By Match report: Scunthorpe end season with Dorking defeat
Scunthorpe United ended a miserable National League campaign with a defeat at Dorking Wanderers on Saturday evening.
A late Danny Elliott goal wasn’t enough for the Iron, as a Ryan Seager brace earned the hosts a 2-1 victory in Surrey.
Jimmy Dean made three changes from the side that lost at home to Southend United last week, with Jake Leake, Dion Sembie-Ferris and Tom Pugh all coming into the starting lineup.
United started the game on the front foot and had an early chance in the second minute through Elliott, but his effort went wide of the right-hand post.
Dorking were the first side to call either keeper into action with 20 minutes on the clock, as James McShane’s drive from the edge of the area forced Owen Foster into a decent save.
The hosts then had a string of chances, with Foster first denying Seb Bowerman before making an excellent double save to keep out a low shot to his right and then prevent the rebound from finding the net at close range.
Their pressure eventually told just before the half-hour mark when Seager got on the end of a low ball across the box to put his side ahead.
McShane then had a decent opportunity to double Dorking’s lead five minutes before the break, but his left-footed shot just went wide of the post.
The game continued to be largely one-way traffic after half-time, as Bowerman hit a first-time strike just over the bar after being teed up on the edge of the area.
The Iron had their first chance in a while through Elliott on 53 minutes when he fired the ball over the bar following good work down the left.
The visitors then won a free-kick in a dangerous position, with Pugh meeting the ball at the back post, but his header was saved comfortably by Dan Lincoln.
They continued to grow into the game following an uninspiring first half, as Leake showed good footwork before forcing the keeper into a decent save.
Dorking then doubled their lead against the run of play when Seager grabbed his second after picking the ball up inside the area just past the hour mark.
The forward had a chance to claim his hat-trick a few minutes later, but he wasn’t able to guide his header on target after getting on the end of a ball into the box.
United then had an opportunity to halve the deficit through Marcus Carver, who headed wide of goal after being found with a dinked cross from Dion Sembie-Ferris.
The winger then almost turned provider again with just over 15 minutes left to play when he found Sean Shields and the midfielder’s effort was superbly kept out by Lincoln.
They did eventually pull one back through Elliott on 82 minutes, as the forward confidently found the back of the net with a fierce, left-footed shot after being found on the edge of the area.
There were no further chances, as the Iron fell to a disappointing defeat in their last game of the season.
(Image: Scunthorpe United/Luke Broughton)
