The Iron stepped up their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Hartlepool United at Victoria Park on Tuesday evening.
Paddy Madden stole the show with a 55 minute hat-trick. The Irishman lashed home from just inside the area, leaving Hartlepool stopper Trevor Carson helpless, to give the Iron the lead on ten minutes.It wasn't long before the lead was doubled, Madden again clinical in front of goal, as he powered home a header from Scott Wiseman's perfectly flighted cross on 16 minutes.
Luke Williams' free kick wrong footed Carson to put the Iron three up on 53 minutes. Madden completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, The Irishman latched onto a loose backpass and despite seeing his first effort stopped, he tucked away the rebound with consummate ease.
Mark Robins' men were the first to register an attempt, with new signing Williams firing wide from just outside the area.
Madden then scored the first of his three to give United the lead. The Iron then nearly doubled their lead with the very next attack, but Tom Hopper couldn't dispatch Madden's cross at the back post.
The visitors looked dangerous with every attack and Tom Hopper again nearly made it 2-0 and would have if not not for Harry Worley's intervention. The clinical Madden then made it 2-0, when he dispatched Wiseman's cross.
Robins was forced into a change soon after however, as new arrival Jamie Ness had to leave the field with a knock, replaced by Neil Bishop on the 21 minute mark.
Bishop was straight into the action, as a fumble by Pools 'keeper Carson allowed the midfielder to get a shot away, which was repelled by the former Sunderland man.
The hosts finally came to life in the 26th minute, and would have halved the deficit, only for Anyon in the Iron goal to tip a header onto the crossbar.
Madden was instrumental in almost everything and his harrying nearly reaped reward on 32 minutes, but his cross couldn't be converted by strike partner Hopper.
Hartlepool's left hand side was being peppered, the Iron nearly making it three in the 40th minute as Jordan Clarke crossed for Scott Laird, but the wing-back failed to make contact with his header.
Robins' side went in at the break deservedly leading 2-0, and it could have been so much more.
As he did in the first half, Williams was the first to try his luck, but again he'd fired over.
United continued to press for a third, this time Bishop forced Carson into a save in the 50th minute, with a curling effort from the edge of the 18 yard box.
Then the Iron scored two in quick succession, with Williams converting his free kick and then Madden completing his hat-trick.
It took the hosts 62 minutes to register their first meaningful effort on goal, with Rakish Bingham firing across Anyon, only to see his effort strike the foot of the post.
Hartlepool were the first to make the traditional vast number of second half changes, with Bingham, Matthew Bates and Billy Paynter being replaced by Rhys Oates, Michael Woods and Scott Fenwick on 65 minutes.
Robins decided to make wholesale changes on the 70 minute mark, with Wiseman, Laird, Niall Canavan, Williams, Madden, Stephen Dawson, Jack King, Hopper and Clarke all leaving the field.
They were replaced by Sean McAllister, David Mirfin, Gary McSheffrey, Isaac Assenso, Kevin van Veen, Kyle Wootton, Dave Syers, Andrew Boyce and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
United continued to press for a fifth, but van Veen's attempt was straight at Carson.
So a good run out for the Iron, with a pleasing display as well. Robins will be hoping that his side can continue the form they've shown in pre-season so far when they take on Bolton Wanderers this Friday evening.
TEAM LINE-UPS
Hartlepool United: Carson, Magnay, Jones, Worley, Harrison, Bates (Fenwick), Featherstone, Walker, Bingham (Woods), Paynter (Oates), Carroll (Whittle)
Scunthorpe United: Anyon, Wiseman (Mendez-Laing), Laird (Assenso), Canavan (Mirfin), Williams (Syers), Madden (Wootton), Dawson (McAllister), King (McSheffrey), Hopper (van Veen),
Ness (Bishop), Clarke (Boyce).