Garreth O'Connor.
We dominated the game and were soon in front when Robbie Blake converted a James O'Connor cross that had been deflected into his bath. Blake and Ade Akinbiyi had scored in the Coventry win following the departure of leading scorer Andy Gray and it was Akinbiyi who made it two.
Again it came from a right wing cross, this time from Wade Elliott who had an outstanding game.
Jimmy McIlroy made the half time draw, alongside then youth team player Chris Anderson, but our greatest player couldn't inspire us and having played so well in the first half we failed to keep it going after the break.
Even so, our lead was never threatened and it proved to be an easy win.
Man of the match that day was without doubt Joey Gudjonsson who had, arguably, his best ever game in a claret and blue shirt.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Stanislav Varga, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Joey Gudjonsson (John Spicer 77), Chris McCann, Robbie Blake (Garreth O'Connor 89), Ade Akinbiyi (Steven Caldwell 90). Subs not used: Gabor Kiraly, Stephen Jordan.
Scunthorpe: Joe Murphy, Shelton Martis, Jack Hobbs, Andy Butler, Marcus Williams, Matt Sparrow, Jack Cork, Grant McCann, Ian Morris (Jim Goodwin 45), Ben May (Paul Hayes 45), Martin Paterson (Jonathan Forte 65). Subs not used: Josh Lillis, Kevan Hurst.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1991/92 | 4 | h | 1-1 | 8,419 | Farrell |
| . | . | a | 2-2 | 5,303 | Conroy(pen) SM Davis |
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 1-2 | 10,752 | Payton |
| . | . | a | 2-1 | 5,862 | Mellon Little |
2000/01 | FA | h | 2-2 | 8,054 | I Moore Johnrose |
| . | . | a | 1-1 | 4,709 | Payton - lost on penalties |
2003/04 | LC | a | 3-2 | 2,915 | Chadwick Blake I Moore |
2007/08 | C | a | 0-2 | 6,975 | . |
| . | . | h | 2-0 | 14,516 | Blake Akinbiyi |