Scunthorpe United succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Burton Albion in Sky Bet League One.
Kieran Wallace netted, while Lucas Akins and Liam Boyce struck after the interval to round off the Brewers’ first victory against the Iron at Glanford Park.
The two sides cancelled one-another out in the early stages, until Akins tested Jak Alnwick in the Iron goal, from just yards out. Fortunately, the striker’s effort was straight down the ‘keeper’s throat as Alnwick gathered.
The Iron had their first meaningful attempt on goal through Adam Hammill, who tried his luck from range, but Collins kept the midfielder out.
The hosts then had a free-kick wide on the left near the sideline. Hammill swung it in, and Webster rose highest in the box. However, there was a deflection on the header and it went out for a corner, which was then caught by Collins.
Marcus Harness took aim inside the area but it was comfortable for Alnwick once again, as the ball deflected back to the shot-stopper, with half-an-hour played.
With 18 minutes on the clock, it was now the Iron's turn to attack. Wootton broke forward and unleashed a shot from distance, but it was comfortable enough for Collins.
At the other end of the pitch, Funso Ojo’s centre found Jordan Hallam. The winger wonderfully brought the ball under his spell, but couldn’t get a shot away with yellow shirts bearing down on him.
Alnwick superbly tipped Boyce’s header over the bar from Jamie Allen’s out-swinging corner but he was beaten moments later from the successive set-piece.
With 39 minutes on the watch, Wallace nodded the Brewers ahead from the corner-kick, the ball kissing the upright on it’s way in, to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Fine margins separated the two teams at half-time. The Iron made a change at the break in a bid to get back into the game, with Clayton Lewis replacing Harrison McGahey.
Straight after the break, Novak made a run in-behind the Burton backline and almost got on the end of a forward pass, but Collins charged out of his area to sweep up.
Early in the second period, Hammill looked to test the goalkeeper with a free-kick, but it took a deflection away and Novak looked to send in a cross but it went out of play.
In the 55th minute, Kyle Wootton did well to hold up possession on the edge of the area. He chested it down for Hammill, who took a first time shot, but Collins wasn’t troubled.
George Thomas was introduced 20 minutes later, with Jordan Hallam making way. The Iron used their last roll of the dice on Kevin van Veen, taking Kyle Wootton’s place leading the line.
Akins doubled Burton’s lead with 68 minutes on the watch, glancing Daniel’s cross from the left beyond Alnwick and into the back of the net.
Boyce added a third with 15 minutes left to play, picking up the ball out wide, and the cross-turned-shot rippled the top-hand corner for the goal of the game.
Rory McArdle had the ball in the back of the net for the Iron but the offside flag denied the skipper, who had latched onto a Hammill free-kick.
James Perch fired the ball over the crossbar, after a good passing move involving Novak and Lewis, heading into the final five minutes, but it would have been no more than a consolation for the Iron.
TEAM LINE-UPS
Scunthorpe United: Alnwick, Webster, Ojo, Perch, Novak, McArdle, McGahey (Lewis 45’), Wootton (van Veen 72’), Hallam (Thomas 65’), Butroid, Hammill.
Substitutes not used: Flatt, Borthwick-Jackson, Burgess, Sutton.
Burton Albion: Collins, Brayford, Allen, McFadzean, Fraser (Fox 85’), Akins, Harness (Hutchinson 84’), Wallace, Quinn, Daniel, Boyce (Bradley 83’).
Substitutes not used: Bywater, McCrory, Miller, Clarke.
Referee: Graham Salisbury.
Attendance: 3,698.