FULL TIME: Leeds United 4 Scunthorpe United 0
SCUNTHORPE United endured another wretched afternoon in the Championship, shipping four goals against Leeds United for the second time this season.
Two goals in three minutes, courtesy of Arsenal loanee Sanchez Watt - on the back of an error from new signing Paul Reid - and Max Gradel, meant the game almost looked beyond the Iron before the midway point of the first half.
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And the goals kept on coming, with Bradley Johnson rifling in from outside the box before substitute Davide Somma fired across Joe Murphy with a minute of the match to play.
Scunthorpe made five changes for the trip to Elland Road, a venue where they had not won since 1961.
New signings Reid and Manchester City loanee Abdisalam Ibrahim started, while Sam Togwell, Michael Raynes and Bobby Grant all came into the line-up.
David Mirfin, Rob Jones and Michael O'Connor (through injury) were enforced ones while Jonathan Forte and Josh Wrght dropped to the bench as manager Ian Baraclough rang the changes in a bid to turn round the Iron's poor form.
News broke prior to the game of the expected arrival of Kilmarnock striker Conor Sammon, a deal mooted to be in the region of £450,000.
Though while things looked promising off the pitch, the same, despite a solid start, could not be said on it as Watt broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.
The Leeds star showed strength and composure to first roll Reid and then leave the former Colchester centre-back on his backside before he raced into the box and lashed a powerful shot past the outstretched arm of Murphy.
One became two in a matter of minutes as Watt and Robert Snodgrass combined to allow Gradel to stroll through the Iron defence, side-stepping a quickly committed Murphy before slotting into an empty net.
Unable to get out of their own half, with neither Grant or Chris Dagnall able to hold the ball up, the afternoon continued to go from bad to worse.
And when Eddie Nolan gave the ball to Snodgrass and the Leeds winger cut inside, Johnson slammed a first-time thunderbolt into the bottom corner from outside the box.
The second half was far less of a spectacle than the first, with few chances created by either side as the hosts took their foot off the pedal.
The introduction of Forte from the bench though did at least give the visiting fans some hopes of a way back into the game - and with better finishing, that could have been the case.
The former Sheffield United forward had his side's best chance of the game midway through the second half, but, following a quick counter-attack, he could only fire across goal and wide of the far post after doing well to work himself an opening.
Forte went even closer to gaining a consolation strike as the game entered the final 10 minutes.
A terrific flick from a long ball saw the Iron substitute break clear of his marker on halfway though this time his on-target shot was deflected on to the angle of post and bar by Alex Bruce's challenge.
Fittingly, it was a dominant Leeds who had the final say in the last minute of the game, when the impressive Gradel fed Somma and the South African drilled home with the sort of clinical accuracy the Iron so desperately seek.
TEAMS
LEEDS: Schmeichel, Connolly, Bruce, O'Brien, McCartney, Gradel, Howson (c), Johnson, Snodgrass (McCormack 67), Watt (Somma 81), Becchio (Paynter 45). subs not used: Higgs, Collins, Parker, Bromby.
SCUNTHORPE: Murphy (c), A Wright, Raynes, Reid, Nolan, Collins, Togwell, Ibrahim, Woolford, Grant (Forte 60), Dagnall (Godden 78). subs not used: Slocombe, J Wright, Williams, Cowan-Hall.
ATTENDANCE: 25,446.
37 Comments
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by SheffCityCentreIron, Sheffield
Monday, January 17 2011, 7:45AM
“Tony, Scunny
Completely agree. I think Murphy is past his best and Lillis should come back into the squad. I had a bad feeling about this when he went out to Rochdale.
Even if Murphy threw the ball in his own net he would somehow try and blame the back line. I literally think they dont like him and the communication is therefore lost.
Steps to staying up
1. Bring back Lillis and sell Murphy at a profit
2. Sack barra and that pointless coach
3. Bring in a big and nasty striker to nod stuff down to either Daggers or Bobby G
4. Make Forte warm that bench and come on at the end of games as a WINGER!
5. Track down Dave, Hull and give him a book on spelling
Okay, no. 5 wont keep us up, but it would mean he can educate himself and his goat.
UTI”
by skint, scunny
Sunday, January 16 2011, 8:30PM
“John, you`ve hit the nail on the head.
If any other club had had the run of results that we`ve had then heads would quite rightly have rolled. Mr Wharton and the rest of the board are obviously quite happy for us to be relegated or else they`d have acted by now. Barraclough is completely out of his depth, management is about more than just watching the DVD and coming up with lame excuses. The players are apparently under the illusion that they are a League 1 team at best, I`d argue that the current squad is a League 2 team at best.
All the while supporters are fast becoming disillusioned and the small gates we are used to are steadily dwindling. That is with the exception of the equally ambition less fans that are quite happy to defend the abysmal just so that they can declare themselves "true fans".
Then again when you do things on the cheap, what do you expect?”
by DD, Scunny
Sunday, January 16 2011, 8:20PM
“No Dave, what hardly ever worked were the cods stood in it . . . . .
Well googled by the way”
by dave, hull
Sunday, January 16 2011, 8:06PM
“ok, for the last time i will answer your stupid question kingston communications north stand under the score board that hardly ever worked.”
by John - Northants, Northants
Sunday, January 16 2011, 4:32PM
“Only one home win all season!
Since winning at Hull on 6 November the record is:
Won - 1
Goals for - 8
Goals against - 28
We don't just get beat - we get hammered every time.
How many managers and backroom staff would survive that record?
There is something substantionally wrong at the club and unless things change drastically and quickly we are doomed.”
by mr T, scunny
Sunday, January 16 2011, 4:30PM
“DAVE still has not answerd my question????
You have only been a fan since they moved up a few leagues up and into a better stadium.
My point proven if you cant tell me WHAT THE AWAY STAND AT BOOTHFERRY PARK WAS CALLED?
Your a glory fan!!!!!!!!!!!
So your opinion does not count!”
by gary, scunthorpe
Sunday, January 16 2011, 3:38PM
“how ever bad you think things are for the IRON,it could be worse,didn,t them peasents from down the road lose to a pub team chasetown think there called ...”
by observer dog wootton, rural
Sunday, January 16 2011, 3:19PM
“its ok we are going to sell the heart of the club glanford park leave it to go to rack and ruin because nobody wants to buy the site and get bt (we dont have kingston communications) to build us a nice fancy ground that we dont own,rent it back from them for silly money then get in debt to the tune of 40million to be something we're not.inspirational dave the t**t from hull wish we were as good as kcfc.rather be iron in league 1 thanks.”
by iron kev, scunny
Sunday, January 16 2011, 2:10PM
“so leeds are superior team does that make it ok to get beat again, we need to fight, show some passion and pride then you can except being beaten even if it hurts knowing the team as given its all. there are no easy games in this league except if you are playing scunny. so come on lads a least go down fighting, we can accept that a little better. as for dave from hull at least we are solvent and dont have to buy success, we are here on merit. UP THE IRON”
by tony, scunny
Sunday, January 16 2011, 1:32PM
“was sat next to a premier league goalkeeping coach yesterday, he said although murphy made a couple of good saves he was definately at fault with 2 possibly 3 of the goals because of poor positioning/ lack of agility, do you think he is being properly coached by the flying pig?? i personally dont think he is as good as he was, what do you guys think about him???”