Two wonder goals clinched a massive win for the Iron against fellow strugglers Coventry City.

Martin Paterson gave Scunthorpe the lead on 15 minutes, taking advantage of the space given to him by the Sky Blues' defenders to curl home his 14th, and best, goal of the season.

The visitors soon levelled from the penalty spot through Kevin Thornton, but the North Lincolnshire side were always in control.

United then won the game through Jack Cork's angled effort from the right flank on 66 minutes. It was his second goal of the campaign, and both have come against Coventry.

This result means the Iron are now two points away from safety after climbing off the bottom of the Championship.

There were three changes from the team that drew at home to Southampton last week, with Geoff Horsfield (hamstring injury), Matt Sparrow (three-match suspension) and Andy Butler (one-game ban) sitting out.

Coming in were Ben May, Grant McCann and Izzy Iriekpen as manager Nigel Adkins shuffled his pack.

And it was May who had the first chance of the match on two minutes. Paterson won the ball on the right, attacking towards the Study United stand, and sent a low cross into the box which the former Millwall forward fired over the crossbar from 12 yards.

They were attacking with intent, and Paterson tested Coventry stopper Andy Marshall with a header from ten yards on five minutes, He got on the end of a cross by Ian Morris from the left to direct a looping header towards the goal, which the goalkeeper got both hands to.

It was a lively start from a Scunthorpe side desperate for a win to put them on course for survival once more, and they were to take a deserved lead on 15 minutes when Paterson chested down a long ball forward from Andy Crosby, and turned his man to run forward and curl his effort into the top corner, past the despairing dive of Marshall in front of a jubilant Doncaster Road end.

The lead was shortlived though, as the Sky Blues won a penalty six minutes later. Thornton went down under a challenge from Marcus Williams in the penalty area.

The Irishman stepped up to take the subsequent penalty and sent Iron goalkeeper Joe Murphy the wrong way to level the score.

It was a blow to lose the lead so quickly for United, and the fans voiced their disapproval at the officials.

The hosts had their next chance on 30 minutes when a McCann corner was only cleared as far as Ian Morris, who smashed in a low shot from just inside the 18-yard box which was cleared off the goal-line by Jay Tabb's lunge.

While it was quite an end-to-end half there were few real opportunities for either side, barring the goals.

The final opportunity of the half came the Iron's way on 44 minutes when Crosby headed over the crossbar from a McCann corner taken on the left-flank.

The visitors had more possession in the opening period, but it was United who were getting the shots in.

The Iron were handed their first chance of the second half on 52 minutes when Marshall's poor goal kick fell to the feet of Paterson, who sent May racing through. The Coventry keeper got to the ball ahead of him though and halted a promising move from the home side.

The visitors had their best chance of the match so far from normal play three minutes later when Julian Gray received the ball on the left-hand side of the penalty area and curled his angled effort just wide of Murphy's top left upright.

It was a very stop-start second period, with Coventry's indiscipline occupying referee Steve Bratt the most. They received four bookings, and Leon Best got away with just a yellow card after a bad challenge on Jack Hobbs.

The game was pretty even, although Scunthorpe were trying to force it more, and they were rewarded on 66 minutes when Cork curled the ball past Marshall from an acute angle.

The on-loan Chelsea star won the ball on the right-hand side of the 18-yard box and took the ball wide before firing the ball across goal and into the roof of the net. Was it a cross? Or was it a shot? Only he will know, but who cares? It could have proved to be a pivotal moment in United's season. Their luck has been in out in recent months and they were certainly due some.

Cork had a great chance to double the lead seven minutes later, but his effort on the right-hand side of the penalty area - after Morris' cross from the left - was volleyed wide of Marshall's near post.

The away team pushed forward but an equaliser looked very unlikely, with the hosts restricting them.

There were four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game, and Coventry keeper Marshall came up for a corner, but they created nothing and the Iron were deserved winners.

This result means United can go into next week's Humber derby at Hull City full of belief that they can still survive.

Iron Bar man of the match: Izzy Iriekpen.

Sponsors' man of the match: Jack Cork.

Attendance: 5,866 (886 away).