Report: Crawley Town 0-0 Iron

United drew 0-0 away at Crawley Town on Saturday afternoon.

The Iron entered the game making six changes as Luke Matheson, George Taft, Harvey Cribb, Hayden Hackney, Rekeil Pyke and Sam Burns came in for Ross Millen, Emmanuel Onariase, Mason O'Malley, Tyrese Sinclair, Joe Nuttall and Harry Bunn.

After seven minutes, the hosts came forward down the left side, with Nick Tsaroulla getting some space. Taft came across to block the cross, and won a double ricochet and a goal kick for the Iron as a result.

A minute later, Ryan Delaney worked a throw-in towards the penalty area, with Hackney opening onto his right foot before drawing Glenn Morris into a save.

The 12th minute saw a chance for the hosts as Ashley Nadesan got into the area following a through ball from Powell. His back heel opened up the space for George Francomb coming into the box, with his effort clearing the crossbar.

Two minutes after, Delaney blocked an incoming right-footed effort from Tsaroulla on the edge of the area after the referee played an advantage following a foul moments before.

Straight after, Will Ferry cut onto his left foot from 30-yards and bent an effort towards goal which went high and wide of the target.

Then, Matheson’s ball down the right channel was missed by a home defender, allowing Pyke in on the right. His low cross was picked up by the defence before Hackney charged down the attempted clearance.

With 21 minutes gone, Cribb took aim with a shot from the edge of the area, but his drive cleared the crossbar.

There was a superb save from Rory Watson with 23 minutes gone as he got down low to his left to deny a header from point blank range following a cross from the right.

Soon after, Cribb latched onto a loose ball and sent it down the channel to meet the run of Pyke. His low cross was intercepted and cleared though.

At the other end, Isaac Hutchinson had an effort for the hosts at the other end, snatching at the ball, with the effort rolling wide of Watson’s right-hand post.

With 29 minutes gone, Matheson worked well with Liam Feeney down the right, with a low cross into the area going towards goal. Pyke slid in to challenge with the goalkeeper, who did well to gather the ball and hold onto it.

Four minutes later, Hackney and Feeney worked the ball forward before Pyke rolled his man on the far side and brought the ball towards the area. His shot was blocked.

After 34 minutes, Matheson got his body in the way to block an incoming shot from range, with the ball going out for a corner to Crawley.

As the half wore on, chances became more at a premium and just before the half-time break, Burns coasted past Payne before playing in Feeney. He teed up for a first-time cross from the left which was cleared only as far as Grant, who sent an effort wide on the half volley.

At the beginning of the second period, Crawley were denied an effort on target as Jai Rowe threw himself at an incoming shot to see the ball over and out for a corner following a neat move from the home side.

With 56 minutes gone, the hosts had a tame penalty shout turned down, with the Iron breaking with Feeney. He looked to slot in Burns, with Morris off his line to clear.

Just a minute after, there was a superb save from Morris to deny a curling effort from Hackney from the edge of the box. The goalkeeper had already dived left, but somehow adjusted to push the ball over the bar. Nothing came from the corner though.

On the hour mark, Pyke was replaced by Nuttall up front for United.

The 67th minute saw a superb save by Watson as he sprawled low to his left to push away a low, powerful effort from Hutchinson as he latched onto a right-winged cross at the back post.

The Iron then cleared a corner and broke away with four Iron players bursting forward. Burns brought the ball a fair distance before looking to feed in Cribb, but the pass was intercepted.

Alfie Beestin came on for Burns with 74 minutes played, for Scunthorpe's second change of the afternoon.

On 77 minutes, his first real involvement saw him send in a cross from the right which just evaded the stretching legs of Nuttall, as home goalkeeper Morris gathered.

Two minutes later, Crawley wanted two penalties in a matter of moments. The first came from a cutback from the left, with Hackney sliding in perfectly in the first instance before Grant did well for the second, with both the correct decisions.

In the 81st minute, the ball fell to the home side's Archie Davies on the right side of the area, but Watson got down well to stop his effort.

With five minutes left, Matheson and Hackney combined for the latter to float in a cross. Delaney saw it over to Feeney, who met the ball on the volley, but the effort was blocked.

On 87 minutes, Matheson and Anthony Grant worked together with the latter clipping in Hackney. His low cross was turned out for a corner. From it, Nuttall towered above the rest from Feeney’s set-play, with the goal bound effort well saved by Morris.

Two minutes later, Nadesan was denied by Watson excellently at close range, with a powerful effort. There were three minutes of added time, but neither side could break the deadlock.

The Iron return to action next Saturday when they host Colchester United.

CRAWLEY: Morris, Lynch, Tunnicliffe, Craig, Tsaroulla, Powell (Davies, 63), Payne, Francomb, Ferry (Frost, 69), Hutchinson (Marshall, 84), Nadesan.

CRAWLEY SUBS: Seymour, Francilette, Gallacher.

IRON: Watson, Delaney, Taft, Pyke (Nuttall, 60), Rowe, Feeney, Hackney, Burns (Beestin, 74), Matheson, Grant, Cribb.

IRON SUBS: Collins, Onariase, Bunn, Moore-Billam, Lewis.

ATTENDANCE: TBC.