Scunthorpe United 2-4 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Report from Glanford Park
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The Iron were defeated 4-2 by Premier League newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers in their final friendly of pre-season at Glanford Park on Tuesday night.
George Friend fired the visitors ahead with a deflected effort, but Kevan Hurst levelled five minutes before the break.
However, just moments later former Scunthorpe striker Andy Keogh struck to ensure Wolves went ahead at half-time.
Grant McCann equalised in style soon after, but Greg Halford notched the two winning goals for Wanderers.
Ian Morris, Michael O'Connor, Martyn Woolford and Matt Sparrow were all out of the side that lost 2-0 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
In their place came Marcus Williams, Sam Togwell, Hurst and Garry Thompson, as Scunthorpe gave a few more players a start ahead of the trip to Cardiff on Saturday.
Joe Murphy started in goal, while Andrew Wright, Cliff Byrne, Rob Jones and Williams, while Thompson, Togwell, McCann and Hurst formed the midfield. In attack were Paul Hayes and Ben May.
The substitutes' bench consisted of Gary Hooper, Jonathan Forte, Martyn Woolford, Michael O'Connor, Josh Wright, Josh Lillis, Niall Canavan, Ian Morris, Rory Coleman and Adam Boyes.
The first chance of the match arrived the Iron's way eight minutes in when Thompson cut inside and curled in an effort from the left which Marcus Hahnemann successfully tipped out.
There was an early change too as Niall Canavan came on for the injured Jones, who limped off the pitch and had an ice patch put on his groin seconds after coming off.
And the visitors soon went ahead when Friend struck home from in the box with a shot which sliced in off Williams.
Neither goalkeeper had been tested in the run-up to the goal, but it was the away team who had broken the deadlock.
The hosts had very nearly levelled when Hayes burst into the penalty box and the ball fell for McCann, whose shot was beaten away by Hahnemann.
Moments later, Thompson sped away with the ball from the halfway to the edge of the penalty area but his low drive was tipped out by the Wolves goalkeeper.
On 38 minutes, McCann sent a superb free kick spinning just wide of Hahnemann's bottom left-hand post as the hosts kept up their pursuit of an equaliser.
Just a minute later, the Iron levelled when Hurst slid home from the left. Togwell tried to get on the end of an excellent pass from Hayes, but couldn't quite reach it. The former Chesterfield man was there though to strike.
Nevertheless, Wolves went ahead in the 44th minute when Friend showed his class to play in Keogh, who craftilly clipped the ball past Murphy. It would prove the last real incident of the opening period.
There were a series of Scunthorpe changes at half-time, as Lillis, Josh Wright, Morris, Hooper and O'Connor replaced Murphy, Togwell, Williams, Hayes and May. There was a switch of formation to 4-3-3 and it worked instantly.
Hooper charged forward into the area and slid the ball into the area for McCann to slam home for the equaliser on 47 minutes.
On 58 minutes the Iron had the next chance of the night, as Hooper received the ball following McCann's corner and volleyed his effort just over the crossbar.
Wolves regained the lead in the 65th minute as substitute Halford headed home from a Jarvis free-kick.
McCann was brought off to be replaced by Boyes a short while after. It was a game devoid of many real chances and Woolford and Forte came on for Hurst and Thompson towards the closing stages to add something different going forward.
Opportunities continued to be restricted, however, and Wolves held on for the win, which Halford sealed on 85 minutes when he curled in a superb free-kick effort from 25 yards.
There was a late Iron chance as Canavan's header was blocked on the line after Josh Wright's corner and O'Connor's rebound was tipped wide, but they finished losing by two goals.
United's next game comes in the Championship on Saturday when they visit Cardiff City.
Sponsors' man of the match: Grant McCann.
Attendance: 2,143 (191 away).
