FULL TIME: Scunthorpe United 0 Leicester City 3
SCUNTHORPE United were put to the sword by Leicester City on a disappointing day at Glanford Park.
Miguel Vitor struck with a brace, Kyle Naughton adding a third, as the home side made it 20 Championship games without winning when conceding the first goal.
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United manager Ian Baraclough brought in Chris Dagnall and Mark Duffy, at the expense of Sam Togwell and Michael Collins, for the visit of Sven-Goran Eriksson's Foxes.
A rejuvenated Iron had been in fine form at home heading into this contest, winning three of their last four and drawing the other.
Keeping three clean-sheets in the process, they were once again a formidable opponent.
But their away form, which culminated in a 2-1 loss at Barnsley in midweek, continues to undermine their survival bid.
Leicester, on the otherhand, headed to North Lincolnshire seeking to reignite a charge for the play-offs, ambitions which had taken a battering in recent games, a 3-2 loss to Norwich on Tuesday night their second consecutive defeat, extending their winless streak to four games.
But it was the visitors who threatened first, Paul Gallagher crossing from the left for Darius Vassell to flick wide of the far post in the fourth minute.
Both sides started brightly in an energetic opening to the game, with United coming closest to breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute, through Joe Garner.
The striker rose highest to nod a header goalwards, following a left wing corner from Duffy, but his effort was cleared off the line by Richie Wellens at the near post.
Vassell went close again moments later, his header from close range deflected inches wide by Iron stopper Josh Lillis, as the visitors began to turn the screw.
Michael Nelson headed clear from under his own bar, after Yuki Abe had struck the woodwork, moments before City took the lead through Vitor.
The Portuguese was quickest to react to a Ben Mee flick across goal from a corner, in the 32nd minute, turning the ball home at the far post to give his side the advantage.
It was one they held relatively comfortably until the break, with the Iron needing a marked improvement if they were to get something from this one.
It looked promising for the home side in the early stages of the second period, with Garner denied a penalty by the offside flag, after being brought down by Naughton.
Referee Rob Shoebridge pointed to the spot, but the linesman's flag was raised.
Despite that set-back, United were in the ascendency until just after the hour mark when City should have scored a vital second.
Vassell surged down the left side of the area before rolling across goal for Andy King who, on the stretch, could only deflect it wide of the far post.
The hosts were providing much more going forward by the midway point of the second half, even putting the ball in the back of the net, with no reward.
Referee Shoebridge once again denied the Iron, this time calling Garner up for handball, and booking the striker, after a corner into the box was nodded goalward and then deflected in via a melee of players.
Despite not showing as much impetus in attack, the visitors netted a crucial second in the 72nd minute to effectively end the tie as a contest, Vitor rising in a crowded penalty area to power a header past the helpless Lillis.
United were still reeling by the time Naughton struck five minutes later, picking the ball up 20-yards out and firing low into the bottom corner to seal victory for the Foxes.
TEAMS
SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Lillis, A Wright, Nelson (c), Raynes, Gordon (Nolan 46), Duffy, J Wright, Hughes (Collins 71), Dagnall (Ibrahim 79), Miller, Garner; Slocombe, Reid, Grant, Godden.
LEICESTER CITY: Ricardo, Naughton, Vitor, Bamba, Mee, King (c), Wellens, Abe, Gallagher (Oakley 81), Yakubu (Waghorn 75), Vassell (Dyer 86); Weale, Texeira, Berner, Parkes.
ATT: 6,528 (2,151 away)
19 Comments
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by Nil points, Hope Palace find some form
Sunday, March 13 2011, 9:56PM
“Nice 1
Have to agree with GTFC forever.”
by James, Scunthorpe
Sunday, March 13 2011, 4:24PM
“Mr Baraclough again showed his inexperience in breaking the golden rule in football... NEVER make a change before defending a set-piece...”
by Eddie Murphy, Beverley Hills
Sunday, March 13 2011, 4:23PM
“Lovely to see you Oscar. Agree that both PNE and Blades are probably down, but I think we need to beat Palace rather than Preston (both would be handy, but let's not get ahead of ourselves eh?), as it's Palace we need to haul ourselves past. Any chance of them heading into administration in the next month or so?!”
by 1500club, Lincs
Sunday, March 13 2011, 3:22PM
“It's not about going down with a profit,. or maintaining a football club for the Scunthorpe community - it's not even about giving it our best shot.
What SUFC is all about is maintaining the status quo and in doing so ensuring that under no circumstances must the directors ever be in a position to 'bail the club out'. Had we re-invested the Hooper money, or kept hold of Hayes or built a new stand it MIGHT have paid off with another year at this level but it might well have seen us relegated anyhow....should that have ever happened and left the club in the sort of mess Grimsby were in, it would ultimately be up to the board to bail us out (the board being Wharton)....that would never be allowed to happen because he doesnt ever invest/prop up or actually financially back the club - beyond loans. Dont kid yourselves that we ever had any intent on expanding the support base, improving the ground or aiming to establish ourselves at this level - it was all strictly business from a personal point of view of the board.
We all know that we should have replaced players in the summer, rebuilt the Iron Bar three years ago and constructed a new all seater stand after we won the title - to a fan, that makes sense but if it was ever at the risk of actually costing the board a single penny, they simply swerved the real issues (ground improvement, yout development and squad rebuilding).
I hope we do stop up - as pointless as that would be but if we do go down, it can only ever be attributed to a board unwilling to back their convictions financially.
As long as Wharton is in control - we will have a club just about in profit..which puts us just above Maidstone, Newport and Aldershot who went bust decades ago. This 'rainy day' scenerio has been spun for years now but it's not OUR raining day fund, it's the boards.
Up the Iron!”
by david braithwaite, scunthorpe
Sunday, March 13 2011, 3:15PM
“Why is it we never here any thoughts from the boardroom?? - after another pathtetic, clueless showing against what was not a particularly good Leicester side (although we made them look like they were), surely as supporters we deserve some kind of explanation from the top as to why nothing is being done to rectify a management team (i say that lightly) that is obviously devoid of any positive tactical nouse!. PLEASE, PLEASE can Baraclough & Co. leave the building & don't pass your keys to LAWS on the way out!!
Despondant Dave”
by Oscar O'Moggie, Brigg
Sunday, March 13 2011, 2:19PM
“Still here Eddie mate. Survival will depend on our home form, although we will probably need something at Palace. However I am not fool enough to think we are going to win every match at GP. We are in a relegation fight and both us and the teams around us will drop more points than we will win in the coming weeks.
Whilst yesterdays result was disappointing, we have to move on. I think Preston & Sheffield will go down, so three points against Preston is imperative, that will leave us nine games to get above Palace and' as 1500 points out, that doesn't have to happen until the last minute of the last game.”
by Eddie Murphy, waiting for some positives
Sunday, March 13 2011, 1:32PM
“Seeing as it was braying about the whereabouts of those that don't subscribe to his "everything is brilliant" viewpoint after we scraped past Swansea, where's the Moggie thing to be found after a 3-0 home trumping?”
by 1500club, Lincs
Sunday, March 13 2011, 12:34PM
“That wont happen though mate - what will happen is this...Warton will give Baraclough as many years at it takes to become a successful manager - that may mean another relegation and several years struggling at the bottom level but eventually, he will have a decent season and then Mr Wharton will be vindicated, as he was with Laws.
Would it have done any harm to advertise the job? Barclough is no manager, he is a decent coach - management isnt about bibs and cones, it's as much a polar opposite as the Linesman is to hotdog seller...unfortunately for us, this will go on for years now.
Up the Iron!”
by alfie49, Scunthorpe
Sunday, March 13 2011, 11:39AM
“Sack Barraclough”
by 1500club, Lincs
Sunday, March 13 2011, 11:08AM
“Apologies - that should read '4th bottom spot is our aim'.
Last year was too easy - the season over with games to spare is RUBBISH - ideally it goes to the final minute of the last game, like in the Tranmere game when Cliff scored.
Also - Baraclough out? How come when the same bloke who appointed him also appointed Kieth Wagstaffe and Chris Holland as chairmen, gave Laws ten years and made Jamie Hammond as general manager, come on chaps time to man up and look a bit further than a manager who's been in charge for six months.
Up the Iron!”