Half-time: Scunthorpe United 0 Bristol Rovers 2. Bristol Rovers proved they can cope without top scorer Rickie Lambert as goals from Darryl Duffy and Jo Kuffour put them in control at the break at Glanford Park, writes Chris Swift.

The Pirates were without the 20-goal Scouse marksman for the first time this season as he continued his recovery from a hip injury.

But his replacement Duffy – making his first start since October – drew first blood for the visitors in the 21st minute when he capitalised on good work by Chris Lines and smacked a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

And 10 minutes later his strike partner Kuffour got in on the act. Jeff Hughes advanced down the left and fed the pint-sized marksman, who cut into the penalty area before planting his angled shot through the legs of keeper Joe Murphy to double the lead.

It was a bitter blow for the home fans, who had seen their side dominate the early stages in terms of possession but emerge with nothing to show.

The Iron posed a couple of threats from set pieces, and Steve Phillips was fortunate when he spilled a shot by Martyn Woolford but saw one of his team-mates hack the ball clear.

Then a quickly-taken free-kick almost caught the visitors napping, but Ryan Green was alert to the danger and reacted quickly to snuff out the opportunity.

Scunthorpe had gone into the game on the back of four straight wins but left the field to boos from their supporters, while Rovers had turned in a textbook first 45 minutes after their two-week break from action because of a string of postponements.

Scunthorpe: Murphy, Byrne, Sparrow, Thompson, Hayes, Hooper, Mirfin, Woolford, McCann, Wright, Pearce. Subs: Slocombe, Togwell, Hurst, Morris, Lansbury.

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, R Green, Hinton, Elliott, Lescott, Pipe, Lines, Campbell, Hughes, Kuffour, Duffy. Subs: Jacobson, Anthony, Rigg, Disley, Clough.