Garry Thompson scored a brace as Scunthorpe beat Derby 4-1 at Pride Park to move level on points with the Rams.
Scunthorpe beat Derby 4-1 to move level on points with Rams
Garry Thompson scored a brace as Scunthorpe beat Derby 4-1 at Pride Park to move level on points with the Rams.
Gary Hooper broke the offside trap to put the Iron ahead on 14 minutes before Thompson doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time with a low finish.
Marcus Williams scored an own goal on 59 minutes from Kris Commons' deflected effort to give Derby hope before Thompson netted with ten minutes to go to calm Iron nerves.
Substitute Jonathan Forte then scored at the death to make sure of Scunthorpe's first Championship away win since September, which lifts Nigel Adkins' side five points clear of the drop zone.
The Pride Park clash was just one of three to survive the freezing weather in the Championship.
Scunthorpe settled the better and with 12 minutes on the clock they were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead after some poor defending from Derby.
Left-back Dean Moxey attempted to pass the ball back without looking and only proceeded to send Hooper through on one-on-one with Stephen Bywater.
However, the striker dawdled in front of goal and allowed Bywater to smother the ball at his feet.
Made amends
Hooper made amends two minutes later, however, when Martyn Woolford again slipped him through on goal and this time he did not waste the opportunity, coolly slotting past Bywater for his ninth of the season.
Then on the stroke of half-time the visitors got a second when full-back Andrew Wright pumped a long ball down the middle, which Miles Addison missed allowing Thompson to break clear and fire in from 14 yards.
The hosts introduced Commons at the interval in search of a second-half response and the Scotland international was at the heart of a strong Derby start to the half, twice going close.
Just before the hour-mark, he then made his most telling contribution as Derby clawed themselves back into the game.
Commons picked up the ball in the Scunthorpe half and went on a weaving run. After beating several players he scuffed his shot, but it deflected off Williams and wrong-footed the helpless Josh Lillis, trickling into the net.
Sensed opportunity
Derby sensed the opportunity and threw everything forward in an attempt to earn a point and they could have levelled but Wright heroically cleared off the line after Rob Hulse failed to connect properly from three yards.
And just as it seemed Derby would lay siege on the Scunthorpe penalty area, the visitors restored their two-goal lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Michael O'Connor broke down the right and pulled the ball back for Thompson, who stroked in his second in the coolest of fashions.
And the game was truly put to bed when Forte bundled in a loose ball with a minute to go.
