MATCH REPORT: Scunthorpe United 0-2 Luton Town

The Hatters marched on with a less than comfortable 2-0 win over Scunthorpe at Glanford Park. 

The Iron, who had lost their last 5 league games, not scoring in 4, looked the far better side for the opening 30 minutes as Europe’s most inform team struggled to gain a foothold in the game. Scunthorpe dominated with direct balls into the channels as the usually dominant duo of Sonny Bradley and Matty Pearson were out-battled. With regular captain Glen Rea out injured the hatters looked flimsy all over the pitch, losing most second balls and struggling to get their foot on the ball, leading manager Nathan Jones to switch to 4-3-3 after 15 minutes. Despite this, Glanford Park made for an eerily quiet venue, with long periods of quiet meaning that fans could quite easily hear players and staff alike barking out orders.

Clinical Edge Makes The Difference

Scunthorpe will rue their lack of cutting edge as they should have broken their goal duck and got some points on the board. It wasn’t until Andy Shinnie scored with a wonderfully curled effort on 37 minutes that the hatters looked anywhere near their usual levels. Nathan Jones admitted that “he got into them” at half-time, and was rewarded when Harry Cornick fired home from close range five minutes after the restart following Elliott Lee’s curled effort. The latter once again impressed with his fine footwork and link up play, whilst also making some impressive tackles and interceptions high up the pitch, justifying his recent position as the best player in League One according to the “Instat” index.

Excellent Game Management Sees The Hatters Through

A far more aggressive second half ensured the Hatters defended their lead relatively comfortably, despite numerous Scunthorpe corners and free-kicks into the box. Experienced holding-midfielder Alan McCormack came off the bench to add greater steel and discipline to the Town midfield in place of Jorge Grant, whilst Scunthorpe’s changes proved ineffective. As the game drew on, Scunthorpe reverted to total long-ball, a contrast to the reverse fixture back in October where their good build-up play often out-maneuvered the Luton high press.

Can The Town Really Achieve Back-To-Back Promotions?

We certainly can. Gritty, dogged away wins when the team are not at their best are exactly the kind of wins promotion teams get. With the likes of Potts, Sheehan, Berry, Hylton and LuaLua waiting in the wings, the Hatters certainly have the squad depth to freshen things up when needed and deal with suspensions and injuries. Next up is Walsall away, which is followed by a potentially season-deciding run of games against Barnsley, Sunderland and Peterborough, with Portsmouth likely to be sandwiched in on a Tuesday night. As Luton fans, we must stay optimistic and enjoy the ride, but also not be too disheartened if things don’t go as we would like. We are massively over-performing for a newly promoted side, so let’s enjoy the ride!

words Dylan Bhundia, Luton fan & writer