Scunthorpe cruised to their second successive win, seeing off a previously unbeaten Stockport County 3-0 at Edgeley Park.

Gary Hooper gave the visitors a deserved lead on 30 minutes and then scored the all-important second goal just after half-time as the hosts lacked answers to the Iron's cutting edge going forward.

Grant McCann's sublime free-kick sealed the success on 58 minutes as the Iron recorded their heaviest win since May 2007.

The Iron entered the match making just one alteration from the team which beat Peterborough United 1-0 at Glanford Park a week earlier.

Club captain Izzy Iriekpen, who had an injection on a groin injury earlier in the week, was replaced in the team by David Mirfin, who returned from suspension at Edgeley Park.

Meanwhile, Cliff Byrne took the skipper's armband in the former Swansea man's absence.

Joe Murphy started the match in goal, with Cliff Byrne, David Mirfin, Krystian Pearce and Marcus Williams forming the defence.

The midfield consisted of Garry Thompson, Sam Togwell, McCann and former Stockport loan winger Kevan Hurst, while Paul Hayes and Hooper led the away attack

The substitutes were Josh Lillis, Ian Morris, Martyn Woolford, Ben May and Andrew Wright.

Ex-Scunthorpe loanee Michael Rose was a substitute for the home team.

And it was the Iron who had got off to the better start, with Hooper testing Owain Fon Williams with a low drive from the round-hand side of the penalty area two minutes in after good pressure from the visitors.

Then, five minutes later, Thompson came even closer with a piledriver from the right-hand side of the penalty area which Fon Williams palmed away to safety.

The hosts had their first effort on target 12 minutes in when Anthony Pilkington's free-kick was well handled by Murphy.

They continued to press but Nigel Adkins' side were equal to everything thrown at them and looked comfortable.

United had the best chance of the game on 24 minutes when Mirfin beat the hosts' offside trap to send in a low shot which Fon Williams superbly blocked from point blank range. The former Huddersfield defender didn't realise how much time he had, as the home team lived to fight another day.

It wasn't long before Hooper broke the deadlock though, drilling home from the right-hand side of the penalty area after McCann had won the ball and played him through on the edge of the penalty area. It was his second goal of the season and the Iron support behind the goal were in raptures.

Hayes had the next chance of the game four minutes later, but his looped effort cleared the crossbar. And that was it until the half-time break as Scunthorpe went in ahead at the interval.

There was a worry that the unbeaten hosts would come out all guns blazing for the second half, but those fears were allayed one minute into the second-half when Hooper beat the offside trap to thump in from close range after Hayes' shot across goal.

Stockport still offered little going forward, with Jim McNulty's drilled right-footed effort immediately after the goal drawing a routine save from Murphy.

The visitors were in control, and made it three on 58 minutes when McCann let fly with a delightful free-kick from 25 yards which flew into Fon Williams' top right-hand corner.

Scunthorpe made their first substitution of the afternoon on 63 minutes when Woolford replaced Hurst for his longest run-out in an Iron shirt yet.

May then came on for Hayes as manager Nigel Adkins utilised the options which he had on the bench.

With the game already won, chances were limited at either end as the main action took place in midfield. Wright came on for Thompson as United made their final change of the afternoon.

Togwell flashed a fizzing effort just wide from 25 yards on 89 minutes as Scunthorpe threatened to make it four on an afternoon of big scores up and down the country.

McNulty then had a last gasp effort cleared off the line in the final minute of an additional three at the end. It simply wasn't to be Stockport's day, it was a fantastic one for the Iron though - who are next in action on Tuesday when they host Notts County in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy (7.30pm kick-off).

Attendance: 6,348 (591 away).