By Match report: Scunthorpe held to draw at bottom side Maidstone
Scunthorpe United played out a draw with fellow relegation rivals Maidstone United on Tuesday night.
A second-half Jacob Butterfield goal salvaged a point for the Iron after the Kent side went in 1-0 up at the break.
The 1-1 draw didn’t do much for either side’s chances of remaining in the National League, as both teams would’ve likely targeted it as a must-win fixture.
Jimmy Dean made three changes to the lineup from Saturday’s defeat at Boreham Wood, with Danny Elliott, Dion Sembie-Ferris and Will Smith all receiving the nod.
The Iron started the game the better of the two sides and Butterfield – stepping in as captain on the night – had two early opportunities to put United in front.
A shot from the edge of the area was saved by Daniel Barden, before a fierce strike from the midfielder whistled just past the post following a deflection.
With 19 minutes on the clock, Butterfield sent in a corner that was knocked down to Sembie-Ferris, who didn’t quite get a clean connection on the ball and the keeper saved it on the line.
A few minutes later, Maidstone had their first real chance of the game when the ball fell to Solomon Wanjau-Smith, but he snatched at the effort and Aaron Chapman pushed it away from danger.
Elliott then showed good strength to outmuscle a defender in the right-hand corner, before he carried the ball into the box and hit a low effort from a tight angle that Barden held well at the near post.
It was the hosts that took the lead on 33 minutes when Sam Bone drilled in a long-range effort that took a big deflection off Tom Pugh and wrong-footed Chapman.
The Iron almost responded within minutes, as Butterfield picked up the ball in the Maidstone half and played a first-time pass for Elliott, who unleashed a superb, left-footed strike that Barden pushed around the post.
After going in behind at the break, United found an equaliser just a minute into the second half after a neat move saw Sembie-Ferris lay the ball into the path of Butterfield and he struck an effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.
On 68 minutes, Butterfield floated in a free-kick that Ben Richards-Everton rose well to meet, but he sent his header wide.
It was then the hosts’ turn to have a go at goal through Joshua Shonibare, with his left-footed effort just curling wide of the post.
The Iron won a free-kick on the edge of the box when Alfie Beestin was brought down, but Barden tipped the ball over the bar from Butterfield’s floated effort.
Shonibare then went close again for Maidstone, as he sent a powerful effort across the goal that went wide and Jack Barham couldn’t get a touch on it at the back post.
As the clock ticked down, Pugh saw a half-volley well saved by Barden, before the keeper pulled off another impressive stop to deny Beestin a couple of minutes later.
The hosts almost claimed all three points in the final few minutes through Barham’s header, but Chapman did well to get down to the ball and push it around the post.
There was one final chance for Maidstone, with Sha’mar Lawson sending an effort wide of the goal, as the game ended all square.
