The Iron's reserves recovered two goal deficits twice but eventually were beaten 7-4 by their Hartlepool counterparts at Glanford Park.
The game got off to a bright start, with both teams flashing the ball across the box. Trialist D was the one who fired the shot for the hosts.The visitors took the lead on ten minutes when midfielder Ebby Nelson-Addy weaved his way into space, firing the ball low into the right corner.
Scunthorpe pressed to try and find their way back into the game, and on 16 minutes a great first time ball from Nolan on the left was cleared for a corner with Syers looming in the middle.
Syers tested Pools shotshopper Jon Maxted on 17 minutes, as Trialist D's corner was headed goalwards by the former Doncaster midfielder, but the shotstopper parried over.
Then, a second corner was again met by Syers, but his control and volleyed effort was saved by Maxted.
The Pools made it two on 21 minutes when Marvin Morgan used his pace down the right, beating the defence and coolly lifting the ball over Ledger.
The away side pushed for another goal but good defending from Trialist A thwarted Connor Smith as he looked poised to slot home the visitors' third of the game.
On 28 minutes, Scunthorpe pulled a goal back when the ball was controlled by Trialist E into the path of Syers who fired low into the net from just inside the area.
In the 37th minute, Trialist G drew a great save from Maxted after Trialist D won a free-kick on the edge of the area.
Then, just a minute later, Syers levelled the scores. It came from a great move down the right-hand side as two trialists combined with each other, drawing a parry from Maxted. Syers swept home the rebound.
On 41 minutes, Hartlepool edged back ahead as Lewis Hawkins arrowed a shot into the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the area.
In the 46th minute, Ledger made an early save to deny Chris Lester after he cut in from the right. Then Connor Smith forced Ledger into another save after his efforts from slightly further out than the previous shot a minute ago.
On 51 minutes, Ledger was forced into a great save. The ball was squared from the left to Hawkins who side-footed goalwards. However, Scunthorpe's goalkeeper got down and parried wide.
The Iron tried to find a way back into the game, and the Pools' Morgan snatched a shot goalwards, with Ledger making another save down to his right.
In the 64th minute, Connor Smith hit the outside of the post from a long range drive for the visitors.
On 65 minutes, Trialist E hit an effort from 30 yards. Maxted scrambled across, but the ball flew just wide.
Connor Smith then fired over for the visitors three minutes later after he was one-on-one with Ledger.
Scunthorpe searched for an equaliser, and Sutton came close when he headed over the bar from a right wing corner.
Moments later, Sutton saw an effort bounce back into play off the woodwork, as he struck a shot from the edge of the area.
On 75 minutes, United were handed a chance to level the scores from the penalty spot. A foul on the line of the area saw the referee point to the spot.
Burdett made no mistake from the spot, with Maxted getting his hand to the shot straight down the middle.
Two minutes later though, the visitors' lead was restored when Morgan beat Ledger once more to put them ahead.
In the 81st minute, Hartlepool restored their two goal cushion with a rasping Chris Lester drive from the edge of the area.
In the second minute of stoppage time, the Pools made it seven when Trialist A diverted a pass into his own net as he looked to defend from a player who was offside.
United's reserves are back in action when they visit Mansfield Town next Tuesday (2pm kick-off).
TEAM LINE-UPS
Scunthorpe United: Ledger, Trialist A, Nolan, McAllister (Sutton, 45), Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Trialist E, Trialist F, Syers (Burdett, 45), Trialist G.
Substitutes: Mosanya, Hare, Dyche.
Hartlepool United: Maxted, Green (Skidmore, 71), Holden, Miller, Nearney, Sukar, Lester, Nelson-Addy, Morgan, Hawkins, Smith.
Substitutes: Elliott, Dawson, Jewson, Turnbull.