Pre-season match #6
Wednesday 26 July 2017, kick-off 7.45pm
Scunthorpe United
Glanford Park
Five down, two go to.
Sunderland’s preparations for the Sky Bet Championship season continue on Wednesday 26 July as they travel to Scunthorpe United.
Here’s an all you need to know guide on who the EFL League One side are and who is worth looking out for…
- How do Bury shape up?
- What can we expect from Neil Lennon’s Hibs side?
- Recharged Livingston on the rise
- Get to know St Johnstone…
How they fared last season?
Four days after travelling to Bradford City, Sunderland head to Glanford Park to face another League One promotion chasing side. Scunthorpe United enjoyed a largely successful season but one that ended in play-off heartache as Millwall advanced to the Championship. The Iron’s finished third, four points behind automatically promoted Bolton Wanderers. Graham Alexander’s side did well to keep close taps on Bolton all season but a sluggish final two games, which saw them collect just one point, saw the Macron Stadium club pull clear.
Key performers
Three players in Scunthorpe’s side scored 10 or more goals last season, amounting to them scoring the second highest amount of goals behind league-leaders Sheffield United. Alexander’s side struck 80 times in total, with Josh Morris netting 20 and contributing a further 17 assists – meaning he played a role in almost half the Iron’s goals. Kevin van Veen, meanwhile, proved his worth with 12 goals despite playing almost half the game time (2389 minutes) as Morris. Providing seven assists as well, the 26-year-old’s contribution was a really effective one last term. Paddy Madden also caught the eye last season, adding 11 goals to Scunthorpe’s tally while playing just 200 more minutes than van Veen.
The manager, Graham Alexander
The former Burnley player became Scunthorpe’s manager in March 2016 and took over club while 13th in League One. In Alexander’s first full season in charge of the Iron’s he has inspired a promotion push with then missing out on the automatic placed by just four points. Alexander’s side finished third, level on points with his former club Fleetwood Town who, like Scunthorpe, failed in their play-off bid.
Last time at Glanford Park – Scunthorpe United 2-1 Sunderland (1987, Emirates FA Cup Round Two)