Two former football league sides meet in the National League North Playoffs Semi-Finals as Scunthorpe host Boston United in front of a bumper crowd.
It has been a couple of years of turmoil for the Iron. After back-to-back relegations have seen Scunthorpe drop down to the National League North, they have the chance to right a wrong at the first time of asking in the playoffs.
Scunny went into the season as heavy favourites for the title. However, Tamworth surged to a surprise title, finishing eight points ahead of Jimmy Dean's side.
It was perhaps their away form that cost Scunthorpe, only picking up 36 points on their travels, compared to a league-high 52 at home. At Glanford Park, The Iron scored 52 and conceded just 15, dominating most teams that made the journey to Lincolnshire.
Scunthorpe are far too big for this level, with the 7,500 tickets sold thus far evidence of that.
Scunthorpe spent big in the summer as they looked to bounce back to the National League. One of the players who dropped down a level to sign for the Iron was Danny Whitehall, who had recorded back-to-back double-digit hauls for Eastleigh in the National League. The 28-year-old has scored 21 goals this season and will be crucial if Scunthorpe are to break down a resilient Boston side.
Boston United ended the season with back-to-back away wins and clean sheets to sneak into the playoff by just one point. Ian Culverhouse's side were tight at the back, with only the top three and Chester conceding fewer goals. The goalscoring exploits of Jimmy Knowles (17 goals) and Kelsey Mooney (16 goals) also helped squeeze the Pilgrims into the playoffs.
Their away form was amongst the best in the league, accumulating 32 points from 23 games. A disappointing 2022/2023 campaign saw Boston finish 15th, 12 points off the playoffs and just seven clear of relegation. Culverhouse has reversed the sides' fortunes, building a balanced, young squad and one that has been competing at the top end of the table.
The Pilgrims epitomised the endeavour and grit that Culverhouse has implemented in his side, battling to a 0-0 draw after a gruelling 120 minutes at Alfreton, before edging the hosts on penalties.
You couldn't separate the two sides in the meetings this season. Late Boston United equalisers in both games saw both end as draws.
Boston United will be backed with a large away following, with the Pilgrims selling out their 1,522 allocation.
The 23-year-old was signed in the summer from Kettering and has scored 17 league goals, placing him joint fourth (with Jordan Thewlis) in the top scorer charts. A hattrick away at Chorley has been cited as the catalyst for Boston United's late-season charge.
Scunthorpe were relentless at home, boasting the best record in the league. Jimmy Dean's side scored 52 home goals and recorded 52 points. They won their last four games of the season so have built real momentum heading into the playoffs.
Prediction: Scunthorpe -0.5, -1.0 @1.875
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