A sending-off changed the game, as the Iron were pegged back by Leyton Orient to draw 2-2 at the Matchroom Stadium.

Scunthorpe were two goals ahead at half-time following strikes from Izzy Iriekpen and Paul Hayes, but goalkeeper Joe Murphy's red card for a foul on John Melligan inside his area turned the match around.

Adam Boyd promptly dispatched the rebound after substitute 'stopper Josh Lillis initially saved his penalty. Then, Stephen Purches levelled the scores on 69 minutes. It was United who pressed for a winner in the closing stages, but it wasn't to come.

The Iron named an unchanged team for the game. Manager Nigel Adkins kept faith with the side which comprehensively outplayed Yeovil at Glanford Park a week earlier. Murphy started between the sticks for Scunthorpe, with Cliff Byrne, Iriekpen, Krystian Pearce and Marcus Williams forming the defence. The midfield consisted of Matt Sparrow, Sam Togwell, Grant McCann and Martyn Woolford, while Hayes and Gary Hooper led the attack. Iriekpen and Hooper were facing a former club in the shape of the O's.

Garry Thompson and Kevan Hurst both missed out with knee problems, so the bench consisted of Josh Lillis, David Mirfin, Jonathan Forte, Ian Morris and Ben May.

It was a lively opening, with both teams trying to get a foothold in the game. The first chance of the afternoon came Scunthorpe's way on seven minutes when Hooper laid the ball off for Woolford, who scrambled his effort just wide. Prior to that, O's striker Adam Boyd had glanced a header wide of Murphy's right-hand post

Scunthorpe had a great chance to take the lead on 22 minutes when Hooper beat the offside trap to break into the penalty area. He tried to send the ball across goal for Hayes to slot in, but it was just blocked out for a corner in the nick of time by the O's.

It seemed that the game was there for the taking, and the Iron managed to go ahead on 26 minutes when McCann's corner wasn't cleared properly and the ball came back to Iriekpen, who rammed the ball past Glenn Morris, with the help of a deflection, for his second strike of the season.

It was a half of few opportunities, but Scunthorpe were well on top. Woolford, who was always probing, flashed in an effort on 37 minutes, from the left-hand side of the penalty area, Morris almost spilled.

Orient should have levelled on 44 minutes when Boyd received the ball after a flowing passing move on the counter-attack and drove the ball narrowly wide of Murphy's bottom right-hand post with his strike from just inside the penalty area.

Moments later, they were made to pay for it by a clinical Iron, as McCann's free-kick on the stroke of half-time reached Hayes, who glanced his header past the onrushing Morris for his fifth goal of the season.

The visiting side continued as they left off at the start of the second period and could have added to their lead when Iriekpen headed wide from a Woolford centre.

Orient were handed a reprieve, though, on 54 minutes when Melligan was played through one-on-one and Murphy felled him in the penalty area.

Referee Anthony Taylor swiftly showed a straight red card to the Irishman, and he slowly marched off.

Woolford was replaced by substitute goalkeeper Lillis, and his first task was to face Boyd's spot-kick.

The stopper got down well to his right to tip out Boyd's effort, but the former Hartlepool man quickly slotted home the rebound to make a game of it again.

United now had to defend their lead with just 10 men, and the hosts managed to breach their rearguard and equalise on 67 minutes. Boyd picked out Purches, who slammed the ball past the onrushing Lillis from 12 yards.

Scunthorpe kept plugging away after the goals, and Hooper managed to test Morris with a couple of efforts as the visitors attempted to regain the lead.

With the hosts' last real chance of the match on 79 minutes, Simon Dawkins latched on to a poor clearance to force an excellent low save from Lillis and, seconds later, McCann then curled an ambitious left-footed effort just wide from the edge of the 18-yard box after good work from Hooper.

The Iron replaced Hayes with Forte as they seeked to add fresh legs to their attack.

And it was United who had the better of the dying embers of the match, but the hosts held on for a point.

Although, they couldn't record a record-equalling seventh league win in succession, this result takes the Iron's unbeaten run to eight matches.

They host League Two side Grimsby Town in the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday night, as they look to keeo that run going.

Attendance: 4,244 (600 away).