Full-time: Yeovil Town 3 Scunthorpe United 0

ONE winning run came crashing to an end while another made club history in a one-sided contest at Huish Park.

Scunthorpe United’s hopes of building on three successive victories never looked likely during their longest trip of the season, a match which saw manager Brian Laws sent to the stands.

The Iron fell behind against Yeovil Town from a corner just before the half-hour mark and were frustrated further at the end of the first half when Akpo Sodje looked to be felled as he raced through on goal.

It was as a result of that incident, and the ensuing protestations from the visiting dugout, that Laws was not allowed back on to the bench for the second half.

After the break the Glovers turned the screw, scoring twice in three minutes to cruise to an eighth successive league win for the first time since they became a Football League club.

Scunthorpe showed plenty of early promise in the Westcountry, with two sights at goal in the opening 10 minutes.

Sodje beat Glovers keeper Marek Stech to a cross into the box from deep in the first instance, but his strike partner Karl Hawley was surrounded by green and white shirts as he picked up possession and his eventual shot was tame.

The same could not be said about a powerful strike from Jimmy Ryan, who, when teed up on the edge of the penalty area, was only just off target.

Unfortunately for their visitors, the Glovers quickly began to grow into the game and enjoyed some success down both flanks.

Sam Foley had a shot held by Sam Slocombe after cutting in from the left, before in-form striker Paddy Madden wasted a great opening, screwing the ball wide having been expertly picked out by a clever cut back from midfielder Joe Edwards.

Slocombe kept the Iron on level terms in the 27th minute, flinging himself into the air to flick another Foley effort over the bar with his left hand.

But he could do nothing about the spinning, scrappy header from Webster at the resulting corner, which looped into the far side of the net.

Scunthorpe’s response was sluggish. Front two Hawley and Sodje struggled for service with Ryan and Mark Duffy enjoying little room and even less joy on the flanks.

A clever touch from Josh Walker, the Iron’s best performer during the opening 45 minutes, allowed him to whip in a cross which Hawley met with an outstretched boot, but he could only divert it wide.

For all the goals, the biggest talking point of the afternoon came on the stroke of half-time when Sodje got goal side of Glovers defender Webster, only to go to ground as the pair collided on the edge of the 18-yard box.

The Iron front man, who hobbled down the tunnel at the break having already had several minutes of treatment, wanted a penalty – and had a good shout - but referee Dean Whitestone waved away the visitors’ protests.

Sodje came back out for the second half – but manager Brian Laws did not.

He was forced to watch the second half from the directors’ box, having in he eyes of Whitestone protested too strongly at the Iron’s failure to be awarded the spot kick.

To compound a disappointing afternoon, Sodje didn’t last long either and was replaced by Mike Grella only 120 seconds after the restart.

Scunthorpe’s build-up play after the break was better.

Michael Collins got more into the game after a quiet first half and Grella enjoyed some joy when came to getting inside the penalty area.

The better chances though continued to be created by the home side.

Madden was unlucky with a first-time shot from a corner that he hooked across the face of goal and when he did get in an effort on target, two minutes later, Slocombe reacted superbly to keep his effort out and deny the Glovers a great team goal of which Hayter’s back-heel to set Madden up was pure class.

In the 72nd minute, Yeovil finally got the goal that gave them some breathing space.

A break upfield as United searched for an equaliser saw Foley race into the penalty area and Kennedy, having bust a gut to come across and cover from the opposite flank, slid in to take the man rather than the ball.

Hayter expertly slotted the resulting penalty into the bottom corner, sending Slocombe the wrong way in the process.

Two quickly became three in the 75th minute, courtesy of a jinking run from the impressive Edwards, who unselfishly squared a pass inside for an unmarked Madden to score his 10th goal in seven games.

The gaps in the United defence were as big and gaping as the divots in the Huish Park pitch, which cut up more an more as the match went on.

And had Slocombe again not reacted instinctively to again deny Madden, the scoreline would have been even worse.

YEOVIL: Stech, Ayling, Webster, Burn, McAllister (Ralph 83), Dawson, Edwards, Upson, Foley (Young 82), Hayter (Appiah 82), Madden. Subs: Stewart, Hinds, Blizzard, Williams.

SCUNTHORPE: Slocombe, Newey, Reid, Canavan, Kennedy (Nolan 84), Duffy (Barcham 52), Collins, Walker, Ryan, Hawley, Sodje (Grella 47). Subs: Severn, Mirfin, Adelakun, Wootton.

ATTENDANCE: 4,163 (155 away).