The Scunthorpe Season

IT was a traumatic start to the season for Argyle’s hosts in Sky Bet League Two this afternoon, as Scunthorpe United had to wait seven matches before recording their first victory.

The campaign kicked-off with defeats to Swindon and Cheltenham in the league, followed by a narrow loss to Derby County in the Carabao Cup, and then goals from Rory McArdle and Matthew Lund gave the Iron their first point in a 2-2 draw with Crawley.

The defeats soon returned, however, with reverses at Cambridge and Macclesfield, then at home to Carlisle. There was one bright note in a derby day win at Grimsby in the Leasing.com Trophy but it was then another loss at Mansfield.

Finally, on September 14, Paul Hurst’s men found a league win, with Jamie Proctor, Kevin van Veen and Lund on target in a 3-0 defeat of Morecambe. Three draws from the next four, including a 2-2 at Home Park, showed a steadying of form for the Iron.

A brace from Lee Novak helped them to a 3-0 win over Northampton and, despite going down to a defeat at Newport in the next game, a subsequent victory over high-flying Exeter felt like a corner had been turned.

Draws with Salford and Stevenage laid the platform for a superb five-game winning run, including two in the Trophy. The league successes came against Leyton Orient, Port Vale and promotion-chasing Forest Green.

After a draw with Colchester, van Veen scored the only goal in another derby win at Grimsby. The Iron tasted their first league defeats in over two months through Christmas but were back to winning ways on New Year’s Day, thanks to goals from the dangerous Abo Eisa and Lund.