The Iron’s six match unbeaten run has come to an end after losing 2-0 against Barnsley.
Goals from Alex Mowatt and Cameron McGeehan in the first-half sealed all three points for the Tykes at the Oakwell Stadium.
Manager Stuart McCall made two changes to the Iron line-up that beat Fleetwood 1-0 last weekend. Defenders Harrison McGahey and Byron Webster were both handed their first starts since joining in replace of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Kyle Wootton.
Barnsley fans thought they had an opening goal inside the first five minutes, but the linesman ruled it offside. The hosts advanced down the left wing with Daniel Pinillos and his cross found Cauley Woodrow inside the area, who put it away after standing in an offside position.
Woodrow then had another chance for Barnsley. This time attacking from the right, Jacob Brown cut the ball back for the forward, whose side-footed effort spun wide of the left post.
Then in the 15th minute, after the Iron had a massive penalty claim at one end not given on Adam Hammill, who nipped in and was hacked down, Barnsley swiftly went up the other end to score and go 1-0 up. Mowatt struck the ball from 25 yards, it caught Jak Alnwick out and went in.
Woodrow had a chance to double his side’s lead not long after when his effort went wide. From the resulting Iron attack, Woodrow was then shown a yellow card for a poorly timed challenge on James Perch.
Perch himself was then booked in the 34th minute, but United defended the free-kick well.
The hosts did get their second goal in the 40th minute. A long range strike was deflected into the path of former Iron loanee McGeehan, who headed the ball into the bottom left corner.
Looking for a quick response, Scunthorpe had a great opportunity. Tony McMahon whipped a dangerous corner into the area and running onto it was Webster, but his header was held by Adam Davies in the Barnsley net.
In stoppage time of the first-half, Davies was called into action again and produced an impressive stop. The ball was dinked over the top for Funso Ojo, who chased the ball down and delicately crossed to Lee Novak, whose close range flick was tipped over the bar.
McCall looked to change things up at half-time when Levi Sutton was brought on for Perch, before Kevin van Veen replaced Hammill in the 58th minute.
However, Barnsley continued to press forward, with both Rory McArdle and Webster making strong, vital blocks to deny a couple of shots.
Cameron Burgess then made an excellent tackle when Barnsley looked to play Kieffer Moore through. The striker ran onto the ball, but the Iron defender managed to poke it off him before he would have gone one-on-one with Alnwick.
McGeehan, attempting to score his second, then met a half clearance on the half-volley, which he drove just wide of the left post.
In the 69th minute, McMahon came forward and crossed from the right-hand side. The ball went back to the right-back, who looped a volley over.
McMahon was involved in the Iron’s next attack, meeting a deep cross sent in from McGahey. He had snuck in at the back post, but was flagged offside as his attempt crashed off the post.
With the clock running down, Barnsley substitute Mike Bahre attempted an acrobat effort. He controlled a cross with his back to goal and hit an overhead kick straight at Alnwick.
In the remaining three minutes, Novak was presented with an opportunity, but the cross from McMahon was just too high, with the striker glancing a header wide.
Scunthorpe will look to bounce back next weekend at Glanford Park when Accrington Stanley are the visitors.
TEAM LINE-UPS
Barnsley: Davies, Pinnock, Lindsay, McGeehan, Woodrow (Bahre, 72’), Cavare, Moore (Adeboyejo, 83’), Pinillos, Thiam (Hedges, 67’), Mowatt, Brown.
Substitutes not used: Walton, Fryers, Dougall, Green.
Scunthorpe United: Alnwick, McMahon, Webster (Lund, 72’), Ojo, Perch (Sutton 46’), Novak, Thomas, Burgess, McArdle, McGahey, Hammill (van Veen 58’).
Substitutes not used: Flatt, Lewis, Pearce, Olomola.
Referee: Andy Haines
Attendance: 12,150 (980 away).