Scunthorpe moved up into the League One promotion places after recording their sixth win in succession against Hereford United at Edgar Street.

The Iron are now second in the league after coming back from a goal down against Graham Turner's side.

The hosts took the lead when Nick Chadwick scored from the penalty spot in the first half.

United were resurgent in the second period though, and levelled through Sam Togwell.

Gary Hooper - playing against the club he helped get promoted during a prolific loan spell towards the end of last season - then promptly made it two, winning the day for Nigel Adkins' men.

The Iron made three changes ahead of the match. Matt Sparrow and Martyn Woolford came into the team on the wings in place of Garry Thompson and Kevan Hurst, while club captain Izzy Iriekpen was back in the team in place of David Mirfin.

Joe Murphy started the match in goal for the Iron, while Cliff Byrne, Izzy Iriekpen, Krystian Pearce, Marcus Williams completed the defence. The midfield consisted of Matt Sparrow, Togwell, Grant McCann and Martyn Woolford, while Paul Hayes and Hooper led the attack. Josh Lillis, Mirfin, Hurst, Thompson and Ian Morris were the substitutes.

Former Scunthorpe striker Steve Guinan wasn't in the line-up for the hosts.

The away team started brightest, with Iriekpen powering a header wide after McCann's corner from the left three minutes in.

Martyn Woolford then forced another corner five minutes later as Darren Randolph tipped out his low effort.

From the subsequent set-piece Cliff Byrne headed over the crossbar from 15 yards after McCann's centre had been flicked on.

Matty Done had a goalbound effort blocked by McCann, and then the Iron broke - with Hooper bursting through and having his low effort from the right-hand side of the penalty area tipped out by Randolph after the leading scorer had capitalised on Dean Beckwith's mistake.

The lively Done then managed to win his side a penalty on 23 minutes when he went down under Iriekpen's high challenge. The defender was shown a yellow card for the foul by referee Gavin Ward, and Chadwick stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick past Murphy, who got a foot to it but couldn't keep out the former Everton striker's rocketed effort.

Scunthorpe tried to get back into the game, and Hayes came close on the half hour mark when he headed McCann's cross over the bar from 10 yards. McCann had been booked moments earlier for taking a free-kick too quickly.

Then, on 38 minutes, Woolford and Hooper combined well for the former to volley over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.

Hooper created the final opening of the half when he jinked his way into the penalty area and sent in an inviting cross which just needed a touch for an Iron goal. Nobody could get on the end of it though, and it proved to be the last action before referee Ward blew his whistle for half-time.

Hayes fired wide soon after the restart, but he soon had a role to play in the equalising goal - as he flicked the ball on for Togwell on 55 minutes, who buried a curled strike past Randolph from 15 yards out for his first Scunthorpe goal.

Sam Togwell races away after scoring the equaliser.

Four minutes later, United then made it two when Hooper, a former Hereford loanee from last season, was played through by Hayes to advance on goal and drive his effort past the advancing Randolph. It was his seventh strike of the season.

Gary Hooper is congratulated after making it 2-1.

Scunthorpe continued their pressure, with Iriekpen and Pearce having shots blocked from corners. The hosts were offering little going forward at that point, they lacked a cutting edge and their only chance of the game up to the hour mark was the penalty which they scored from. However, they were to finish the game strongly.

Thompson replaced Hayes on 65 minutes as the away team added a fresh, pacy edge to their attack.

The hosts had their best chance of the game so far three minutes later when Ben Smith directed his header over the crossbar.

Sparrow then curled an effort over the crossbar for Scunthorpe as they seeked to add the killer third goal.

Seconds later, Hooper beat three players before curling an effort narrowly wide of goal from the edge of the penalty area.

Hereford thought they had levelled the scores on 79 minutes when Simon Johnson's speculative curling effort ricocheted off the post and back into Murphy's arms.

A minute later Toumani Diagouraga had bundled the ball over the line following a goalmouth scramble, but referee Ward had already blown his whistle for offside.

The Iron made their second change when Morris came on for McCann, and Thompson then had a low angled effort tipped out for a corner from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

Johnson, who was making a difference for the home team after coming on for Stephen O'Leary, had a strike deflected wide as Graham Turner's team kept pushing for an equaliser.

Done's rasping effort was well saved by Murphy amongst a flurry of late pressure from the home team. It was a nervy finish, but Scunthorpe held on and are now second in League One - two points behind leaders Oldham.

They will be looking to make it seven wins out of seven when they host Yeovil Town at Glanford Park next Saturday.

Attendance: 3,004 (293 away).