Scunthorpe United 2 Town 0
Scunthorpe United: Joe Anyon, Murray Wallace, Stephen Dawson (c) (Hakeeb Adelakum 46), Paddy Madden, Kevin van Veen, Tom Hooper (Jonathon Margetts 24), Sam Manton, Charlie Goode, Conor Townsend, Jamie Ness, Levi Sutton
Subs: Adam Kelsey, Scott Wiseman, David Mirfin, Duane Holmes, Fortunate Sithole
Town: Mark Halstead, Olly Lancashire, Ian Black, Ivan Toney (AJ Leitch-Smith 87), Jim O'Brien, Junior Brown, Jack Grimmer, Antoni Sarcevic (George Waring 62), Gary Deegan, Moha Choulay (Andy Mangan 46), Adam El-Abd (c)
Subs: Jayson Leutwiler, Mat Sadler, Callum Roberts
Ref: Nigel Miller
Assistants: James Bell and Glen Hart
Fourth Official: Paul Thompson
Attendance: 1316 (40ish from Town)
Micky Mellon is forced into changes with Ryan McGivern away with Northern Ireland, Joe Riley and Louis Dodds are injured, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is cup tied and into the starting line-up come Mark Halstead, Moha Choulay and Antoni Sarcevic.
Town had an opening moments into the game when Choulay got the ball from a throw-in, he came inside and then played the ball to Toney on the edge of the box, he got a shot in on target but it lacked the pace to trouble Anyon.
It was the home side who got the first goal of the game after Scunthorpe broke down the right, Townsend drove in to the Town box and drove in a shot that seemed to take a deflection to turn it past Halstead at the nearpost.
Town's best chance came on the 15 minute mark after Town were awarded a free-kick just out side the Scunthorpe box, O'Brien and Toney were over the ball but it was Toney who took the kick putting up and over the wall leaving Anyon rooted to the spot, but the post was there to deny Town an equaliser.
Moments later Town had another good site of the Scunthorpe goal and again it was from a free-kick, O'Brien delivered a good ball into the box with pace, a clutch of players went for it and it dropped for Lancashire sliding in at the backpost but he couldn't hook the ball in and it went just wide of the target.
Town picked up a booking on the half-hour mark, an attack broke down after Choulay's ball didn't find Sarcevic who then shoved the covering defender in the back and ref Miller saw enough to show the yellow card.
Scunthorpe had a couple of good openings on the Town goal, the first a ball to the backpost but Black got across and slid in with an important block to nick the ball behind for a corner. Then moments later another ball was put into the danger area but this time El-Abd was there to head the ball behind for another corner.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining Town had a great chance for to level things, Brown put a good ball into the danger area and Toney made a nuisance of himself as Anyon tried to come for the ball, it then fell to Sarcevic with a gaping goal but he got his shot all wrong and it flew over the bar.
Town had done well from set-pieces during the first half and when O'Brien put in another good delivering into the box the ball dropped behind the home defence, Toney was in on goal and got a touch on the ball but he put it just wide of the target.
Half-time: 1-0
Both team's started the game with a changes, Town brought on Andy Mangan to replace Moha Choulay and Scunthorpe took off captain Stephen Dawson and replaced him with Hakeeb Adelakum.
Town got the ball in the back of the net following good work from Grimmer to play in Black, he flashed the ball across the face of the goal and there was Sarcevic at the backpost to stab the ball home but the assistant was flagging for an offside.
Scunthorpe had a good opening after Brown had been disposed on the left, Scunthorpe came inside with the ball played to Margetts, he turned Lancashire before driving in a shot to the nearpost but Halstead was down quickly to turn the ball behind.
Scunthorpe grabbed a second goal and it came after Lancashire appeared to have been fouled, ref Miller was on the spot and saw nothing and Scunny counter attacked quickly, the ball was pushed to the right and then ball found Sutton, he drove a cross in that went across the face of goal and there was Margettts running in to slot the ball home for 2-0.
Antoni Sarcevic took a knock and looked to be in trouble, he was able to carry on after treatment but shortly afterwards was replaced by George Waring.
The ball was played to Brown out on the left, he then played the ball into Toney who took it down nicely, turned and then played the ball for Waring to run into the box but Anyon saw the danger and was out quickly to dive at the feet of Waring to smoother the ball.
Toney was fouled on the edge of the Scunthorpe box and was awarded a free-kick, it was Toney who stepped up and put the ball up and over the wall but Anyon was there to tip the ball over the bar for another Town corner. The corner was delivered into to the box and dropped on the edge of the area, it was put back in and found Mangan who turned the ball home but again the assistant was flagging for another offside.
Town were still creating and looking to grab a goal but, Toney did well when the ball came into him in the box, he controlled it and then played it back to Black who drove in a low shot but Anyon was there again to save.
The chances were still coming for Town and when the ball dropped to O'Brien around 30 yards from goal, he took a touch and then curled a good looking shot towards the top corner but Anyon was there again to tip the ball behind for another Town corner.
Town's final change came with minutes of the half remaining with AJ Leitch-Smith coming on to replace Ivan Toney, he looked to have picked up a knock and it was a quick like for like change.
Full-time: 2-0