Scunthorpe United FC

Scunthorpe United suffered a 3-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Wednesday night.

Mark Robins made just two changes from Saturday's 2-0 victory over Crewe, which saw captain Stephen Dawson and Jamie Ness return in place of Sean McAllister and Gary McSheffrey.

Joe Anyon continued in goal, with a back five of Scott Wiseman, David Mirfin, Jack King, Jordan Clarke and Scott Laird. Neal Bishop was partnered by the returning Dawson, with Ness playing in behind Tom Hopper and Paddy Madden.

It was a nightmare start for the Iron as Will Grigg was brought down in the box inside of three minutes. It was Grigg himself who stepped up and placed the ball into the roof of the net, leaving Anyon with no chance.

The hosts were on top, this time Michael Jacobs tried his luck with a free-kick from the edge of the box, but Anyon saved comfortably.

Robins' side registered their first effort on goal in the 10th minute, as Bishop slipped Madden in with a beautifully weighted pass, but the Irishman dragged his effort wide.

The visitors were slowly feeling their way into the game and minutes later it was Dawson who had a strike at goal. Unlike Madden before him, the effort was on target, but straight at Richard O'Donnell in the Latics goal.

Jacobs was looking dangerous and had another attempt on goal in the 20th minute, but after drifting past Clarke, he scooped his shot way over the crossbar and into the travelling Iron support.

A moment of magic almost doubled Wigan's lead in the 26th minute of the match, as Craig Davies curled an effort towards the far corner but, fortunately enough, it was just a fraction too high.

Seconds later the lead was doubled however as, after United failed to clear a free-kick, Donervan Daniels was on hand to tap the ball home from six yards out.

Gary Caldwell's men were threatening to run away with it and on the half an hour mark Davies again almost found the net, but this time he was denied by Anyon, as the Iron goalkeeper sprinted off his line to foil the Welshman.

Wigan came close again in the 40th minute as, after Davies' initial attempt was parried away by Anyon, Jacobs rattled the crossbar with a brilliantly struck volley from just inside the area. That would be the final action of the first half.

Manager Robins made two changes at the break, with Sean McAllister coming on to replace Ness, who looked to have sustained an injury in the first period. Also, Hakeeb Adelakun came on to replace Wiseman, as the Iron switched to 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Latics started the second half in the same manner as they played throughout the first, as Francisco Junior had an effort on goal in the 55th minute. He couldn't add to the scoreline however, as his strike sailed over the goal.

It should have been three on 65 minutes after David Perkins danced his way through the Iron defence, but he placed his shot wide of Anyon's far post.

However, moments later, Grigg brilliantly found strike-partner Davies with a weighted throughball and the number 10 did the rest, slotting the ball past Anyon easily.

Grigg almost added to his tally in the 78th minute, but after rounding Anyon and slotting the ball home, he was penalised for a foul.

Robins' side continued to press for at least a consolation goal as substitute Adelakun saw his deflected effort go behind for a corner in the 90th minute.

It would finish 3-0 on a disappointing night for the Iron, who return to action on Saturday when we visit Millwall.

TEAM LINE-UPS
Wigan Athletic: O'Donnell, James, Perkins, Daniels, McCann, Grigg, Davies (Coulthirst 73), Jacobs (Murray 76), Morgan, Junior (Power 85), Kenny

Scunthorpe United: Anyon, Wiseman (Adelakun 46), Laird, Mirfin, Madden, Bishop, Dawson (van Veen 75), King, Hopper, Ness (McAllister 46), Clarke

Attendance: 7,794 (609 away)

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