Ten-man United went down to their third straight defeat, losing 2-1 at Walsall.

It started so well for Nigel Adkins' men, with Garry Thompson heading home from a Kevan Hurst cross after less than two minutes.

Debutant David Mirfin was sent off for fouling Jabo Ibehre as he raced clear on ten minutes, and Marco Reich managed to score from the subsequent free-kick.

The hosts then had the better of the match before clinching the victory on 88 minutes through Ibehre.

The Iron entered their first away league fixture of the season making three changes from the team beaten 3-0 at Hartlepool United in the Carling Cup first round on Tuesday.

Mirfin and Sam Togwell both came in to make their debuts at the expense of knee injury victim Kenny Milne and midfielder Ian Morris, who had been suffering from sickness in the week. Elsewhere, Paul Hayes - back from an ankle injury - replaced Jonathan Forte in attack.

Josh Lillis started the game in goal, with Cliff Byrne, Izzy Iriekpen, Mirfin and Marcus Williams completing the back four. The midfield was Thompson, Togwell, Grant McCann and Hurst, while Hayes led the attack alongside Gary Hooper.

The substitutes' bench consisted of new goalkeeper Sam Slocombe, winger Martyn Woolford, Morris, Ben May and Andrew Wright.

Keen to make up for the disappointment of the midweek result, Scunthorpe managed to go ahead on their first attack two minutes in.

Hooper flicked a header on for Hurst to speed down the left wing, he swung in a cross for Thompson who climbed well to nod his header past Clayton Ince from 12 yards.

The hosts tried to get themselves back into the game, and Ibehre capitalised on a mistake by Mirfin to surge clear. The former Huddersfield man brought the frontman down though and was promptly shown the red card by referee Karl Evans.

And from the resulting free-kick, Reich - formerly of Derby - curled his free-kick beyond the dive of Lillis at his left-hanf post, levelling the scores.

In Mirfin's absence, Byrne switched to centre-back with Thompson playing on the right-hand side of defence.

The hosts continued to press after the goal, but struggled to create a clear-cut chance until Ibehre raced on to a throughball by Stephen Hughes on 24 minutes to narrowly poke a volleyed effort over the crossbar.

They then had another chance five minutes later as Sofiene Zaaboub crossed into the box from the left flank. The ball was only partially cleared, and Alex Nicholls mis-hit his shot wide of Lillis' left-hand post.

32 minutes in, Hurst had the Iron's second shot on goal of the game when he curled his right-footed free-kick over the crossbar from 30 yards.

The left-winger then fancied his chances from even further out four minutes later, dribbling through the centre before drilling his low effort wide from 35 yards.

Walsall continued their pressure, with Nicholls striking an effort wide after his cross into the box had caused danger for the Iron backline. It proved to be the last chance of the opening half.

With no changes on either side, the home team started the second period in the same way they had ended the first, and Byrne came close to putting the ball in his own goal - with his clearance from a Nicholls cross going narrowly wide of Lillis' left-hand post.

The Scunthorpe stopper then saved well from a header by Taundry as the Saddlers continued to take advantage of having an extra man.

Hayes was stretchered off on 60 minutes after he got caught in a challenge with a Walsall defender. He was replaced by Ben May, but the absence of the creative striker would prove a big blow for United. The former Barnsley forward soon returned to the dug-out to watch the rest of the game on crutches.

Jimmy Mullen's side were still having the better of the match, but the Iron enjoyed an attacking resurgence on 65 minutes with Thompson drilling into the side-netting, and a corner narrowly missing a number of players.

Wright came on for Hooper on 66 minutes as Thompson moved up to his more familiar right-wing position. Lillis made an excellent save from a trademark Ibehre piledriver on the turn two minutes later.

The Scunthorpe goalkeeper then had to show quick reflexes again to save from Ibehre's header after a dangerous cross from Palmer.

Morris came on for Hurst as the Iron injected more energy in the midfield with seven minutes remaining, and he was quick to get a shot registered - curling an effort over the crossbar from 25 yards.

May could then have put his team back ahead with four minutes left, but he prodded McCann's cross from the left over the crossbar from 10 yards.

But it was Walsall who would go on to score a late winner, with Ibehre firing past Lillis after a low pass by Troy Deeney. There were claims of offside by the Iron defence, but Evans, the referee, wasn't having it and, despite six minutes if stoppage time, there were no more chances as the Iron lost for the third time in a week.

Scunthorpe are next in action on Saturday when they entertain Peterborough United.

Attendance: 4,162 (442 away).

Full reaction will follow later this evening.