By Chris Wright
Losing one goalkeeper to a broken arm before half-time is just plain unlucky. Losing two goalkeepers to broken arms before half-time? Well, that’s when you start straying into gypsy curse territory.
Sadly for Scunthorpe United, that’s exactly how the first 45 minutes of their League One clash against Bristol City panned out yesterday.
Firstly, Scunthorpe lost first-choice stopper Sam Slocombe after just eight minutes when he broke his arm attempting to punch a cross clear under pressure.
Slocombe was immediately replaced by his deputy, James Severn, who subsequently managed to last a further 34 minutes (conceding City’s opener from the penalty spot in the meanwhile) before suffering the exact same injury in a collision with burly Robins striker Matt Smith.
With both recognised ‘keepers now on their way to hospital, Scunny defender Andrew Boyce found himself stationed betwixt the sticks – matching his immediate predecessor by conceding just one single goal over the course of the entire second half as City ran out 2-0 winners.
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Scunthorpe boss Mark Robins was unsurprisingly a bit peeved at the afternoon’s events:
“We’ve lost two goalkeepers in this game to the same injury – broken arms under a challenge from one of their players.
“I’m just massively disappointed and I’m disappointed for them because they’ve broken their arms.
“I don’t know the full extent of the damage but it’s sufficient enough that I’m going to need at least one more goalkeeper.”
To be fair Mark, it’s not like your centre-half did a bad job.