Late Danny Whitehall penalty denies Needham Market first Varama National League North point as Scunthorpe United win at the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields

An 84th-minute penalty from Danny Whitehall denied Needham Market their first ever point in Step 2 as promotion-favourites Scunthorpe United claimed a 1-0 victory at the Ecologic Stadium Bloomfields on Tuesday night.

The Iron, who finished second in the Vanarama National League North last term following back-to-back relegations, had the better of the chances and struck the woodwork twice before they broke down a resolute Marketmen defence. Whitehall crashed the underside of the bar with a free kick in the first half, which fortuitously bounced off the boot of goalkeeper Marcus Garnham, and Sam Fishburn struck the inside of the post 13 minutes from time.

Following Whitehall’s spot kick, which Scunthorpe were awarded following a foul from Tevan Allen, the Marketmen came close to earning a point during second-half stoppage time.

After substitute Jamie McGrath saw his effort tipped round the post by Scott Fitzsimons, Adam Mills, who also came off the bench, rose highest from an Allen corner, but his header clipped the top of the crossbar.

Horlock showed two changes to the side that were denied a point at home to Southport on Saturday, as Seth Chambers, who was handed his first start of the season, and Jacob Lay replaced McGrath and Mills.

The visitors, who won their first two games of the campaign 3-0, started on the front foot and forced Garnham into action inside the first two minutes. Alfie Beestin drove towards the box before unleashing a low left-footed strike that the Needham shot stopper tipped round the post.

Garnham was tested again 10 minutes later when Brad Nicholson’s long throw was headed goalwards by Andrew Boyce, but his effort deflected comfortably into the palms of Needham’s number one.

Scunthorpe upped the ante and were awarded a free kick 27 yards from goal when Dan Morphew brought down Whitehall, who came a lick of paint away from breaking the deadlock. The visiting striker unleashed a curling effort that struck the underside of the crossbar, bounced down off Garnham’s right boot and out for a corner to the delight of a relieved Bloomfields. Minutes later, Ross Barrows guided a header just wide of the far post – again, Nicholson’s long throw the architect.

Needham had struggled to fashion an opening in the early stages and their first sight at goal came just before the half-hour mark. Kyle Hammond, who scored the Marketmen’s first ever goal in Step 2 on Saturday, almost recreated his strike from the weekend, but his free kick from the left corner of the penalty area curled just wide of Scott Fitzsimons’ far post.

Horlock’s side grew into the game, pressing Scunthorpe’s defence high up the pitch and stringing together some well-worked one-touch moves. Five minutes before the break, Luke Ingram picked up the ball on the right corner of the box before flashing an outside-of-the-boot delivery across goal that held too much power and evaded the arriving Chambers and Allen.

While the second period started quietly, Tommy Smith was alert to produce a goal-saving challenge that denied Whitehall the chance to break the deadlock just before the hour mark. Scunthorpe carved open the Needham defence with a free-flowing move that resulted in the ball finding the visiting striker inside the box, but before he could unleash an effort from point-blank range, Smith slid in and toe-poked the ball away from his boot.

The visitors continued to press in search of an opener. Nicholson unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the box on 70 minutes that Garnham batted away.

Horlock then rolled the dice with an attacking change as Mills replaced Chambers, who Needham had struggled to provide service to, and the substitute made an instant impact. Lay led a counter-attack following a failed Scunthorpe free kick and threaded a ball to Mills inside the box, but his left-footed strike was tipped round the near post by Fitzsimons.

The visiting shot stopper then made a more comfortable stop from a left-footed Ingram effort.

Having struck the woodwork in the first half, the Iron came inches away from making a breakthrough in the 76th minute. After a mistake from skipper Keiran Morphew, Fishburn clattered the inside of the near post with a venomous left-footed effort before Kelly saw a strike from the edge of the box parried away by Garnham.

And as much as Needham defended resolutely, the away side’s pressure eventually told six minutes from time. Referee Tommy Breen adjudged Allen to have brought down substitute Callum Roberts in the box, and Whitehall sent Garnham the wrong way from 12 yards, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Needham then had a host of chances to rescue a point following the break of the deadlock, but failed to find the back of the net. An inswinging corner was headed towards his own goal by Maxim Kouogun, but goalkeeper Fitzsimons spared his blushes, and then in five minutes of added time, substitute McGrath bared down on goal from the right before seeing his effort palmed away for a corner.

And from the resulting set piece, Mills towered above a crowd of bodies but his header clip to top of the crossbar.

Needham will go in search of their first point this season at Radcliffe on Saturday (3pm).

Needham Market: Garnham, Dye, K. Morphew (cpt), Hammond (McGrath 74’), D. Morphew, Smith, Ingram (Curtis 81), Chambers (Mills 71’), Lay, Allen, Hunter.

Unused substitutes: Jessup, Ashbourne.

Yellow cards: D. Morphew 70’)

Scunthorpe United: Fitzsimons, Nicholson, Kelly (Law 79’), Kougun, Bouce, Clunan (cpt), Beestin (Rowley 88’), Whitehall (Evans 85’), Brogan (Fishburn 70’), Scales, Barrows (Roberts 63’).

Yellow cards: Boyce (65’)

Attendance: 925

Suffolk News Man of the Match: Dan Morphew – strong in the tackle and battled well with a physical Scunthorpe attack.