Scunthorpe United 1-0 Coventry City
Report from Glanford Park

Click here for a detailed minute-by-minute analysis from the game

The Iron recorded their first league win since mid-October when they defeated Coventry City in the front of the live Sky TV cameras on Sunday afternoon.

Gary Hooper's goal midway through the first half secured a fifth home league success of the season for Nigel Adkins' men.

The away team pushed for an equaliser in the second half but struggled to create much against a resolute United defence.

Scunthorpe made one change heading into the game, as boss Nigel Adkins decided to keep faith with most of the team which claimed a credible 1-1 draw with Leicester at Glanford Park a week earlier.

Martyn Woolford, who grabbed a last-gasp equaliser, has been put into the starting line-up in place of Sam Togwell.

Joe Murphy started in goal, with the defence consisting of Cliff Byrne, David Mirfin, Rob Jones and Marcus Williams.

Michael O'Connor, Josh Wright, Grant McCann and Woolford formed the midfield, while Paul Hayes partnered Hooper up front.

The substitutes were Josh Lillis, George Friend, Andrew Wright, Togwell, Matt Sparrow, Garry Thompson and Jonathan Forte.

Lining up in central midfield for Coventry was former on-loan midfielder Jack Cork.

It had rained heavily in the morning but the sun shone on the Glanford Park pitch as kick-off approached.

The hosts forced a corner in the opening few minutes, and Byrne forced a shot wide after a corner.

Then, soon after, Cork clipped the ball out for a corner, slicing the ball across goal, but nothing came of it for Scunthorpe.

In the 11th minute, Best raced past Jones and took on Mirfin before poking a shot straight at Murphy. Morrison, who was in plenty of space, was furious that his strike partner didn't pass the ball across to him.

Then moments later, Best was through again and as he rounded Murphy and tried to fire in, Mirfin blocked the ball, Murphy then got back to tip out the rebound for a corner.

There was a delay of over five minutes as Murphy received treatment after colliding his leg with the goalpost, and he was soon stretchered off and replaced by Josh Lillis. It was said in the tunnel though that he had only been brought off as a precaution after suffering bruising to the kneecap.

Joe Murphy is stretchered off in the first half.

And the former Grimsby loanee was called into action straight away, as McIndoe's subsequent corner was curled towards Lillis' near-post. The goalkeeper dropped it at first but managed to get hold the ball afterwards.

The visitors continued to push forward, and Morrison's shot drew a decent block from Lillis.

As the half progressed though Scunthorpe started to create more chances, with Kieren Westwood saving from McCann's free-kick and then being forced to tip out a Woolford header after good work from Hayes.

They finally went ahead on 30 minutes when Hayes and Hooper linked up superbly, playing a one-two, with Hayes playing through Hooper, who struck his seventh goal of the season past Westwood and into the back of the net.

Gary Hooper is congratulated on his goal by Martyn Woolford.

Michael O'Connor's free-kick drew a decent stop from Westwood in the first minute out of six in stoppage time, but after the goal not alot happened for the remainder of the half as the Iron went in ahead.

The Sky Blues did the pressing at the start of the second half but they were struggling to create any clearcut chances. They were also restricting the Iron's opportunties too, with both sides resorting to shots from range which were blocked.

Josh Lillis rises high to catch a Coventry corner in the second half.

Leon Barnett struck well over the crossbar on 70 minutes with the first shot on goal of the second period.

Hayes had the Iron's best chance of the second period in the 78th minute when he fizzed a low effort just wide of goal from the right.

Then, four minutes later, substitute Gary Madine fluffed over the crossbar following a scramble in the hosts' area. He should have done better with the shot, and Coventry would live to regret it.

The game was beginning to open up again towards the end, and O'Connor fired a thunderbolt just over the crossbar a minute later.

The visitors kept pushing for a late leveller, but this meant Scunthorpe could break more and McCann struck over the crossbar with four minutes left. Madine then headed just wide of goal as Coleman's side continued to threaten.

There was a second Scunthorpe change a minute later as Thompson replaced Hooper.

Three minutes of added time were indicated, and the home team continued to live dangerously, seemingly inviting pressure from Coventry. They couldn't muster anything from it though and the Iron held on.

With seconds left, Hayes was replaced by Friend, but there was no more notable action as Scunthorpe claimed three vital points.

The Iron are next in action on Wednesday night when they visit Barnsley.

Attendance: 5,013 (350 away).

Iron Bar man of the match: Josh Wright.

Sponsors' man of the match: Gary Hooper.