United were held to a 1-1 draw for the second away game in succession, this time at Leyton Orient.
Ryan Loft opened the scoring from close range in the early stages, but Ouss Cisse equalised later in the first half for the O's.
The Iron went into the game at the Breyer Group Stadium making four changes from the team that lost to Exeter City in midweek, as Alex Gilliead, Kevin van Veen, Junior Brown and Jordan Hallam came in for Abo Eisa, Devarn Green, Mason O'Malley and Myles Hippolyte.
With four minutes gone, Gilliead cleared forward with a ball aiming for Loft. The frontman almost got the benefit of the bounce, but Dan Happe did well to defend. At the other end, Jai Rowe then did well to shield the ball for a goal kick.
Three minutes later, the O's Tristan Abrahams got space on the left side of the area to send a low ball across the six-yard box, which Jacob Bedeau and Brown watched out for a goal kick.
Conor Wilkinson weaved his way into the area in the 10th minute following a square ball from the left. Rowe then blocked the attempted cross into the box.
Then Sam Ling crossed from the right side with Abrahams coming in to try to win the header. The ball flew over his head and out for a goal kick.
It was the 12th minute when Loft broke the deadlock for the Iron, with his ninth goal of the season. He initially won an aerial challenge before latching onto a loose ball and threading the ball wide. Brown found van Veen, who clipped the ball into the area, with Loft bundling the ball home from close range.
Soon after, Brown slid in to block an incoming cross from Dan Kemp after the Orient man was slipped into the right side of the area, and then the subsequent corner was cleared.
On 17 minutes, the home side won another corner, this time on the left side, with the ball curling towards goal, clipping the crossbar before going out for an Iron throw.
Midway through the half, there was patient build-up from Orient before they played down the left channel with the low ball in from Kemp well-gathered by Mark Howard as he dived low to his left.
Soon after, at the other end, Howard’s kick forward was taken down by Gilliead. He slipped in Loft who exchanged passes with Hallam before the hosts managed to clear.
With 27 minutes gone, Bedeau clipped into Loft who chested down before the ball found Gilliead. He drove at his man before a powerful shot forced Lawrence Vigouroux into a save.
Two minutes later, Loft again won the ball in the air before Brown did well down the left to squeeze in a cross. Van Veen slipped in Beestin who, along with Hallam, tried to work a shot but couldn't fashion one.
Bedeau threw his body in the way of a long range effort from Cisse in the 32nd minute before Beestin nipped in to take the loose ball inside the area.
The O's levelled in the 35th minute when Kemp's free-kick delivery from just midway through the Iron half was headed into the back of the net by Cisse.
There was a first Scunthorpe change of the afternoon soon after as Hallam was replaced by Lewis Spence.
The Scot was involved in the thick of the action soon after coming off, as Brown crossed from the left with James Brophy providing a diving header to clear. Rowe played Spence down the right with his low cross collected by Vigouroux.
The Iron started the second period well, and van Veen flicked on for Loft running into the box but Jamie Turley stepped across to hook clear for an Iron throw.
After Gilliead had won a free-kick on the right, there was a good delivery into the box from van Veen, with Bedeau peeling away from his marker to stab his effort wide of the target.
Referee Ben Speedie then made a big decision in the 51st minute as Gilliead nipped in on a loose pass from Vigouroux and was brought down by Brophy with a clear sight to goal. However, it was only a yellow card for the Orient man.
The ball was dinked into the area by van Veen with the resultant header going wide of the target for a goal kick.
Beestin then won a free-kick on the left side. Again, van Veen’s delivery was another good one. Bedeau and Cisse both got up - one of them got the connection and the ball flashed wide of the post. A goal kick was given with United appealing for a corner.
Van Veen almost got in to charge down Vigouroux’s clearance in the 57th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to smash clear for a throw.
A minute later, there was a big penalty shout as Vigouroux and the defender got in each other’s way. Van Veen looked to be hauled down with an open goal to aim at, but somehow there was no red card and no spot-kick for the Iron.
Two minutes later there was another Scunthorpe penalty shout when the ball was fed into Spence inside the area. The midfielder went down but the referee gave nothing.
Soon after, Gilliead darted forward and was hacked down by Craig Clay. Van Veen took the resulting free-kick but saw his effort blocked away.
In the 69th minute, van Veen surged forward through a number of defenders as Beestin came away with the ball following an Orient attack. His shot from range was wide though.
The 73rd minute saw Danny Johnson floor Jordan Clarke off the ball, with the Iron skipper staying down. Nothing was given by the referee but the defender was soon able to carry on playing.
At the other end, shortly after. Jem Karacan sent a right wing cross which was met by Loft, but the forward's header was pushed around the post for a corner by Vigouroux.
The O's won a free-kick on the edge of the Iron penalty area in the 83rd minute, which Wilkinson took but it took a deflection of Brown to go wide. Nothing came from the subsequent set-play.
With six minutes remaining, United made two changes in attack as Eisa and Green came on for Loft and van Veen.
Soon after, Spence’s header saw Green in on the right with his shot turned behind for a corner. From it, the delivery by Gilliead was headed wide by Clarke.
With four minutes left, Eisa was brought down from behind as Spence seized on a loose ball. The former took the resulting free-kick, which was blocked away by the wall.
There were four minutes of stoppage time added, but neither side could break the deadlock.
United return to action on Tuesday night when they host Oldham Athletic (7pm kick-off).
ORIENT: Vigouroux, Ling, Cisse (Kyprianou, 56), Happe, Clay, Wilkinson, Kemp, Brophy, Turley, Freeman, Abrahams (Johnson, 56).
ORIENT SUBS NOT USED: Sargeant, Widdowson, Dayton, Akinola, Sweeney.
IRON: Howard, Clarke, Bedeau, Gilliead, Loft (Green, 84), van Veen (Eisa, 84), Brown, Hallam (Spence, 38), Beestin, Karacan, Rowe.
IRON SUBS NOT USED: Watson, Hippolyte, Howe, O'Malley.
