Slow, lethargic, in much need of an upgrade; I was in Scunthorpe to check out the new Pacer experience at Appleby Frodingham Railway.
The recently-retired trains, while still just about functional, are more suited to slow and trudging laps of the steelworks than use on the mainline. They were a fan favourite at one point, but as the saying goes, sticking a bus on a four-wheel freight-wagon-inspired underframe does not make you a viable long-term transport solution.
Similar whiffs of lethargy were in the air over at Glanford Park, where Rovers limped to an unimpressive 1-0 victory over local rivals in the FA Cup. Our four shots on target compared to their one was the difference, with the breakthrough coming on 38 minutes when Scunny’s Ryan Loft put into his own net.
Elsewhere, when chances did crop up, they never looked likely to be dispatched. Our best chance to double the lead fell to Brandon Horton who had time to steady himself in the box before firing at goal. Instead, he fumbled, took the strike on first time and actually hit it backwards, away from goal, summing up the afternoon’s game in one foul swoop.
Aidan Barlow showed a bit of spark after being subbed on, bringing a rare willingness to move the ball forward. In the end the spoils went to Rovers, who were marginally less shit than the team about to fall out of the Football League. Not much for the 1,366 travelling fans to cheer about.
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