A LACKLUSTRE Scunthorpe United were unimpressive as they lost 2-1 at home to struggling Oldham Athletic.

For the third successive League One match, United fell behind, David Mellor expertly converting midway through the first half.

But, after much effort and little quality, the hosts levelled matters just after the hour mark, Chris Dagnall firing into the bottom corner to spark the Iron into life.

But Scunthorpe could not muster a consistent spell of pressure, which they paid for in the closing stages, substitute Matt Smith heading home Athletic's decisive second.

After one draw that promised much, at Wycombe Wanderers, and another that highlighted what the Iron are lacking at present, against Preston North End, the hosts headed into the clash eager to notch a first league victory of the campaign.

Based on the visitors' underwhelming start - recording two losses, including a 3-1 humbling at Yeovil Town on Saturday - United were the bookies favourites to secure three points.

But question marks persisted over an unchanged Scunthorpe line-up that failed to provide enough of a cutting edge in the stalemate with North End.

And the same applied to the Latics, a poor performance at Huish Park costing Filipe Morais, Matt Smith and Matt Lund their place in the starting XI, with Josh Parker, Carl Winchester and Mellor drafted in.

But, in the early stages, it was a case of two stuttering sides struggling to gain any rhythm.

That was until Garry Thompson's looping strike on 15 minutes struck the bar, waking a poor match from a groggy start.

It certainly did for the away side, who took the lead seconds later.

After failing to pull the trigger from a similar position, Mellor was allowed an acre of space and a second crack of the whip. Clearly not needing a second invitation, the Latics star curled a right foot shot from the left into the back of the net with aplomb.

The Iron responded with more conviction, but hardly set the pulses racing at Glanford Park, Andy Barcham's low cross-shot, which forced Zander Diamond to clear, the only moment of note in the aftermath of the opening goal.

A dire contest showed no signs of improving, United lacking any sort of drive and threat in attack.

And the disappointing hosts should have been punished for a second time with eight minutes left of the first period, but Reuben Reid dragged his shot wide of the post from a low right wing cross.

A poor spectacle, Scunthorpe were far from the swaggering entertainers manager Alan Knill wants them to be, playing against an equally poor Oldham outfit.

And although Mark Duffy fired straight at Athletic keeper Alex Cisak in first half stoppage time, there was little, if anything, to suggest the home side could pull themselves level.

There were encouraging signs after the interval from both sides, former target Chris Taylor going close for the Latics six minutes in. But his deflected low drive was well held by under-worked Iron keeper Josh Lillis.

United seemed to have received the proverbial rocket from Knill at half-time, showing more intent in the first 10 minutes of the second period than they did in the whole of the first.

Dagnall forced a smart low stop from Cisak, after picking up on slack midfield play to counter, before Thompson blazed well over the top as mistakes crept into the Latics' game.

But there was no error that led to the Iron's equaliser, rather a moment of genuine class, on 64 minutes, from Dagnall.

The hard-working striker picked the ball up on halfway, ran with purpose at the Oldham backline and then drilled a shot across Cisak and into the far corner to restore parity.

Winger Duffy thumped the inside of a post as a much-improved United came close to taking the lead, but those hopes lasted until the 82nd minute, when sub Smith towered above everyone to send a looping header past Lillis from a set-piece, a goal that condemned the Iron to their first loss of the season.

Substitute Bobby Grant rattled the bar in the final seconds with a free-kick, before Jean-Yves M'Voto received a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge from behind.

But neither incident changed the outcome, as Scunthorpe crashed to a stuttering home loss.

Whereas a defeat against the former bottom side is indeed cause for concern, the manner in which they lost should leave Knill with plenty to ponder ahead of a trip to inform Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

TEAMS

SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Lillis, Wright, Nelson, Reid, Nolan, Barcham, Togwell (c), O'Connor, Duffy, Thompson (Grant 68), Dagnall; Slocombe, Collins, Canavan, Godden.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Cisak, M'voto, Black, Diamond (c), Winchester, Wesolowski, Parker, Taylor, Lee, Mellor (Morais 67), Reid (Smith 69); Gerrard, Lund, Millar.

ATTENDANCE: 4,142 (345 away).

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