United were defeated 2-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Glanford Park.

An impressive attacking display from the visitors, plus a few wasted chances from the Iron, resulted in a victory for Mick McCarthy's side.

David Edwards opened the scoring on eight minutes, and then Sylvain Ebanks-Blake sealed the success fifty seconds into the second-half.

Scunthorpe had enough opportunities to take something from the game, but lacked that decisive cutting edge in the final third.

This defeat leaves them still sitting in the bottom three of the Championship.

Ahead of the game, home manager Nigel Adkins chose to make no alterations from the team that were narrowly defeated by Southampton at St Mary's a week earlier.

Joe Murphy remained in goal, with Cliff Byrne, Andy Crosby, Shelton Martis and Marcus Williams starting in defence.

The midfield consisted of Matt Sparrow, Jack Cork, Ian Morris and Kevan Hurst, while Paul Hayes and Martin Paterson started the match in attack.

New signings Grant McCann and Ben May featured on the substitutes' bench, while Jonathan Forte and Josh Lillis were also there - in addition to Andy Butler, who had recovered from a fractured metatarsal.

Former Iron forward Andy Keogh started in attack for the Molineux club

United entered the game sitting 23rd in the division but were hopeful of victory over a Wolves side who had not won in eight matches.

Scunthorpe had gone four months since their last home win and were well aware that one needed to come soon if they were to climb out of the Championship drop-zone.

The away team did the early pressing, winning a corner inside the first minute, and it was Stephen Elliott who lashed an effort over the crossbar from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Matt Jarvis then had a low drive from the edge of the 18-yard box saved by Murphy down to his right after good play between him and Keogh, who had received a warm reception from the Scunthorpe faithful.

Jarvis then had a cross-cum-shot caught by Murphy as they registered their third effort on goal inside five minutes.

The visitors then went ahead on eight minutes through David Edwards, signed from Luton this wee - who received Keogh's pass to turn and fire a shot past Murphy, which crept in at his bottom left-hand post. A great start from the away team and not an ideal one for Scunthorpe.

That lead was very nearly doubled when Ebanks-Blake combined with Jarvis and curled a shot inches wide of the Iron goalkeeper's left-hand post.

The home team had their first chance of the afternoon when Byrne was fed on the right by Paterson and sent a cross in for Hayes who headed over the crossbar.

Scunthorpe then had a brilliant chance to level on 16 minutes when Morris crossed into the box from the left and Crosby sliced his volley wide of goal from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

Morris then missed the goal by a whisker, after being teed up by Sparrow, and firing narrowly wide of Wayne Hennessey's bottom left-hand post from the left of the penalty area.

It was an all-action affair, and Keogh had the next chance for the visitors when he received a pass from Kevin Foley and curled in a strike which Murphy saved.

Sparrow was next to register a shot on goal for the Iron, but his low strike from the right angle of the 18-yard box was easily handled by Hennessey.

Hayes had a similar effort on 27 minutes after being played through by Cork and driving forward, but his weak effort was saved again by the Wolves 'stopper.

Next to weave his way into possession to create a chance on goal was Paterson, who advanced from the left to flash his effort over the crossbar.

Ebanks-Blake had two chances for the visitors around the half-hour mark. Murphy had to tip his header over the crossbar and then, from the subsequent corner, he hooked an effort wide.

The hosts had another opportunity to equalise on 32 minutes when Paterson got on the end of a Hayes flick-on to volley a shot just wide of the target.

Like against Preston and Southampton over the past two weeks, the Iron created chances but were not putting them away.

Keogh had a fantastic opportunity to get another Wolves goal, with the goal at his mercy after a cross was only tipped out as far as him, but Byrne pulled off a superb block to stop a certain goal.

With a minute of the first-half remaining, Hayes had a shot tipped out by Hennessey after finding space inside the 18-yard box following Hurst's pass. It would prove to be the final chance of the opening half and, perhaps, a significant moment in the game.

The visitors started the second period in superb fashion, with Ebanks-Blake latching on to a throughball by Edwards to advance on goal dink the ball over Murphy. That is why boss Mick McCarthy paid £1.3 million for him last week, and it was the second goal the former Plymouth man has netted against Scunthorpe this season.

Iron manager Nigel Adkins made a quick change, with Forte replacing Hurst to add more power up front.

United's first chance of the second period came moments later when Martis sent a volley over the crossbar at the far post after getting on the end of a free-kick from Morris.

Scunthorpe made a double substitution on 55 minutes with new signings May and McCann replacing Hayes and Byrne.

And it was the latter substitute who had the host's next chance, with a drilled effort from the edge of the area which Hennessey saved well down to his right.

Cork then struck a shot just wide after Wolves failed to clear their lines, as United tried to get back into a match which the visitors had done a good job of closing.

Keogh stabbed an effort over the crossbar for Mick McCarthy's men following good work from Elliott, as did Foley after the Iron defence failed to clear a free-kick.

Paterson curled in a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box but it was easily caught by Hennessey. Then Morris fired in a low effort from 30 yards which he clutched well.

Ebanks-Blake had a great chance to add a gloss to the scoreline but drove just wide of goal.

May struck an effort wide of goal from just inside the penalty area but it went wide of Hennessey's bottom right-hand post and epitomised his side's luck in front of goal this afternoon.

It proved to be the final chance of the game as the visitors ran out two goal winners - leaving the long wait for a home success to last that little longer.

Scunthorpe are next in action a week on Saturday when they visit Burnley.

Sponsors' man of the match: Jack Cork.