We continue to take a look back at the hat-tricks that have been scored for the Iron since their admission to the league in 1950.
At the time of writing, there have been 41 trebles netted by United players in league games and we're going to delve into the Iron Vault to remember them and, if applicable, following the subsequent career of the player who scored it.
| SEASON | DATE | OPPOSITION | H/A | SCORELINE | SCORERS |
| 1988-89 | Mar 19, 1989 | Peterborough United | H | W3-0 | Flounders (3) |
For this issue though, we fast-forward 24 hat-tricks to our first at Glanford Park almost 39 years after the first. Andy Flounders had earned the honour of being the last Scunthorpe United player to net a trebble at the Old Show Ground before it closed in 1988 and also became the first at United's new home. Both came against the same opposition.
He did give his teammates eight months chance to get there first, but when Peterborough United were the visitors to the stadium, he was gifted three chances and he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity!
A CAUSE TO CELEBRATE...
Flounders was certainly in the mood to celebrate having penned a new two-year contract with the club only the day before this match.
At 25-years-old, Flounders continued his hot streak of goalscoring form and more than showed his worth of the new deal by putting the side as Division Four's top goalscorers with 62 strikes to their name, two ahead of Wrexham who had tallied 60 until this point.
The conditions were tricky in this game, with a significantly greasy pitch and a howling wind testing both teams at Glanford Park, but it was the home side who adapted to that the stronger. The match was also Scunthorpe's third successive clean sheet, proving their strength in defence.
POSH DON'T LIKE FLOUNDERS OR EITHER SCUNTHORPE HOME...
For the second consecutive season, Flounders had bagged a trebble against Peterborough United at home.
The result in 1987-88 was 5-0 to the Iron, while this 3-0 win had compounded them to another miserable trip to Lincolnshire. It's safe to say that the Posh weren't fond of United's new home Glanford Park - and didn't have final fond memories of the Old Show Ground either. We can't imagine they were delighted at the sight of goalscorer Flounders too much too!
THE EARLY WRITING ON THE WALL...
Five minutes is all it took for the Iron to break the deadlock in the match when Dave Cowling played a low ball into the box from the left channel. Flounders arrived to rifle in the shot past the visiting goalkeeper.
The Posh defence was rocked early, and Scunthorpe could have added to that tally, with Tony Daws going close, but firing over, but it was Peterborough who thought they'd restored parity in the 37th minute when Dominic Genovese firing past Paul Musselwhite, but the assistant referee's flag was up for offside.
Seven minutes after half-time, it was 2-0. Paul Longden kept the ball in play with a neat backheel to Flounders. He brought the ball forward before firing into Daws, who saw his shot blocked, but Flounders was on hand to smash in the rebound.
Musselwhite had to be at his best to deny Genovese with a one-handed save in one of the rare opportunities the visitors had to get back into the game.
Flounders could have had his hat-trick earlier than he did with a header that just flashed wide of the goal, while David Cork went even closer on his full home debut, hitting the crossbar from 25-yards.
The Posh were reduced to ten men for the closing nine minutes when skipper Mick Halsall was sent off for his second caution and it was in the final of those minutes when the trebble was sealed. Goalkeeper Crichton held back Daws as he knocked the ball round him and somehow evaded being the second Posh player to enter the dressing room early, with referee Tom Fitzharris not evening issuing a yellow to the shot stopper.
Crichton stayed on to save the spot kick, but could do little as Flounders followed up with the rebound.