Winning Ugly

Scunthorpe United 2-1 Aldershot Town (National League)

Aldershot have a new Manager. John Coleman won't be taking charge today, leaving duty to Alan Dowson and James Henry in caretaker control, but I'm sure the announcement will make an impression on his new team. Having spent ten years at Accrington Stanley, Coleman knows what it takes to get out of this division, leading the Reds from the Northern Premier League to the third tier of English football during two spells at the Crown Ground.

Coleman takes over from Tommy Widdrington who resigned with the Shots looking over their shoulder a little too nervously towards the relegation places. Sitting 19th a point above the drop zone they are hoping not to get sucked in to a long and agonising dogfight.

No danger of that for Scunthorpe this year. The Iron already have 30 points and are fourth in the table, just three points off top dogs Rochdale they are flying high following promotion from the National League North with Andy Butler doing great things.

It's midday, I'm out the door and heading across the A46 curving over Newark and Lincoln, I've stopped off for a Greggs on the way and arrive in good time, fully fuelled ahead of the game, pulling up on an estate nearby, a quick walk through the clubs car park and I'm inside the terraces for a quarter to two.

The Venue

I've been getting the National League gig to cover teams in the East this season so I'm here again, like when often in Boston, in what is now familiar territory.

An hour and half drive from my door is North Lincolnshire, I'm starting to feel more at home here. I'm let through the tight turnstile as the operator asks "you know where you're going?" And I walk to the kiosk for a quick cup of tea, today accompanied by a Yorkie bar for a change (they didn't have any Twix's which I really fancied), then up to the seats in the media area, Radio Humberside, some press from down south are here, and a scout who goes home and away with Scunny. He went to Eastleigh on Tuesday night, a game which was re-arranged after being abandoned at 1-1 in the 95th minute earlier in the season. The replay inevitably ends 1-1 and the travel time of nearly 10 hours return has the scout telling me he got back at 2:30am on Wednesday morning.

Filling up nicely, the Attis Arena better known to me as Glanford Park is an ageing and some would say ugly home but it has character, the stand behind the goal to my left really packs the home support in, the straight edged bowl like structure is propped up by posts and offers an enclosed amphitheatre for lower league football, which can make it quite intimidating, you're on top of the action, huddled close to the pitch, but the home supporters are generally friendly with sporadic sing songs, their hearts bleeding claret and blue deep down.

There's around 170 away fans in behind the goal to my right, so that stand is sparse with plenty of empty seats, the sun shining on half the pitch as the players come out before a rendition of Hi Ho Silver Lining.

The Game

Aldershot in black, look up for it today, they have a 4-5-1 formation and are structurally solid, have posed a threat down the left with Ryan Jones who links up well with young Kiban Rai in the ten position. Another livewire is Lebanese International Hady Ghandour up front, he's battling well as the lone target man, good honesty and work rate, he holds it up well, and it's he who opens the scoring after twelve minutes. A loose pass by Tyler Denton has Oli Ewing in trouble, Tristan Abrahams let's fly from range, the ball hitting the head of Ghandour and wrong footing Rory Watson in Scunthorpe's goal, an unlikely opener is freakish to say the least, but you can't say it's not been deserved.

Scunthorpe look off it, they lack their usual attacking rhythm not helped perhaps by Alfie Beestin not playing, Branden Horton is at centre half as Jean Belehouan and Will Evans are out, but he's actually doing ok. I earlier asked if the former Chesterfield full back would be alright there, to be told "he's comfortable as a short term solution" lacking the height and power of those he's replaced.

Despite the ugliness of their start, which is a lot down to the way Aldershot have set up, Scunthorpe play on the front foot. Oli Ewing has been lively, it looks like a game made for him, tough tackling, lots of running from midfield, snapping and harassing opponents but with a bit of quality when in possession, he knocks a right footed in-swinging corner into the box, goalkeeper Dewhurst flaps under his crossbar and Cal Roberts heads home from close range to level.

It's funny as the pre game chat with the Scunny scout was based on the poor set play deliveries of recent matches, as Ewing usually over hits his corners we discussed perhaps mixing them up and going short today. This cross wasn't much better than his usual efforts but the stats will say goal scored by set piece. Roberts an unlikely player to be heading in as one of the shorter players on the pitch, but that goal is a quick response from a team who don't seem to have too much trouble scoring.

The Score

The football hardly improves, Cal Roberts is largely well marshalled by Ryan Hill at left back, Danny Whitehall is getting frustrated with big Ben Jackson niggling away at him, but Roberts and Whitehall combine on 32 as the Geordie winger crosses from the right left footed, the ball bouncing in the area has Whitehall nod it against the crossbar, Zain Westbrooke following in to put the Iron ahead.

That goal knocks a bit of stuffing out of Aldershot who continue to chug on with their efforts and make it an ugly scrap. It's a game of few chances with not much flow to possession. Although the Referee in charge is doing his best to let it flow as he hardly blows his whistle, despite some challenges that would usually be penalised by others of stricter orientation.

At half time you expect the next goal to be crucial, you feel it could be a day where Scunthorpe drop points, not firing on all cylinders, whilst Aldershot have battled gallantly, should they concede again, that could be that, with too much to do.

But the goal doesn't come. In the second half Aldershot have claim for a penalty when goalkeeper Watson rushes out to take down Abrahams on the edge of his area, a goal kick awarded as the visiting commentary team behind me call foul.

An even better chance is wasted when substitute Kwame Thomas heads from close range after Abrahams floats in, Thomas has the whole goal to aim for to level but finds a combination of crossbar and keeper to somehow miss.

The away side ramp up 14 corners total but nothing avails, despite being off it, Scunthorpe have won, and the supporters can go home happy, perhaps knowing they've got away with one.

The Stars

On my first viewing of Aldershot this season I was impressed with a number of their stars, the best on the pitch perhaps, twenty year old Kiban Rai. The former Newport playmaker was easy on the eye, picking up the ball and linking in particular with Ryan Jones really well. The speedy left winger giving Joe Starbuck a tough afternoon.

Defensively, I quite liked their young central duo, Ben Jackson is tall and gritty, Will Armitage another twenty year old, on loan from Southampton, reading the game well he was positionally astute. Skipper Ryan Hill at left back also having a good game containing Cal Roberts, despite the Scunthorpe talisman still racking up another goal and half assist.

The midfield battle was intriguing, Oli Ewing and Joe Rowley perhaps coming out on top against Cameron Hargreaves and Ciaran Gilligan, but I was also impressed with the 23 year old who's on loan from Burton Albion.

Up front, Hady Ghandour was a nuisance and worked hard for his goal, in Kwame Thomas and Tristan Abrahams, Aldershot have more than competent firepower for the level.

The Verdict

A win which takes Scunthorpe second and a point behind Rochdale. I do question if they are good enough to last the long haul but they are where they are on merit, because they have good players, and in Cal Roberts, I said it last season, he was the best player in the division, and there's not many better in this division on his day, even today, when it weren't his day, he contributed, which can often be the difference between two teams of similar skill set.

Aldershot are now a place above the drop zone level with Braintree on thirteen points from sixteen games, but a new Manager will hopefully have the effect they are looking for. The team is more than good enough to survive, and I think they'll be ok.

The Teams

Scunthorpe United: Rory Watson, Joe Starbuck, Andrew Boyce, Branden Horton, Tyler Denton, Joe Rowley, Oli Ewing, Billy Chadwick (Carlton Ubaezuono 69), Zain Westbrooke (Kian Scales 69), Callum Roberts (Declan Howe 60), Danny Whitehall (Joey Dawson 60).

Aldershot Town: Marcus Dewhurst, Archy Taylor (Maxwell Mullins 86), Will Armitage, Ben Jackson, Ryan Hill, Cameron Hargreaves (Keane Anderson 79), Ciaran Gilligan, Kiban Rai, Tristan Abrahams (Tyler Frost 86), Ryan Jones (Toby Nelson 79), Hady Ghandour (Kwame Thomas 70).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 25th October 2025, Glanford Park, Scunthorpe (att 4,222).