Scunthorpe vs Internet Millers Review

Match: Vs Iron Filings

Kick Off: 10am

Location: Quibell Park - Scunthorpe

Kit: Home Kit – Red IMFC Shirt, White IMFC Shorts, Red IMFC Socks

Final Score: Internet Millers beat Iron Filings 5:0

Scorers: Jebu (3), Steve R (1), O.G.

Manager: S. Burns

SQUAD

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Shark

Mark

Denti

Dave

Bash

Steve R

Andy

Duds

Dan

JV

Jebu

Symon

Chris Grist

Starting Formation and Tactics

The IM adopted their usual 352 formation. Shark commanded the net while Denti, Mark and Dave provided the 3 centre backs. In the middle of the park Andy P, Steve R and Bash with Duds on LWB and Dan at RWB contested against Scunny’s midfield 4. Up front Symon partnered Jebu who had just returned from his holiday. Last weeks hatrick scorer Burns was to organise from the sidelines for this game resting his troublesome ankle.

First Half

The game started brightly for both teams with a chance at either end. After running off the cobwebs from his holiday Jebu found some space on the right hand side of the box as the ball fell nicely to hit on the run but a stinging shot was held firmly by the keeper. Scunthorpe then passed the ball about well in the middle of the park leading to a fiercely hit shot by an oncoming midfielder but Shark turned around the post very well.

The first 10 minutes were quite even but not soon after Jebu opened the scoring for the Millers. Andy P fed a ball into Jebu’s feet who had dropped off his marker, he turned and skipped past 3 players before smashing an effort against the cross bar, thankfully the ball looped up and under pressure from the keeper Jebu headed home to make it 1:0.

For the remainder of the half the Millers relaxed and starting to play what would turn out to be their best football of the match. At 1:0 Scunthorpe were still threatening and a similar midfield burst led to a low drive that was held superbly by Shark with their strikers ready to pounce.

Some decent football from the Millers almost carved open chances for both Jebu and Symon up front on a number of occasions but it was a defensive mixup from a long ball that led to the Millers 2^nd. Both the keeper and defender went and then stopped to clear the ball and Jebu took advantage by sliding in and guiding the ball into the corner of the net.

Defensively the Millers were looking superb. Mark marshalled anything in the air with ease, Denti used his quality to read any trouble and Dave’s experience kept the back 3 as a solid unit. When the lively midfielders did manage to get past the millers 5 in the middle, it was soon cleared from danger by the defence.

This platform provided by the Defence breeds confidence in the team and with not long of the first half to go Jebu just about wrapped up the points with his hatrick. Some neat passing in midfield between Dan and Andy P ended with a pass to Jebu, he turned and ran at the Scunny defence. Bash bursted forward from midfield and Jebu slipped a past out wide, bash drilled the ball low and Jebu who had continued his run cheekily let the ball run through his legs and then back heal into the corner of the net.

Symon almost grabbed a 4^th for the Millers just before half time as Jebu slipped him through but the youngster took a touch too many and his shot from a tight angle went wide.

Half Time: Iron Filings 0:3 Internet Millers

Second Half

The second half was a bit of a slow affair. The slick passing that the Millers showed in the first half was only found in patches and the young legs in midfield for Scunthorpe started to edge out the tired legs on the Millers. That said the back 3 always looked comfortable and with Dan pushing into the centre of the park later in the half Scunny were restricted to long range efforts that not once really troubled Shark in the net.

Despite less fluidity in their game the Millers took an unassailable 4:0 lead just 5 minutes after the restart that killed the game completely. A cross out wide by Dan was floated towards Jebu who mistimed his volley, this completely put the defender off who in trying to clear the ball just sliced it into his own net. A slice of luck for the Millers to make it 4:0.

As previously mentioned Scunny then started to press forward all over the park trying to get the game back. However, the Millers looked comfortable throughout and on the break looked the more likely to score. Some good link up play by Chris Grist fed Jebu through but the outcoming keeper just reached the ball in time to clear. Not soon after JV, who had a great debut, went on a sparkling run beating 4 players and striking venomously, unfortunately the ball smashed against the post and was cleared.

Some more lively link up play by Chris Grist helped win a corner for the Millers that led to their 5^th and final goal. It was almost as if they had been practicing corner routines in training as Steve R fed a short corner to Duds who slipped Steve R a pass into the box, he moved on and smashed the ball hard into the roof of the net to continue his decent goal scoring record from midfield this year.

Young Symon and Chris Grist had the final 10 minutes up front together and both lashed a few long rangers wide of the target. However, the game ended at 5:0 in a good natured IFA game that without a referee had no problems at all.

Full Time: Iron Filings 0:5 Internet Millers

Post Match Comments

I don’t think the game was quite as tough as we have come to expect off Scunny and considering there excellent defensive record this season and 2 wins out of 2 you have to consider this a superb result. More pleasing than anything is the 2 clean sheets on the bounce as we have hit back after the Millwall defeat.

Mr Burns scored a first half hatrick in the Farnborough game and I (Jebu) did the same against Scunny, both of which really killed the games in the millers favour. With either myself or Burnsy not playing in the past couple of game its been a good chance for the younger lads up front to have a run out. Even though they haven’t scored they have both been eager to show they can step in.

In midfield, the loss of Gaz, Jammer and Gav might have signalled issues in midfield but Bash has come in and done well in the past two games making the step up in match fitness levels. Andy P has been a major influence in the strength of the midfield while Dan and Steve R has provided usual stability. Duds is an option in midfield and JV proved he has enough quality to be an asset.

Up front Burnsy has been having a few issues with his ankle and only able to play 1 game a week because of it. Its clearing up now and hopefully he will be able to get back playing more often but until then the young lads chris and Symon really need to push hard to impress. Hopefully, Jebu can build on his hatrick in the upcoming games.

The defence is the major difference between this years and last years team. We are a lot more organised and stronger as a unit in clearing any danger. With just 4 goals conceded in 6 games that is a superb record for the IFA and if we can keep up the goal scoring this provides one hell of a platform to work from. The extra level of organisation showed at the weekend against Scunny.

With 5 wins out of 6 we are still in there and thereabouts as league leaders and we should be looking at coming in the top 3 come the end of the year.

Jebu out….

The lads!