United were beaten 2-0 at Eastleigh on Tuesday night.

The Iron named an unchanged team and substitutes' bench for the game.

With two minutes gone, Rob Apter and Joe Nuttall combined as the Iron mounted an early attack. Nuttall fed in Caolan Lavery on the right with the cutback to Nuttall inside the box taking a touch and ricocheting back off Nuttall and out for a goal kick.

Five minutes later, at the other end, Kgosi Ntlhe got his body in the way of a long range effort from JJ McKiernan, with the ball looping up towards goal. Marcus Dewhurst read it and prevented the corner.

Just after, there were appeals for offside as Tristan Abrahams got into the penalty area from a ball over the top. Andrew Boyce did well to tighten the angle and force Abrahams’ effort to be rolled wide.

Then, in the 12th minute, Ntlhe blocked a shot from 18 yards by Charlie Carter before a right-winged cross was headed away by Boyce. The hosts came again, with a powerful header from outside the box skipping up off the surface, but it was well handed by Dewhurst.

Five minutes later, McKiernan slipped as he was teed up 20-yards from goal, resultantly cueing his effort wide of the target.

There was then superb play by Dewhurst, as he gathered the ball and threw it three-quarters of the length of the pitch to Apter. He beat his man on the right and set up a chance for Nuttall. The ball was stolen off his toe before a later shot from him went over.

After, Jake Hesketh played a one-two on the edge of the box before rolling an effort towards goal for Eastleigh. Dewhurst watched it all the way and made the save.

In the 27th minute there was an Iron chance, with neat build-up play which started with Dewhurst and involved Mason O’Malley and Ntlhe - the latter stepping out from the back. The ball was fed to Lavery and then to Apter who found space in the box, sending an effort wide.

Four minutes later, Jacob Butterfield read a run into the box from Carter on the right side, meeting his run onto the ball and subsequently blocking the shot for a corner.

The set-play was played short, with Jai Rowe blocking a powerful shot from Hesketh before the Iron broke with speed. Apter was fed down the right, with Nuttall stretching play, allowing Apter to get into the box and sending his shot narrowly wide.

There was a chance for the home side with 36 minutes on the clock, when Oscar Rutherford squeezed in a cross on the right which Abrahams couldn't gather. Soon after, Dewhurst made a fine save to deny Hesketh, with the ball rolling towards Abrahams, but he couldn't roll home the rebound as the Iron cleared.

In the 40th minute, Ogle sent a speculative effort wide as the Iron put a bit of pressure on the Eastleigh backline with an O’Malley cross cleared before Alfie Beestin got into the box on the left and saw his cutback intercepted.

Just before the half-time break, Apter saw a shot on the edge of the box blocked. Handball shouts were turned down. It should have been a corner to the Iron, but the referee called a halt to the half and blew for the break.

Two minutes after the break, Apter saw an effort blocked out for a throw as the Iron played it patiently to the right, with Rowe’s cross cleared as far as Beestin, who then fed the Blackpool loanee for his attempt.

After Rowe forced a corner, Boyce was so close to netting against his former club as he rose highest from Butterfield’s corner. His connection to the header was a good one - probably too good - as the bullet header flew narrowly over the bar.

Then, at the other end, Hesketh was denied by Rowe as he stepped across to block an incoming shot from 12 yards following a cutback from the right.

United then broke and space opened up for Nuttall to drive. Lavery made a run to take away another two defenders. Nuttall then opened up and sent a shot on goal, which McDonnell got down to his right to push away.

On 54 minutes, Dewhurst watched on as Rutherford curled in an effort on goal from 25 yards, with the Iron shot stopper making a comfortable save.

Three minutes later, Apter sent a right-footed effort towards goal from outside the box. The effort took a deflection and looped away for a corner.

Then, there was another carbon copy corner as Butterfield delivered beautifully for Boyce. He towered a header on goal, again the connection was a good one, with the ball even closer to the target but just clearing the top of the crossbar.

Eastleigh then came close from the left side of the area, as Dewhurst readjusted his body as a cross was deflected by Ogle towards goal, with a combination of goalkeeper and post turning the ball behind for a corner.

Kelly’s subsequent corner to the near post was met by the run of George Langston. He sent his header over the bar though.

With 65 minutes gone, Ogle sent in a long throw from the right. Boyce was up and connected, but sent the ball wide.

The hosts took the lead three minutes later though as substitute Vincent Harper sent an effort into the net just a minute after coming on, as he received the ball inside the area.

In the 77th minute, Ogle won an aerial header and came crashing down to the ground as the player challenging with him ducked his body. Ogle stayed down requiring treatment. He came back on but soon went down again and his night was over two minutes later, as Tom Pugh came on.

With five minutes left, Apter somehow kept the ball in play on the right, charged inside the box and was hauled down after he released the ball. There was no penalty from the referee though.

United pressed for a late leveller, with Dewhurst coming cup for a couple of corners, but couldn't find it. In the final minute out of four in stoppage time, Harper received the ball on the left of the area following a break and fired in the second goal.

Scunthorpe return to action a week on Wednesday when they host Wrexham.

EASTLEIGH: McDonnell, Camp, Kelly, Martin, Carter, Cisse, Hesketh (Harper, 67), Langston, Abrahams, McKiernan, Rutherford.

EASTLEIGH SUBS NOT USED: Atangana, Oyenuga, Willson, Ebanks.

IRON: Dewhurst, Ogle (Pugh, 80), O'Malley, Boyce, Beestin, Nuttall, Rowe, Lavery, Butterfield, Ntlhe, Apter.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Foster, Taft, Wilson, Poulter.

ATTENDANCE: 1,916 (142 away).