Scunthorpe United welcome Hartlepool United to the Attis Arena on Saturday afternoon for a National League fixture between two sides looking to arrest difficult starts to the season. The Iron begin the weekend 22nd with seven points from nine matches, while Hartlepool sit 19th on nine points after a turbulent week at Victoria Park.
Scunthorpe arrive on the back of successive 1-0 and 2-1 defeats against Hornchurch and Boreham Wood respectively. Andy Butler’s side competed well in both matches but were unable to turn opportunities into points, with Ryan Inniss’s second-half goal proving decisive at Hornchurch last weekend.
The Iron have now lost four of their last five league matches, with their only victory during that sequence coming away at Sutton United. Scunthorpe produced an impressive 2-0 win at the VBS Community Stadium, but defeats against Carlisle United, Harrogate Town, Boreham Wood and Hornchurch have left them searching for greater consistency.
Hartlepool travel to North Lincolnshire following a significant change off the pitch. Lee Clark resigned as manager immediately after last weekend’s 3-1 home defeat to Worthing, bringing his four-month spell at Victoria Park to an end. Pools had fallen two goals behind before Will Harris reduced the deficit in the 77th minute, but Jose Marquez struck in stoppage time to secure the points for Worthing.
That result was Hartlepool’s third successive National League defeat. A 2-0 loss at Kidderminster was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Altrincham before Worthing left Victoria Park with all three points. Pools have lost four of their last five league matches, with a 1-0 home victory over Woking their only success during that period.
Goals have been particularly difficult to come by for Hartlepool. They have scored seven times in nine National League matches, compared with Scunthorpe’s 11, and have failed to score in four of their six league defeats. Defensively, however, Pools have conceded 11 goals, four fewer than Saturday’s hosts.
The sides met twice in the National League last season following Scunthorpe’s promotion from National League North. The Iron won 2-1 at Victoria Park on Boxing Day, with Callum Roberts scoring twice before Matty Daly pulled one back for Hartlepool. The return fixture at the Attis Arena in April ended goalless, leaving Scunthorpe unbeaten in the two league meetings.
Scunthorpe begin the weekend 22nd with seven points from nine matches after two wins, one draw and six defeats. They have scored 11 goals and conceded 15 for a goal difference of -4. Hartlepool sit 19th on nine points, having won three and lost six of their opening nine fixtures, with seven goals scored and 11 conceded.
Saturday’s contest therefore brings together two teams urgently searching for a change in momentum. Scunthorpe will be looking to end a two-match losing run and make home advantage count, while Hartlepool head into their first league fixture since Clark’s departure hoping to bring an end to three successive defeats.
