The odds were stacked well against Stuart Gray’s men from the off and with Frank Fielding returning to Blackburn Rovers before the game there was more and more things in our way of recording a result at a ground that doesn’t hold a lot of great memories for the Cobblers.
Abdul Osman returned to the starting line up while Colin Larkin returned to the bench once again. Meanwhile, Leon Constantine won a place back in the starting eleven after missing out in last weekend’s home draw with Leyton Orient. Chris Dunn came in for the departing Fielding in goal but could have no idea of what was about to come flying his way as the Cobblers made a disastrous start to the game.
Izzy Iriekpen fired a warning shot early with a header that shot wide of the post before Scott McGleish shot wide at the other end from long range. But the home side did take the lead on thirteen minutes with the goal that would start an extraordinary afternoon. Martyn Woolford did well on the left hand side and crossed for Ben May to nip in to open the scoring.
Just six minutes later and the game was already to begin to look beyond the Cobblers when Scunthorpe took a two goal lead when Gary Hooper ran and shot from twenty five yards to unlease a fantastic strike that left Chris Dunn with no chance as it rattled into the top corner of his net. With Scunthorpe riding high in League One and the Cobblers with a poor away record, this looked over there and then.
But the first of many twists and turns was just around the corner and it came in the shape of Scott McGleish who halved the deficit as he rose at the back post to head home a Liam Davis cross and give the travelling support some hope. The action was fast paced and there always looked to be more goals in it but unfortunately for Stuart Gray, his job got harder before the break as Hooper beat a collection of Cobblers defenders on the line to head the ball in from close range.
The Cobblers tried in vain to get back into the game before the half time whistle and were a little unlucky to be going in two goals behind. Stuart Gray’s team talk had to be rousing but whatever he said didn’t work straight away as the home side made it 4-1 within minutes of the restart. Woolford sent in a shot that Chris Dunn parried but Ben May got his second of the game from the rebound.
The odds at the beginning of the game were now completely blown out of the water and lengthening by the second but Giles Coke found space in the area to finish low into the net after an Andy Todd free kick. There was still over half an hour to go but any sane Cobblers fan still could not even consider what was about to happen.
Five minutes after Coke’s goal, his second of the season, and incredibly it was 4-3 as Danny Jackman finished well from the edge of the area to set up a quite remarkable finale.
Ryan Gilligan came off the bench in place of Scott McGleish as we looked for the equaliser and Jason Crowe came agonisingly close to getting it with just over ten minutes to go as he sent in a shot from thirty yards that crashed off the cross bar and bounced onto the goal line before a Scunthorpe defender cleared.
But there was that final piece of luck, magic or skill, whichever way you look at it but whatever you call it, it was unbelievable. Danny Jackman stepped up to take a corner and connected well enough for the ball to fly into the net and send the away fans barmy after a stunning recovery. Scunthorpe could have snatched it at the death as Jackman made a goal line clearance as hearts were well and truly in mouths.
So after a magnificent game of football we’re left once again loving a sport that can stun you when you least expect it, leave you in a state of despair one minute and ten minutes later have you jumping for joy and run you through every emotion imaginable. There’s a few hundred Cobblers fans travelling back from Scunthorpe tonight that will remember this day for years to come even though the result won’t be the most significant in recent years.
Set the Sky Plus box/recorders for The Championship tomorrow morning...it’s one to keep!
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