Leicester City 5-1 Scunthorpe United
Report from the Walkers Stadium

Matchday Live - Table - Results

The Iron were thumped 5-1 at Leicester City on Saturday.

Michael Morrison headed the Foxes ahead early on, with Paul Gallagher (hat-trick) and Martyn Waghorn also notching.

The hosts were four goals ahead at the interval and although Sam Togwell pulled a goal back, it wasn't good enough from United.

In an attempt to halt their recent slide towards the relegation zone, by preventing a third consecutive defeat, Nigel Adkins made four changes from midweek ahead of the game.

Added to the starting eleven were Paul Hayes, Grant McCann and Marcus Williams. Michael Raynes was also included at right-back, as he made his first appearance in the claret and blue of Scunthorpe. Yet for every player drafted in; one has to be erased out. Matt Sparrow and Donal McDermott were the two fit yet unfortunate players who fitted that descripton for the Iron. Meanwhile, Cliff Byrne was out via suspension; and Brendan Moloney was gone, having returned to parent club Nottingham Forest during the week, after picking up a nasty ligament injury.

By contrast, Leicester lined up with a squad that didn't include potent striker Matty Fryatt, who was injured, in what could only be seen as a fantastic piece of news for Scunthorpe United. Instead, Leicester had to rely upon less lethal alternatives to provide them with the goals. At the other end, they had former Iron loanee Jack Hobbs in defence to help keep Hayes, Hooper and co. out.

But if the win over Newcastle back in December was the shining light in United's season so-far, then this afternoon visit to the Walker's Stadium was set to develop into the darkest and lowest point of it. Leicester City were at it from the offset; as Scunthorpe solemnly surrendered to allow a frenzied annihilation from the Foxes to proceed.

The match commenced in a bright manner, providing a direct contrast to the dark and overcast sky looming large over the stadium. It was Leicester who went on the attack first, but United soon captured the ball, and within seconds of seizing possession Gary Hooper had a shot saved. Chris Weale could only turn it behind, however, and the corner which United consequently won catalysed the away fans into voice.

Within minutes, the whole ground was bouncing. It's just a shame that since it was an away match that that meant Leicester were the team who had broken the deadlock and taken the lead, within scarcely six minutes. A free-kick was edged into the area, and despite United's sizeable aerial presence, Michael Morrison got onto it and fired a darting header past Joe Murphy. Grant McCann curled a retaliatory effort outside the post soon after, but as the early moments of play ticked away, nobody could deny that the hosts had taken a foothold in this important Championship game.

They duly doubled their lead as the clock hit fifteen with a clockwork goal. Captain Matt Oakley got the move going in midfield, as he slotted the ball to Bruno Berner. Berner kept it ticking over by lifting it to Paul Gallagher; and he struck home from just inside the area, via an untimely deflection off Rob Jones.

Just like in the aftermath of the first Leicester goal Scunthorpe responded by flurrying forward. Just like in the aftermath of the first Leicester goal Scunthorpe soon got an effort on-goal themselves. Just like in the aftermath of the first Leicester goal, Scunthorpe's subsequent effort didn't go in. In fact, the only positive thing about United's counter-reaction was the fact that Rob Jones at least forced Chris Weale into a save with his dipping header.

The third came about ten minutes later. Damage limitation then became Scunthorpe's new objective. Leicester won a free-kick when Michael Raynes fouled Lloyd Dyer on the area's edge, and Gallagher doubled his money from the dead-ball situation that arose by curling a shot around the wall and into the bottom of the net. It nearly got worse four minutes later when Martyn Waghorn got in-behind the Scunthorpe defence and smacked a half-volley almost lazily wide of the goal, such was the margin.

But that was just a temporary let off. An increase in the margin was imminent. With half-time not even close, United had thoroughly capitulated, and were playing somewhat worse than they had done in what Nigel Adkins had branded as their "worst" performance of the season, at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the campaign. The next goal, to make it 4-0, came when Martyn Waghorn repented for his sinful volleyed miss minutes earlier: The visiting defence only managed to partially clear a cross, and the likeable Geordie easily turned it home. Like a sign from Heaven, the rain then came.

Michael O'Connor had United's next attempt, although it was following a prolonged spell of Leicester possession. He did well to steal the ball in midfield, and was applauded even by the Foxes faithful for getting a long-range shot away at goal in circumstances of little support. The whistle for the break was blown not so long afterwards, but it must have come as a bit of a bittersweet moment for the Scunthorpe players. It represented a respite from the game; but must also have signalled the commencement of one almighty shouting-at from Nigel Adkins.

When the game got going again (with Scunthorpe surprisingly fielding the same eleven that ended the first period) it was United worked the first opportunity of the half - in the fifty-second minute. And in all fairness, in the maiden minutes following the break, Scunthorpe had played football, and were deserving of their break, after showing the Leicester fans that that they're not nearly as bad as the first half may have suggested. Unfortunately, however, when a Leicester defensive mix-up gave Grant McCann the ball and an open goal to shoot it at (albeit from long range), he instead hit it through for Gary Hooper, who was five-yards offside, meaning the chance was wasted.

Better came soon afterwards though, as Paul Hayes indirectly assisted the goal that edged United onto the potential road to redemption. The talismanic striker got the ball in the box, and shot. It was one of those efforts that could've gone anywhere, but this time, it fell for/hit Sam Togwell, who turned home before celebrating mutely. Scunthorpe then continued to press in the following few minutes, looking like a rejuvenated team; but for all their huffing, puffing and possession, failed to locate another goal.

And we all know that football is the cruellest of games, so it came as no surprise when United were made to pay for the way that they failed to utilise their possession. Instead, when the net bulged again, Leicester had obtained a hat-trick-hero; rather than Scunthorpe narrowing the gulf in the score a little further. Paul Gallagher's cheeky lob caught everyone off their guard, and dropped into the net with surprising precision. That was the killer blow that neutralised the Iron once and for all. It was also the sucker-punch - coming during a period of relative productivity from Scunthorpe.

The goal had a subsidiary effect too. It injected an amp or two of electric right back into the crowd, leading to a surge in decibel level. This transformed over into actions too, and as a Mexican Wave channelled around the stadium the blue players on the pitch responded to the growing atmosphere by raising their game yet again. Once again, United were living on the edge, as Paul Gallagher somehow clipped the ball wide of a semi-open goal from twenty yards as cries of "we want six" erupted.

Nobby Solano, the former Newcastle and Aston Villa player, was the only Leicester City player who ever actually came close to actually making that wish come true for the home crowd, however. His team won a free-kick in a great position, and although he placed it on target, Joe Murphy prevented United's 'goals against' column from taking a further hit.

Chances were few and far between from then on. Gary Hooper did touch the ball in the box once or twice more, but was crowded out by a sea of blue shirted players on each occasion. And to be honest, when the whistle, at last, came, it was probably the Iron's players and supporters who were the happier to hear it: they were put out of their misery and placed safely into the knowledge that their team had taken a beating by just four goals on a bleak afternoon when they could easily have lost by more.

Attendance: 21,626 (500 away approx).