Chris Hargreaves saw his Yeovil Town fall to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Scunthorpe United in his first game in charge.
The Glovers were left to rue their poor first half, struggling to find their feet against the newly relegated opposition.
An improved second half saw Jamie Reckord pull a goal back, but ultimately it was Scunthorpe who took three points in our opening day clash.
In his first competitive game as Town manager, Hargreaves opted for a 3-5-2 formation. Grant Smith remained in goal, with Max Hunt, Morgan Williams and Ben Richards-Everton starting in defence.
Charlie Wakefield and Jamie Reckord operated on the flanks, whilst Josh Staunton, Sam Perry and Matt Worthington were in the middle of the park. Summer signings Alex Fisher and Malachi Linton began up front.
It was a frantic start to proceedings in North Lincolnshire, with chances falling for both sides. The most notable fell Yeovil’s way as Reckord dragged a shot wide after an excellent cross from Wakefield.
At the other end, Scunthorpe went close through former Eastleigh man Andrew Boyce, who headed narrowly wide of Smith’s goal with just over 10 minutes gone.
Not learning from their earlier mistakes, Boyce capitalised when he was given a second-headed opportunity, opening the scoring with 26 minutes gone.
Growing in confidence, Scunthorpe mounted wave after wave of attack, but Town held firm to keep the deficit at one.
Looking for a route back into the game, Wakefield had the Glovers’ best chance, dragging an effort wide from the right channel after an excellent pass from Linton.
At the break, it would be hard to argue against the fact the hosts deserved their lead, leaving Hargreaves’ men with room to improve in the second half.
The second half saw improvement in the early stages, with Wakefield given more freedom on the right flank, but in truth the Glovers did little to test Marcus Dewhurst in the Scunthorpe goal.
At the other end, Smith had very little to do, until the 60th minute when Jacob Butterfield was given room to drive through the Yeovil half and slam the ball beyond Smith to add their second.
Looking to turn the game on its head, Hargreaves made a change in system and personnel, switching to a 4-4-2 and swapping Perry for Sam Pearson.
The Bristol City loanee made an instant impact, looking a real threat down the left wing, and it was on the wing where Town found a lifeline. Some lovely build-up released Reckord for a first-time finish to reduce the advantage with just over 15 minutes to go.
With the wind in their sails, the Glovers were well on top and almost equalised after Worthington won the ball high up, but couldn’t find Fisher in the box.
In truth, Scunthorpe’s game management was thoroughly professional throughout the closing stages, frustrating Yeovil and limiting chances until the final whistle.
