Scunthorpe United were punished for arguably their poorest performance of the season as Hartlepool United enjoyed a first league win at Glanford Park in 21 years.

Andy Monkhouse's scuffed shot gave the visitors in the lead in the 21st minute - the highlight of turgid first half.

Things failed to get any better either after the break, with winger Antony Sweeney compounding the Iron's misery 12 minutes time by heading home from Evan Horwood's cross.

The biggest concern for the struggling hosts was their lack of invention and ideas going forward with chances to grab an equaliser non-existent.

Too often they were poor in possession in the middle of the park and with both strikers dropping deep, rarely did they make inroads into the visiting penalty area.

No surprise then they have now failed to score in five of their last seven matches.

Pools goalkeeper Andy Rafferty was making only his second league start. Scunthorpe though, unforgivably, did not do enough to test the 23-year-old.

Scunthorpe, who brought Paul Reid and Shane Duffy back into the heart of the back four at the expense of Michael Nelson and Niall Canavan, started slowly, with the visitors always enjoying the better of the action in the final third.

Sweeney headed straight at Sam Slocombe when unmarked at the back post in the eighth minute, to kickstart a succession of Hartlepool chances.

When the only goal arrived, courtesy of Monkhouse's right boot, even it was somewhat scruffy.

Pools broke after Bobby Grant had given away possession softly on the halfway line and though Paul Reid did brilliantly to block a rasping drive, the ball bounced back to Monkhouse, whose low, bobbling, effort rolled into the bottom corner.

James Poole shot over and Monkhouse should have doubled both his own and the visitors' goal tally when he glanced a header wide from Horwood's pinpoint 37th minute centre.

Scunthorpe's best chance, a term used very loosely, of the opening 45 minutes was a header from Nicky Ajose, which Rafferty held.

They were booed off by a disappointed Glanford Park crowd as they left the pitch at half-time.

Opinions in the dressing room are likely to have been just as strong.

Ajose was hauled off at the interval, but his replacement, Garry Thompson, offered just as little as the Iron failed to find any width.

Their best attacking threat was the pace of full-back Eddie Nolan, who made several decent forays down the left flank, only to then find available outlets limited.

Hartlepool had a minor let off just before the hour mark, when a grounded Horwood appeared to control a cross from Grant with his hand before Rafferty gathered.

But there could be no doubting who was the more deserving of the three points and Pools made sure of the victory 12 minutes from time.

Horwood's delivery from a right-wing corner was poor. But when the ball was cleared straight back out to the former Iron loanee he made the most of the second bite of the cherry, whipping it into the near post where Sweeney looped a header past Sam Slocombe.

The visitors have now won five of their last seven matches on their travels.

Few will have been as straight-forward as this one, which left manager Alan Knill questioning his side's commitment.

SCUNTHORPE: Slocombe; Wright (Norwood 78), S Duffy, Reid, Nolan; Ajose (Thompson 46), O'Connor, Togwell, Barcham (M Duffy 69); Grant, Dagnall. Subs not used: Johnstone, Canavan.

HARTLEPOOL: Rafferty; Austin, Wright, Hartley, Horwood; Solano (Humphreys 72), Liddle, Murray (Haslam 86), Sweeney; Poole (Boyd 88), Monkhouse. Subs not used: Luscombe, Baldwin.

ATTENDANCE: 3,861 (218 away).