VICTORY AGAINST RAILWAYMEN

“Had Crewe been like us, and a bit more clinical, it would have been a high-scoring game. But I still think we would have come out on top.

“I’m pleased to win, but we also know it wasn’t as polished a performance as we can get.”

Scunthorpe, who got on the front foot early, went ahead in the tenth minute when Madden nodded home at the back post following a great run and cross from the right flank by his strike partner Tom Hopper.

After Sean McAllister had hit the bar for the hosts, Crewe began to grow into the game, but an effort from Brad Inman six minutes before the break, which he pulled across the face of goal with only the keeper to beat, was their first threatening move.

The visitors had further gilt-edged opportunities to snatch an equaliser, with Billy Bingham and John Guthrie each blazing over in the space of two second-half minutes.

Immediately after the second, Scunthorpe rubbed salt into the wound by breaking upfield and Hopper again fed Madden, who drilled an angled shot into the far corner of the net in the 65th minute.

“We looked a little bit wobbly in the early stages and we didn’t really show great composure,” said Alex boss Steve Davis – whose side are yet to score in League One this term.

“As the game went on we were better and in the second half we probed and passed it. Scunthorpe had their moments but I thought we were brave and I counted five or six great chances in the second half.

“If we’d have taken our chances and Scunthorpe theirs, it could have been 5-5.

“I’ve asked the question – who’s going to get us the goals?”

STAR MAN PADDY MADDEN Scunthorpe