Scunthorpe Utd 2-2 Forest Reserves

Forest manager Billy Davies handed control of team affairs today, over to his assistant Ned Kelly, whilst he watched and took notes from the stands. With no less than 8 changes to the team that beat Plymouth Argyle the previous week, they managed to get a 2-2 draw, secure a 3rd place finish for the season and a semi final playoff meeting with Blackpool.

It wasn’t the best of starts from the lads today, with them all over the place for the first 10 minutes. After that slightly dodgy start though, they began to get their act together and took control of the game. The Forest backroom staff will be taking plenty of positives out of a game that saw them race into a 2 goal lead and despite throwing it away, will have been pleased with the performance from some of the fringe players.

Forest took the lead on 17 minutes, when on loan striker George Boyd played a great ball through to Joe Garner, who hit a shot past keeper Lillis and into the net. The rest of the half was all Forest and they doubled their lead on 43 minutes, with a great strike from Boyd. Some great passing between the players, finished with McGoldrick planting the ball in the way of Boyd to hit an unstoppable shot into the Irons goal.

2-0 at the break and no less than the lads deserved. Players such as Garner and Boyd will have given the manager plenty to think about with their first half displays and may have given him something of a selection headache ahead of the vital 2 games coming up with Blackpool.

Scunthorpe were a much better side in the second half and fair play to them for making what was an otherwise non event, into a meaningful game of football. The home sides improvement and hard work, was rewarded when Niall Canavan hit the ball home from 6 yards out.

A mistake by substitute Garath McCleary, saw him gift the ball to the home side in the middle of his own half. Thompson then hit a great shot that left stand in keeper Paul Smith no chance, to draw the Iron level.

The result brings an end to an unbelievable season for the club and supporters alike. We’ve gone from relegation fodder to promotion contenders in less than a year and thanks to manager Billy Davies and his backroom staff, we have a genuine chance of gaining promotion this season. There are of course two very important matches to play before we can even think about that, but for now we should enjoy what has been a very enjoyable season watching some of the best football we’ve seen in years. Well done NFFC and well done Billy Davies.