Sutton ended a run of five games without a win in convincing fashion, three goals in a ten minute first half spell giving them control against a Scunthorpe side now seven points adrift at the foot of the Sky Bet League Two table

There was little hint of what might happen in a shapeless first quarter of the game, the flow not helped by an injury to referee Simon Mather after just thirteen minutes, but once Rob Milsom had converted a penalty following Manny Onariase's clumsy challenge on Omar Bugiel U's took control and had the game just about sewn up by half time.

Scunthorpe, with only one win in their last eleven games, started as though they might cause U's some problems, with Ben Goodliffe twice having to make important interceptions, and Joe Nuttall diverting Tyrese Sinclair's cross goalwards but without the power to beat Dean Bouzanis. For U's Donovan Wilson fired a shot wide of the near post, and a low cross from Will Randall was scrambled away from the incoming David Ajiboye, but neither side managed to get much flow to their game in an untidy opening spell that included a break of nearly five minutes when Simon Mather limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury to be replaced by Stuart Butler.

The spark the game needed came just before the half hour when Bugiel collected a ball down the left from Milsom and turned in to the penalty area past Onoriase, whose attempt to recover the situation only resulted in him bundling Bugiel over. It was an easy decision for the replacement referee, and Milsom netted from the spot although Rory Watson managed to get a hand to the shot.

Little more than a minute later U's had a second, Wilson shaking off a challenge in midfield and playing the ball wide to Randall, who cut in past Ross Millen and curled a low shot in to the far corner of the net from just outside the penalty area. Millen's complaints that he had been fouled by the scorer saw him booked, the referee's indication of advantage being played suggesting that he felt any foul was the other way.

Now in control, U's added a superb third goal nine minutes later, Ajiboye beginning a move that involved Milsom, Randall and Bugiel, whose pass to the overlapping Joe Kizzi allowed the defender to hammer a shot past Watson and score for the second Saturday in a row, the only time in the move that the ball left the ground.

Scunthorpe's made a double change at the break, including taking off Nuttall, who had been walking a disciplinary tightrope after being booked early on for an aerial challenge on Louis John, and bringing on Harvey Cribb, who became the youngest first team player in Scunthorpe's history just over a month after his 16th birthday. He could have seen his team concede within ten seconds of his introduction, as Bugiel pounced on an error by Onoriase and set up Ajiboye, whose shot was saved by Watson with his legs, and there should have been another when Ajiboye was put through by Kenny Davis and cut across the penalty area before Bugiel took over but shot too high.

Just after the hour mark, though, U's did have a fourth when Bugiel cut in from the right and played a pass to Wilson just before being fouled, and with the referee playing a good advantage Wilson opted against going for goal himself and instead set up Randall, whose shot (above) slithered under Watson giving him two goals in a game for the first time.

U's then made changes, Coby Rowe and Harry Beautyman coming on to continue their return from injuries, and for a moment Beautyman thought he might celebrate with a goal as his shot from outside the area was blocked. He did end up on the scoresheet, but not as he would have hoped as a Scunthorpe counter attack after Watson had punched clear a Milsom free kick ended with Rekeil Pyke crossing low, and Beautyman sliding in to clear but able only to turn the ball in to his own net, although Liam Feeney would almost certainly have scored but for Beautyman's intervention. 

A minute later Bouzanis had to save a long range shot from Jai Rowe, but the visitors were unable to make any further impression on the game as U's closed out a comfortable victory and moved to within two points of an automatic promotion place as the top three in the division all lost.

Sutton: D Bouzanis, J Kizzi, R Milsom, C Eastmond(sub H Beautyman 68), B Goodliffe, L John(sub C Rowe 64), D Ajiboye(sub R Korboa 74), K Davis, O Bugiel, D Wilson, W Randall. Subs n/u S Nelson, B Wyatt, C Dundas, E Boldewijn.

Scunthorpe: R Watson, R Millen, M O'Malley, R Delaney, J Rowe, M Onoriase, A Grant(sub H Hackney 70), H Bunn(sub H Cribb H-T), J Nuttall(sub R Pyke H-T), L Feeney, T Sinclair. Subs n/u T Collins, S Burns, J Moore-Billham, E Young. Booked: Nuttall, Millen.

Referee: Simon Mather (sub Stuart Butler 14)

Attendance: 2,870(313 away)