26th March 2000     

Latics hammer Iron

Scunthorpe United put up a brave fight before going down to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oldham. It was the visitors seventh away win of the season and they dominated most of the second half thanks to the hard work of Shaun Garnett and Lee Duxbury. Scunthorpe's youngsters Nathan Stanton, Wayne Graves and Paul Harsley worked tremendously hard and Brian Quailey was a constant threat up front before he was replaced by Guy Ipoua. On a tricky surface Oldham began brightly and Mark Allott was off target with a header following a John Sheridan free kick. Andy Holt then pumped the ball forward for Craig Dudley but Scunthorpe skipper Chris Hope intervened to head the ball away for the first corner of the game. From the corner Garnett powered home a close range header.

Keeper Tom Evans clawed the ball out, but the referee was on hand to confirm the ball had crossed the line after only four minutes. Quailey broke free to drive in an angled shot from the right which Gary Kelly dived full length to save in the 12th minute. However two minutes later Quailey's power saw him net the equaliser. Harsley flicked the ball on down the left flank and Quailey fired in a tremendous right-foot shot to beat Kelly at his near post. Scunthorpe showed more fluency after the goal, with Harsley and Graves showing up well as they continued to attack the visitors defence. However, Oldham still looked dangerous and when Duxbury ventured forward his weak shot failed to trouble Evans. Harsley then had a shot blocked and Graves followed up to drive the ball wide.

Oldham snatched the lead back after 38 minutes. Scunthorpe failed to clear a free kick and the ball fell invitingly for Paul Rickers on the left and he cracked the ball home from 20 yards. The Latics bossed most of the second half and the introduction of Steve Whitehall added impetus to their attack and he was unlucky not to force one close range effort home. Oldham should have stretched their lead and made sure of clinching the points in the 76th minute. Nathan Stanton was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Allott stepped up to take the penalty. He struck the ball firmly but Evans made a brilliant save flinging himself to his right to touch the ball away. Scunthorpe's top scorer Guy Ipoua was introduced to the fray in a bid to salvage at least a point. He showed some pace and flair, but his only effort on target - a low curling shot - was saved by Kelly.  

Scunthorpe 1, Oldham 2

Last three meetings Oldham 1, Scunthorpe 1 (26/12/1999) Scunthorpe 0, Oldham 0 (13/3/1973) Oldham 3, Scunthorpe 0 (24/10/1972)

Final

Final Results Scunthorpe 1 Oldham 2 Name, Minutes Quailey, 14  Name, Minutes Garnett, 4  Rickers, 38  Yellow Cards Name, Minutes Jackson, 10 foul Stanton, 37 foul   Name, Minutes No Yellow Cards Red Cards Name, Minutes No Red Cards   Name, Minutes No Red Cards Match Stats 10 Goal Attempts 13 5 (On Target) 8 0 (Bar/Post) 0 16 Fouls 8 2 Offsides 5 5 Corners 5

Match Squads & Ratings 3 stars (out of 5) Scunthorpe Oldham G 1. Evans - 7 M 2. Harsley - 7 M 3. Dawson - 6 M 4. Logan - 6 D 5. Hope - 7 M 6. Walker - 7 D 7. Stanton - 8 M 8. Graves - 7 D 9. Jackson - 6 F 10. Torpey - 7 F 11. Quailey - 7 G 1. Kelly - 7 D 2. McNiven, S - 7 D 3. Holt - 6 D 4. Garnett - 8 D 5. Duxbury - 7 M 6. Rickers - 7 M 7. Sheridan - 7 F 8. Allott - 7 F 9. Dudley - 6 M 10. Hotte - 6 D 11. Jones - 7 Substitutes Substitutes D 9. Hodges (61) - 6 F 11. Ipoua (61) - 6 12. Turner 13. Fickling 14. Clarke F 9. Whitehall (52) - 7 12. Miskelly 13. Innes 14. Boshell 15. Graham *Players ranked from 4 (lowest) to 10 (highest) Referee: E. K. Wolstenholme Colour codes indicate player substitutions, red for red, green for green, etc.

 

ESPN Soccernet

Tom Evans' goalkeeping heroics were not enough for Scunthorpe as they still succumbed to a home defeat against Oldham. Evans made a brilliant 76th minute penalty save to deny the Latics a two goal cushion at Glanford Park, but the visitors ultimately edged it 2-1. Oldham took a fourth minute lead when Shaun Garnett powered home a close range header. Struggling Scunthorpe hit back with Brian Quailey going close before hitting the target in the 29th minute. The Iron were behind again when they failed to clear their lines and the ball fell invitingly for Paul Rickers to drive in an unstoppable 20-yard shot. 

Preston's nearest rivals Bristol Rovers were beaten 3-0 at the New Den by Millwall.

Neil Harris notched his 17th of the season after 28 minutes to put the Lions on the way and Richard Sadlier in the 78th minute and Paul Ifill six minutes from time rounded off a sound performance.

Wigan won their third match on the trot, both goals in a 2-0 triumph over Notts County coming from Neil Redfearn, their £112,000 deadline day signing from Bradford.

The former Barnsley midfielder scored after six minutes and made the game safe from the penalty spot in the 81st minute.

Burnley slipped up in the Lancashire derby with Bury and had Ronnie Jepson to thank for rescuing a point in the dying seconds.

Andy Payton's 23rd of the season put Burnley in front but Danny Swailes levelled after 77 minutes and Nicholas Daws put the Shakers in front with two minutes left before Jepson popped up to make it 2-2.

Gillingham came unstuck at Colchester where Steve McGavin and Tony Lock put the home side in front before Rodney Rowe pulled one back to ensure a tense final 11 minutes but United clung on for a 2-1 win.

Stoke's emphatic 3-0 win pins Blackpool to the relegation places, Bjarni Gudjonsson scoring his first goals for City in the 62nd and 71st minutes, sandwiching Nicky Mohan's effort.

Oxford may have won the boat race but Cambridge humbled the football club 2-0 with goals from Trevor Benjamin after eight minutes and Johnny Hansen after 44 minutes easing the light Blues two places up the table.

Chesterfield look all but dead and buried after a 3-1 home defeat by Luton Town who scored three times in the first 42 minutes.

Gary Doherty netted the fastest goal of the day in England, taking just 48 seconds to put the Hatters in front, and then Julian Watts and Liam George took the game beyond John Duncan's men and Jonathan Howard's 76th-minute goal will be no consolation.

Cardiff's 1-0 win at Reading, thanks to Jason Bowen's 53rd-minute effort, lifts them out of the bottom three and they are replaced by Scunthorpe who crashed 2-1 at to Oldham.

Shaun Garnett put the Lancashire lads in front, Brian Quailey levelled only for Paul Rickers to sink the Iron in the 38th minute.

Wade Elliott in the 50th and Scott Mean in the 81st minute gave Bournemouth a 2-0 win over Wycombe who are now six games without a win while Scott Murray's 77th minute effort gave Bristol City a 1-0 win over Brentford.