Scunthorpe United continued their impressive start to the National League season with a dominant 3-1 victory over Woking at the Attis Arena. The Iron’s clinical finishing and tactical awareness proved too much for a Woking side that struggled to gain a foothold in the match.
The first half was firmly controlled by Scunthorpe. Declan Howe opened the scoring in the 16th minute, setting the stage for a confident display. Howe then doubled the lead in the 24th minute, with Daniel Whitehall providing the assist. Woking struggled to contain Scunthorpe’s attacking threat, as the home side dictated the tempo and created a series of opportunities. The visitors appeared disjointed in midfield and had difficulty supplying their forward players effectively.
Woking manager Neal Ardley sought to revitalise his team at half-time, making two substitutions: Josh Osude and Jack Turner were brought on to inject energy and creativity.
However, Scunthorpe maintained their pressure in the second half. Daniel Whitehall extended their lead in the 69th minute, assisted by Callum Roberts. Scunthorpe then made their first substitution, replacing Oliver Ewing with Kian Scales in the 63rd minute. Shortly after, Howe, having already scored twice, was replaced by Carlton Ubaezuonu. Woking also made changes in the 75th minute, introducing Matt Ward and Olatunji Akinola in an attempt to salvage something from the game. Scunthorpe then brought on Billy Chadwick and Tyler Denton, replacing Roberts and Whitehall respectively, to further solidify their advantage.
Woking managed to pull a goal back in the 82nd minute through Jack Turner, but it proved to be a consolation. Scunthorpe remained resolute in defence, preventing Woking from creating any further opportunities to narrow the deficit. Further substitutions saw Scunthorpe replace Alfie Beestin with Mark Beck, while Woking brought on Inih Effiong in place of Oliver Sanderson.
The match also saw a number of yellow cards issued. Oliver Ewing was cautioned for Scunthorpe in the 44th minute, followed by Joe Rowley in the 58th minute. For Woking, Josh Osude was booked in the 68th minute, and Chinwike Okoli in the 71st minute.
With this victory, Scunthorpe United maintain a strong position near the top of the National League table, demonstrating their promotion credentials early in the season. Woking, on the other hand, will need to regroup quickly after this disappointing result.