Scunthorpe are back at the top of League One following a superb 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers on Friday night.

Grant McCann's free-kick gave the North Lincolnshire side a lead from a tight and tense first half just before half-time.

Ricky Lambert's diving header levelled things for the hosts but captain Izzy Iriekpen guided home the winner for the Iron five minutes later.

And they managed to hold on to their lead, as they passed Leicester and moved two points clear at the top of the division.

United made one change from the side that won in the FA Cup at Walsall last week. On-loan defender Krystian Pearce, who was unavailable due to his parent club Birmingham City not allowing him to play in the cup, was chosen at left-back at the expense of Michael Lea as he looked to combat the serious threat posed by Bristol Rovers at set pieces.

Marcus Williams was tipped to return to the side after illness prior to the match but manager Nigel Adkins confirmed on Friday night that he had picked up an ankle knock in training. Joe Murphy started in goal, with Cliff Byrne, Izzy Iriekpen, David Mirfin and Pearce forming the defence. The midfield was Matt Sparrow, Sam Togwell, Grant McCann and Martyn Woolford, while Gary Hooper partnered Paul Hayes up front.

The home team had the first attack of the game when Craig Disley fired wide with a right-footed effort from just outside the penalty area that went just wide of Murphy's goal.

Scunthorpe were quick to respond, though, and Byrne managed to combine well with Hayes and the latter narrowly missed out on the former's cross as the away side looked for some early momentum.

The hosts thought they had gone ahead on 10 minutes when former Lincoln man Jeff Hughes lobbed the advancing Murphy. However, Togwell was there to head the ball of the line as United cleaned up at the back.

Sparrow had a chance shortly after for the visitors, as his effort from range flashed just past the post following a clearance from Mirfin's free-kick.

Chances were limited in the opening stages at a rainy Memorial Stadium, with the home team perhaps being the more dominant despite still not creating too much.

30 minutes in, Woolford had the best opportunity of the night so far when his low effort was tipped on to the post by Rovers 'keeper Steve Phillips.

Then, immediately after, Ricky Lambert's free-kick from distance rocketed back into play off the Iron crossbar.

It was the visitors who finally went ahead 39 minutes in, though, when McCann's free-kick from the edge of the area took a deflection and beat Phillips in the home goal. It was his third strike of the campaign and was a strike that took United in ahead at half-time.

Iriekpen headed just over the crossbar from a McCann corner before the whistle but, that apart, there were no more openings in the first period.

The lively Lambert - the country's leading goalscorer - had the first chance of the second half when he forced Murphy to tip out his long-range effort for a corner.

Then, on 55 minutes, he found the equaliser for his team as he stooped low to guide a header past Murphy following Craig Disley's cross into the box for his 16th strike of the campaign.

Hooper, one of the division's other top marksmen, almost put Scunthorpe back ahead but he lashed his effort from six yards well over the crossbar.

United didn't rue it though and they went back ahead on 60 minutes when Hooper charged forward down the flank and thumped the ball across goal for Iriekpen, still forward from a previous free-kick, to slot past Phillips and put his team back ahead with his fourth of the season.

Five minutes later, he could have doubled his tally and the Iron's advantage as he headed over the crossbar from another excellent McCann set-piece.

With Pearce already booked, Togwell picked up Scunthorpe's second caution of the night and, in turn, his fifth booking of the season. He will miss next Saturday's match with Leicester as a result.

The visitors continued to be a danger on a break, but couldn't find that killer third goal. Meanwhile, the home team continued to push for an equaliser.

Ian Morris came on in place of a tired-looking Woolford as Nigel Adkins injected some fresh legs into his midfield.

Murphy was forced into action on 80 minutes as he tipped out a shot from substitute Darryl Duffy, formerly of Hull, following an excellent cross from Aaron Lescott.

Bristol Rovers were pressing hard at this stage, however, and Scunthorpe desperately tried to hold on to the three points.

Garry Thompson came on for Hooper as the match reached the dying stages, and then Ben May replaced Hayes as the visitors successfully clung on for the win against an industrious Bristol Rovers side.

It was a tense finish, but the Iron clinched the victory and moved back to the top of League One.

Next Saturday's Glanford Park opponents Leicester will now be hoping to overhaul United on Saturday, but they need to overcome Swindon Town at the County Ground on Saturday.

Attendance: 7,173 (216 away).