Scunthorpe’s impressive run of ten games without defeat and Carlisle’s equally unimpressive six league games without a win made this encounter little more than an away banker.

As unexpected was the Carlisle win so was the quality of the performance with the 3-0 scoreline a fair reflection of the afternoon’s events.

Under pressure manager Roddy Collins saw his players give a performance of quality so badly needed that it, along with the three points, may just have saved his job.

An upbeat Collins said after the game: “ That game will be a watershed in our season. Ian Stevens again proved I was wrong to leave him out of the side, I don' mind admitting that. More importantly I completed the signing of Jamie Burt immediately after the match which will give us more options and cover up front. In addition Stuart Green will join us from Newcastle and he has the quality we will need to get us up the table.”

Carlisle stamped their authority on the game from the start with a Soley overhead kick going fractionally the wrong side of the post.

On six minutes Scunthorpe’s first attack should have brought the opening goal. Former Darlington striker Martin Carruthers got past Mark Birch before rounding the advancing Peter Keen only to lose his balance and screw his shot wide of an open goal.

The Iron were made to pay as Carlisle took the lead with thirteen minutes gone. Steve Soley started the move by playing the ball out to Phil Hadland on the right and kept his run going into the box to finish off Hadland’s cross which had been touched on by Ian Stevens.

Dave Rogers then came to Carlisle’s rescue with a goal line clearance from a Steve Torpey back heel before Torpey forced Keen into a good save with Brendan McGill on hand to clear.

With twenty minutes gone the Cumbrians extended their lead when Hadland again provided the cross for Richie Foran to head down for Stevens to rifle home a clinical volley.

Scunthorpe were playing their part in an entertaining game with Kell shooting over and McCombe heading wide but defender Andy Dawson almost gifted Carlisle a third when his attempted clearance of Foran’s cross forced keeper Tom Evans into a full length save.

Two minutes into the second half Scunthorpe were unlucky not to pull a goal back when Dawson hit a post after Keen had conceded a free kick after picking up an Andrews back pass.

Carlisle were now playing with confidence goals bring and finally killed the game off on 53 minutes. They had to thank the persistence of Sunderland winger Brendan McGill, celebrating the extension of his loan period to the end of the season. He dispossessed Carl Bradshaw on the left before unselfishly squaring the ball into the path of Hadland, who blasted a rising shot into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

Iron’s keeper Evans then made a reflex save to keep out a Stevens header and Murphy crashed a header against the bar from a Jack corner.

As Scunthorpe came more into the game in the last quarter a brilliant Keen save kept out a Beagrie header from Dawson’s free kick and then the keeper kept his clean sheet intact saving from Brain Qualey.

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