LIVE FROM GLANFORD PARK

SCUNTHORPE UNITED 0
BARNSLEY 0

IT was scrappy, fast and frantic but the Reds slowly grew into the game at Glanford Park and probably had enough bits and pieces around the Scunthorpe penalty area to be in front.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins made two changes to his side as he looked to get back to winning ways at Scunthorpe United. After disappointments against the Iron in the league at Oakwell and FA Cup here at Glanford Park back in January in came Adam Hammill and Anderson de Silva while Emil Hallfredsson and Jay Rodriguez were missing following Saturday's defeat by Plymouth.

It was fast, frantic and scrappy but Anderson almost lifted the opening stages inside two minutes with an audacious attempt to lob the ball goalward from 30 yards. His effort looped wide of the mark.

Anderson was obviously pumped up after missing out at the weekend and he battled his way into another shooting position on five minutes but his effort cannoned against Rob Jones. Filipe Teixeira did wonderfully well to bring the rebound under control and beat his marker on the right but his well-struck shot cannoned into the stand.

Although the Reds made the most of a scrappy opening, it was Scunthorpe who went closest to grabbing an early goal on 14 minutes when Martyn Woolford nipped in behind Carl Dickinson and onto Paul Hayes' pass but Keiran Trippier was quickly across to make a smart block.

Hayes then found the right pass through the heart of the Barnsley defence again on 18 minutes as he sent Gary Hooper away in the clear but the striker inexplicably opted for an early shot and could only prod the ball through to Luke Steele.

It was a frustrating opening half for the Reds who were never able to get into their stride against a well drilled and high pressure Scunthorpe side. Anderson could have been booked on 23 minutes for a wild swing at Woolford before Hooper again blazed well, well wide of the target seconds later after finding space between Darren Moore and Dickinson.

A soft foul by Stephen Foster on Hooper gave Scunthorpe United another chance to put the Reds under pressure. Hayes' free kick was dangerous but Steele was in the right place to punch clear. Josh Wright could not get his effort anywhere near the goal on the rebound.

Barnsley's chances were less frequent although Teixeira did well to drift into a shooting position on 32 minutes but his effort was well blocked away by a resolute Scunthorpe defence.

It was a little ray of hope that kick started the Reds. Teixeira burst to the byline on 32 minutes and beat Joe Murphy but Michael Raynes cleared the danger before a Reds forward could turn it into an empty net. Hammill then curled one just over the bar from 20 yards as Barnsley finally put Scunthorpe under pressure.

Teixeira had Scunthorpe scrambling again on 34 minutes as he crashed one in from the edge of the area but David Mirfin did well to block the ball although there was more of a look of handball about his diving stop.

Barnsley were forced into a change on 35 minutes when Trippier limped out of the action. Bobby Hassell replaced him at right back.

The Reds grew into the game after a slow start and another Teixeira corner on 38 minutes put Scunthorpe United under pressure. The ball eventually came out to Nathan Doyle but the midfielder lashed his shot well, well wide.

Hammill had Murphy worried on 42 minutes as he ended a free flowing Barnsley move with a strike at goal from 25 yards but his low effort just drifted wide of the post.

Still the half chances came and went for Barnsley. Hammill left Raynes for dead on 43 minutes before digging a decent cross out from the byline but Hugo Colace could not apply a composed finish at the back stick. Colace then fired over a good free kick seconds later but Dickinson just could not get enough on his header to turn it goalward.

SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Murphy, Williams, Togwell, Sparrow, Hayes, Hooper, Jones, Mirfin, Woolford, Wright, Raynes.
Subs: Lillis, A. Wright, Milne, McCann, Forte, O'Connor, McDermott.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Trippier (Hassell 35), Foster, Moore, Dickinson, Teixeira, Colace, Doyle, Hammill, Anderson, Gray.
Subs: Preece, Rodriguez, Bogdanovic, Butterfield, Macken, Potter.

REFEREE: Colin Webster
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Martin Coy and Wayne Porter
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Declan Ford

Match Report by Rob Knowles.

Barnsley Football Club would like to apologise for the lateness of this report. This is due to a technical issue at Glanford Park.

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