THE IRON BOTTOM OF THE PACK - LATEST ON THE DROP ZONE IN NON-LEAGUE'S TOP DIVISION

TABLE COURTESY OF footballwebpages.co.uk

Scunthorpe United are currently bottom of The Vanarama National League with just three wins from their twenty-three games played. They started the season with Keith Hill in charge who had been appointed in November 2021. The former Rochdale boss left the club at the end of August and was replaced by Tony Daws as Interim Manager who recently stepped down from the role at the end of November. Daws has returned to his role as Academy Manager with former Hartlepool United player Michael Nelson stepped up from Assisting Daws to be Interim Manager. 

There has been some cause for celebration and some optimism recently with new ownership taking over The Iron - A local group headed by Simon Elliott and Ian Sharp, who are very popular with the fans at Blandford Park, brough the club from the former owner at the beginning of the month. 

Their next three games couldn't get any tougher with an Isuzu FA Trophy tie at Wrexham scheduled for Saturday followed by two games over title challenger's Chesterfield over Christmas and New Year. 

They are without a win in eight league games with their last victory being a 3-1 home victory over fellow struggler's Gateshead on Tuesday 25th October. 

The Heed, promoted as Vanarama National North Champions last season, are just above Scunthorpe United with three wins from twenty-two games. 

They are missing the fire-power of Macaulay Langstaff who scored 32 times for the club in their title winning season. The former Billingham Synthonia and Blyth Spartans striker moved to Notts County over the summer and is now the hottest property in non-league football scoring 21 times for The Magpies this season. 

The other teams currently in the relegation zone are Torquay United and Oldham Athletic. 

The Latics changed their manager in September with former Everton player David Unsworth taking over from John Sheridan. Gary Johnson has been in charge of The Gulls since September 2018. 

Maidstone United, Yeovil Town, Aldershot Town, Maidenhead United and York City make up the sides currently hovering above the drop zone. 

Maidstone United on twenty-one points from twenty-four games look the most in danger of slipping down into the bottom four - they were 1-2 up at Dorking Wanderers last night only for the home side to scored on 90 mins and 90+5 mins to take the all important three points. 

GRAPH SHOWING NUMBER OF WINS IN LAST SIX GAMES FOR TEAMS CURRENTLY IN THE BOTTOM NINE

SCUNTHORPE UNITED WINS (3) 

Sat 6th Aug - YEOVIL TOWN W 2-1 

Sat 24th Sep - DORKING WANDERERS W 3-2 

Tue 25th Oct - GATESHEAD W 3-1 

GATESHEAD WINS (3) 

Sat 3rd Sep - MAIDSTONE UNITED W 4-1 

Sat 24th Sep - Maidenhead United W 1-0 

Sat 19th Nov - SOUTHEND UNITED W 3-1 

TORQUAY UNITED (4) 

Sat 13th Aug - FC Halifax Town W 1-0 

Sat 3rd Sep - Southend United W 2-1 

Tue 1st Nov - ALDERSHOT TOWN W 6-1 

Sat 3rd Dec - Dagenham & Redbridge W 1-0 

OLDHAM ATHLETIC WINS (5) 

Sat 13th Aug - DORKING WANDERERS W 3-2 

Fri 26th Aug - ALDERSHOT TOWN W 2-1 

Sat 17th Sep - EASTLEIGH W 3-2 

Sat 22nd Oct - YEOVIL TOWN W 2-0 

Sun 11th Dec - TORQUAY UNITED W 3-2