Coventry City were unable to pick up the points as the visitors claimed the victory.
Both goals came from corners with the first a header from Tom Hooper and the second a header from Murray Wallace.
City’s top two scorers Adam Armstrong and Jacob Murphy returned to the starting XI. James Maddison also came in for Joe Cole as Gael Bigirimana kept his starting berth. Martin Lorentzson made his Sky Blues debut at right-back, meaning Sam Ricketts and Peter Ramage played at the heart of the defence, with Chris Stokes shifting to left-back.
The game was only eight minutes old when the Iron took the lead. A James Ness corner was headed down to Tom Hooper in space at the near post, who poked in to give Scunthorpe the lead.
However, the Sky Blues almost got back into the game eight minutes later, when Adam Armstrong shot from the edge of the area, causing Luke Daniels to parry before the Iron defence cleared.
James Maddison also came close to putting City back on level terms in the 24th minute. Twisting and jinking his way through the defence, Maddison worked space for himself on the left of the area before taking a right-footed shot which flew just wide of the left corner.
Into added time at the end of the first half, the Iron almost doubled their lead. A misplaced pass from Stephen Hunt gave the ball straight to Paddy Madden. The forward drove at the City defence before curling a effort towards the top right , but it bounced off the corner of the bar and out.
Tony Mowbray’s men came out flying at the restart and almost got a goal straight away. Jacob Murphy played in Armstrong as the forward made his way down the left of the box, taking a shot which looked destined for the corner, but the Irons' keeper tipped it over. From the resulting corner, Martin Lorentzson nodded downwards off the ground and the stadium held its breath as it looked like it was going in, but it bounced over.
However, despite the momentum being with Tony Mowbray’s men, it was the Iron that got the second goal of the game on the hour mark. Once again a corner was the undoing of the Sky Blues defence, as a Luke Williams delivery was met with a Murray Wallace header at the right-hand post.
City continued to press over the next 20 minutes and were awarded a penalty five minutes from time. Maddison had worked himself into the box and was brought down by Ness. Armstrong stepped up to take the penalty and put it away comfortably to the keeper’s right for his 17th goal of the season.
However, City’s hope of a memorable comeback were derailed somewhat after Vincelot was sent off for a second bookable offence, much to the dismay of the Sky Blues faithful. Mowbray's men continued to press into injury time but were unable to find that elusive goal as City fell to their second home defeat of the season.
Attendance
11,138 (430 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Charles-Cook (GK), Lorentzson (Phillips 77), Ricketts (C), Ramage, Stokes, Vincelot, Bigirimana (O’Brien 46), Hunt (Rose 46), Maddison, Murphy, Armstrong
Subs: Burge (GK), Haynes,Lameiras, Fortune.
Scunthorpe United: Daniels (GK), Wiseman, Mirfin, Williams (Clarke 89), Madden, Bishop, Dawson (C) (King 81), Townsend, Hopper (McSheffery 71), Wallace, Ness
Subs: Anyon (GK), Laird, Henderson, Wootton.
YG: Vincelot, McSheffery
RG: Vincelot