14/09/2024
By Chris Gibbs
Castle pull off astonishing result in draw with Lincolnshire giants Scunthorpe
Newcastle Town 1, Avery (45) Assist: Jones
Scunthorpe United 1, Beestin (77)
It was perhaps one of the greatest results in the club’s history and yet. And yet. Having defended the first half lead given to us by Jake Avery, we came within 17 minutes of pulling off what would have, without any shadow of a doubt, been the shock of the entire FA Cup second qualifying round.
Let’s be honest here, while we were thrilled with the draw we got when we were paired with Scunthorpe United – probably the best team involved in this stage of the competition – there weren’t many among us who could have envisaged us playing with such attacking verve in the first half and then coming out and having to guts it out as The Iron came after us in the second half to gain a precious and financially lucrative replay.
It was a great day. This was a celebration of the work of our management team who worked so hard to steal a competitive advantage, the players who played with panache in a superb first half and then backs to the wall determination as the Scunthorpe onslaught gathered pace in the second.
And it was a celebration too for all those unsung heroes at the club who work so hard to keep things ticking over.
Scunthorpe – who are unbeaten this season – made seven changes to the side that had drawn 1-1 at home to Warringtonin the Vanarama National League North last weekend perhaps thinking that they may have been in for a slightly easier ride. They were very much mistaken.
Some of our one touch football was superb in a first half where we dominated possession – the only thing that was missing was a goal to reward our dominance. Then on the stroke of half time it came.
Tom Jones, whose five-goal scoring run in the FA Cup was broken today, made a great run down the inside right channel and crossed for Jake Avery to bundle home from on the penalty spot. Jake and the team ran off to celebrate almost as if they couldn’t quite believe what they had done.
If we needed a reality check in the second half it didn’t take long to come, and when you need a man on a mission, we all know that Slinny can deliver. The big man blocked a fine half volley from Scunthorpe’s captain Andrew Boyce from a tight angle at the back post just three minutes into the second half.
His next save was crucial too. As the visitors continued to press, Slinny was out quickly and bravely at the feet of Jason Law when the Iron midfielder was favourite to score. But the pick of the bunch for the big lad was a truly astonishing save from a header from Alfie Beestin. Slinny did brilliantly to not only get to the header but then to have the strength to somehow shovel it over the bar.
Slinny had a terrific day, but this was far from a one-man effort. Tom Thorley and Kyle Stubbs were outstanding at centre half and had Stubbsy not been off the field receiving treatment for a foot injury he then had to go off with when Scunthorpe equalised, you do wonder whether we might even have held on for a famous win.
Jack Derbyshire and Oli Ritchie worked tirelessly at full back augmenting our attacks in the first half and then battening down the hatches in the second and birthday boy Darbs, who ended the game as the on field captain, then filled it at centre half when Stubbsy was forced off. This truly was a team effort of the highest order and we have a second opportunity to take on the Lincolnshire giants at Glanford Park on Tuesday.
What a day it has been.
Team: Slinn, Derbyshire, Ritchie, Sherratt, Thorley, Stubbs, (Baltazar, 80) Twyford, Van der Laan, (Lewis 66), Avery, (Byrne 90+7), Jones, (Barry 73) Dos Santos (Graham 86)
Man of the match: Joe Slinn