Scunthorpe United 3-0 Crystal Palace
Report from Glanford Park

Click here for a minute by minute analysis of the game

Jonathan Forte hit two excellent goals as Scunthorpe defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 to register their first home league win of the season.

It was a comfortable success for Nigel Adkins' team, who were on top against Palace for the majority of the match.

Forte hit two goals late in the first half to put his side in the ascendency.

Michael O'Connor then scored a penalty midway through the second half to seal victory.

The Iron made two changes from the side that defeated Sheffield Wednesday in the Carling Cup second round on Tuesday night.

Rob Jones and David Mirfin recovered from illness and a lower leg problem respectively to start the encounter with George Burley's side. They replaced Michael Raynes and Niall Canavan in the team.

Joe Murphy started in goal for United, with Cliff Byrne, Mirfin, Jones and Eddie Nolan forming the defence.

The midfield consisted of Josh Wright, O'Connor, Sam Togwell and Michael Collins, while Chris Dagnall partnered Forte up front.

The substitutes were Sam Slocombe, Andrew Wright, Raynes, Canavan, Martyn Woolford, Adam Boyes and Bobby Grant.

The game got off to a slow start, and a slip from Byrne let in Keiran Djilali on two minutes, whose shot from the left of the area went wide of Murphy's right-hand post.

On six minutes, the Iron hit the crossbar through O'Connor, whose free-kick from the right-hand side of the 18-yard box clipped the top of the upright and went out for a goal kick.

Scunthorpe continued to threaten and came close again when Collins drifted down the left-hand side of the area and saw his cross-cum-shot tipped out by Julian Speroni.

On loan from Blackburn, Alex Marrow drove just wide of goal for Palace after having the ball played short to him by Edgar Davids on a free-kick just outside the area.

Soon after Dagnall had forced a great save from the goalkeeper with an effort from point blank range after Forte played him in, his strike partner managed to put Scunthorpe ahead on 33 minutes.

Forte received the ball from Byrne's throw-in from the right and turned his man before dispatching a low effort across goal and beyond the dive of Speroni for his first league goal of the season.

Jonathan Forte strikes home his side's first goal.

There was soon another Scunthorpe chance, as Mirfin powered a header over the crossbar from Wright's delivery.

In superb style, and in the first minute out of two in stoppage time, Forte added a second - latching on to O'Connor's ball forward with a fancy flick that took him beyond the last defender and he slotted the ball beyond Speroni.

Jonathan Forte fires in his second on the volley.

Palace put a little bit of pressure on United at the start of the second half, but Scunthorpe were equal to everything thrown at them and could have trebled their lead when Togwell played Forte in, but he didn't have much time to get the ball from under his feet and into a position to send a decent shot goalwards and his stabbed effort was saved by Speroni.

On 64 minutes, Togwell sliced an effort over the crossbar after a slick attacking move, as Dagnall dragged back for the former Barnsley midfielder but, from 15 yards, he couldn't get his shot on target.

Forte almost hit his hat-trick goal in the 70th minute, latching on to O'Connor's ball but he curled his shot over the crossbar after getting into a good position.

Just one minute later, the Iron were awarded a penalty after Nathaniel Clyne was adjudged to have handled a cross into the box from Collins.

Forte wanted to take the penalty but Michael O'Connor stepped up and, like on Tuesday night, rattled his spot-kick beyond Speroni and into the back of the net.

Michael O'Connor scores from the penalty spot.

The game was well and truly over and, with around ten minutes left, Woolford came on for Scunthorpe, replacing O'Connor who received a standing ovation.

Grant then replaced Dagnall six minutes from time, who also got a huge applause from the home following.

The game finished quietly with the Iron successfully killing it off.

All in all, it was a fantastic victory and Scunthorpe are next in action in a fortnight's time when they host Bristol City at Glanford Park.

Iron Bar and sponsors' man of the match: Jonathan Forte.

Attendance: 5,292 (608 away).