Corey McKeown was the hero for Moors as his opportunist second half goal secured a SEVENTH straight win for Moors as Scunthorpe United were sent packing at The Brewery Field.

The Iron arrived in County Durham sitting second on the back of a three-game winning sequence and may feel aggrieved that they did take some reward back to Lincolnshire.

However, the desire and commitment shown by a Moors group who are oozing belief and confidence at the moment was the bedrock for another stunning result for Lee’s side.

McKeown’s impudent strike just before the hour when he picked the pocket of the Scunthorpe goalkeeper to fire home the only goal summed up a tenacious performance by the winger and his teammates.

Lee made a couple of changes to his starting line-up. Glen Taylor made his first start since knee surgery after scoring from the bench on Saturday, while Callum Ross was also given the nod in place of Fin Shrimpton who was unable to play against his parent club.

It was the visitors who started with more intent in the early stages as the dangerous Callum Roberts and the classy Jacob Butterfield both drew saves from Moors keeper Brad James within the first eight minutes.

Moors hung in there though and could have taken the lead on 12 minutes when McKeown cleverly jinked inside from the left and fired a testing cross into the box which was sliced against his own post by Iron defender Max Kouogun.

Taylor burst into space down the left to feed a ball into the path of the arriving Rob Ramshaw, but his first-time shot was brilliantly blocked by Andrew Boyce and Danny Greenfield could only head the rebound straight at Scunthorpe keeper Ross Fitzsimons.

James then made a pair of smart saves just before the break. First he got down sharply to his right to parry a Butterfield drive, before then pawing away a powerful hit from Roberts from the right side of the area.

There was a heart in mouth moment early in the second half when a flowing move down the right saw another opening for Butterfield, but his firm drive was fingertipped onto the bar by James and as the ball looped back down onto the line it found its way into the net. However, Scunthorpe’s celebrations were cut short by the award of a free kick and the goal did not stand.

The truly decisive moment arrived on 56 minutes. Ramshaw nicked possession on the edge of his own box and drove to the halfway line before fizzing a ball forward looking for the run of McKeown. Full-back Reagan Ogle looked to have the situation under control as he got to the ball first, but his back-pass wasn’t perfect and, when Fitzsimons took a heavy touch, McKeown seized the opportunity to take it off his toe before calmly sliding it into the empty net.

Ross fired a shot over the bar from 20 yards as Moors began to find space on the counter with The Iron pressing forward more and more. And the midfielder came even closer to doubling the lead on 74 minutes when his header from a Greenfield corner seemed to be destined for the bottom corner before an excellent intervention from Fitzsimons.

Boyce smashed a powerful volley off the bar from a corner at the other end as Scunthorpe fans began to conclude that it wasn’t going to be their night, before McKeown had a chance to sew it up on the break only for his shot to be deflected just over the bar.

Butterfield had a late opportunity to level from a free kick 22 yards out, but his effort beat the wall but not Man of the Match James who leapt across to his left to claim the ball and help clinch the points.

Full Time: Moors 1 Scunthorpe United 0

Moors: James, Ledger, Mbeka, Pollock, Staunton, Dolan, Ross, Greenfield (Fletcher 84), Ramshaw, McKeown, Taylor (Harris 61).
Subs not used: Liddle, Gallacher, Chimalilo.

Booked: McKeown (42)

Scunthorpe United: Fitzsimons, Ogle, Kouogun, Boyce, Denton, Clunan (Elliott 77), Roberts (McAlinden 66), Scales, Butterfield, Corbett (Sembie-Ferris 66), Whitehall.
Subs not used: Pugh, Clarke.

Booked: Whitehall (27), Butterfield (47), Sembie-Ferris (49), Clunan (65), Boyce (90)

Referee: Shaun Taylor

Attendance: 1,357 (157 Scunthorpe United)