Goals in stoppage time at the end of each half helped Scunthorpe to a 3-1 win over Harrogate at Glandford Park.
Unchanged Harrogate found themselves a goal down after only four minutes as “The Iron”made the better start.
Alex Gilliead made ground down the right and crossed for Ryan Loft to find Devarn Green,who shot past James Belshaw.
Town, with a strong breeze behind them, began to put Scunthorpe under pressure with a series of set pieces and both Aaron Martin and Josh March went close.
But on twenty-five minutes it looked as if Town had slipped further behind when Loft netted from close range, only for him to be denied by the linesman’s offside flag.
Seconds later, Town were level. As on Tuesday against Carlisle, Josh March was brought down in the penalty area and took the penalty himself, sending Mark Howard the wrong way with his coolly taken spot kick.
Town were in the ascendancy and a deflected Josh McPake effort narrowly missed the top corner.
Deep into stoppage time at the end of the half, Town were hit with a sucker punch when Loft raced on to a ball over the top leaving the defence in his wake to give Belshaw no chance.
Scunthorpe, with the elements in their favour, began to dominate possession and Town found chances hard to create. Although Howard did well to punch a George Thomson free kick away from the head of Will Smith.
A penetrative run from March ended with McPake shooting weakly at Howard and Simon Weaver brought on Mark Beck to give Town some more aerial power.
Some slick interpassing between Beck and McPake saw the latter drive his shot straight at Howard, but there was no way through for Town.
To rub salt into the wound, seconds before the final whistle, Kevin Van Veen squared the ball to sub, Lewis Spence, and he hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner from fully thirty yards to confirm the Iron’s victory..
Town,
Belshaw,Falkingham,Smith,Burrell,Thomson,Martin(Beck70),Hall,Francis,March,McPake,Power(Muldoon 88).
Unused subs,Lawlor,Kiernan,Kerry,Minter.
Scorer,March 27pen.
Scunthorpe United,
Howard,Clarke,Taft,Onariase(Bedeau 77),Gilliead,Loft(Hallam 84),Eisa,Brown,Green(Vav Veen 59),Beestin,Karacan(Spence 77).
Unused subs,Watson,Rowe,O’Malley.
Scorers,Green 4,Loft 45+3,Spence 90.
Booked Eisa.
Referee,John Busby
By John Harrison.
