This was a day that threw up a plethora of imponderables; how is a team that played as well as Scunthorpe did at Brantingham Park anchored to the bottom of the league? They produced a far better performance than several other teams Ionians have faced this season.
How can a side that had the better of play for sustained periods of the game fall to such a heavy defeat? It was by no means their greatest loss, perhaps that reflects a steady improvement.
Conversely, how can a team that played with such spirit and determination the previous week, against the league leaders, struggle to subdue the basement outfit this week?
Also, how is it that a group of people renowned for being dour, bordering on dismal, join together to have one of the best and most enjoyable afternoons seen at the club for quite some time? They looked to have drunk enough to drown several sorrows, I don't think they were drinking to the Chansellor's health. Well done the local farmers and Josh Wilson, who organised the day.
Lastly, why is the report getting later every week? Well, all I can say is Andy Burnham’s doing a great job as Manchester mayor and I am concentrating on keeping the cost of living down by writing the report for free. Also,Thank-you to John Dobson Ltd for the continued sponsorship of the website…

It was perhaps a shame that Ionians made such a flying start to the game. The first try came all too easily; Ionians took the ball into the Green’s 22 and Jack Townend shimmied his way over from 10 yards out. Ben Smith stoked over the conversion and the home side were 7-0 up inside two minutes.
Scunthorpe showed they weren’t here just to make up the numbers. Well directed by half-back pairing, Joe Mowbray and Ethan Taylor, the visitors worked their way up to the Ionians 22 and when Ionians were penalised at the scrum Scunthorpe capitalised, with Will Robinson coming off his wing to scythe his way through and under the posts to score. Will Dark tagged on the extra points to level the scores.
Nearly quarter of the game had gone before Ionians were able to re-take the lead. Ionians upped their efforts and some enterprising play had Scunthorpe back peddling. As they were pulled out of shape, Adam Brankley came galloping up on a diagonal run and cut through the midfield on a 30 yard charge for the line.
Undeterred by the setback, the south bank side set about Ionians with gusto. Mowbray picked out any number of willing runners to clatter into the Ionians defence. Although they made it over the line on a couple of occasions Scunthorpe were unable to ground the ball. This was due in part to the adjudged illegal intervention of Sam Pocklington (which resulted in a yellow card), but more to the work of the back row and Jamal Khalil in particular, who revelled in his infrequent role on the blind-side flank.
Right on half time the hosts sprang back into attacking action and added insult to injury, conjuring up a try for Cam Burnhill. A rampaging run from Townend created the gap for Burnhill to exploit and he sprinted in from 30 yards. Smith added the goal and Ionians headed for the changing rooms 19 – 7 in front.
Scunthorpe remained out in the fresh air which did them no harm at all. Within a minute of re-start they cut the arrears to five points when they made the most of a very poor clearance kick, direct from the kick-off, and Robinson went inside and outside of his markers to run in for Scunthorpe’s second try.
Ionians went straight to the other end from the kick-off and were awarded a scrum 10yards from the line. Brankley picked up from the base and broke up the blind-side, to be stopped just short. He had several colleagues in support and the athletically industrious Kobby Fofie was first there to dot down to claim the bonus point score. Smith converted to push the score along to 26 – 14.
Two minutes later Ionians had a fifth try. Townend produced another barnstorming break and again it was Burnhill who was the beneficiary, to run unmolested to the line. Smith stroked over the conversion and the hosts stood 33 – 14 to the good, with barely five minutes of the second half completed.
If one is to be honest, the annoying aspect of the home teams play could be best described as casual; this was probably best exemplified in a “what happened next” scenario. An Ionians put in at the scrum - and a strike against the head!!
The Scunthorpe front row will dine out on this rarest of events for the rest of the season, and rightly so, it just doesn’t happen in the modern game (more’s the pity, the put it is so blatant it can’t even be called crooked).
Ionians threw on their replacement props and it had an immediate impact, not for the good. One of them was penalised for side entry into a maul. Scunthorpe revived the forwards penalty move and drove over from 5 yards out, hooker Matt Mason making it a double celebration on the day.
With 25 minutes remaining Ionians quashed any thoughts the visitors had of an unlikely upset. A penalty for Ionians was drilled to the corner and following a good catch the forwards put on the drive and barrelled over for a try for Brankley.
Ten minutes later and Brankley claimed a hat-trick. He showed good a back-rower’s instincts, running on the shoulder of the ball carrier to take a pass and run clear from 30 yards out. James Watts completed the home sides scoring with the conversion, Ionians amassing 47 points to Scunthorpe’s 19.
To their credit Scunthorpe were not finished and that persistence earned a richly deserved bonus point just before the whistle. It was fitting that the Mowbray got the final try, reward for his energetic performance, when he sniped his way through a packed defence to slide over. Dark added the goal to leave a final score, 47 – 26.
Ionians now face teams placed second and third in the league. They will need to be much more diligent and clinical than they were on Saturday if they want anything from these matches, of course they can do it. See you at Corbridge.