Jai Rowe’s first-half header earned three precious points for struggling Scunthorpe as they beat out-of-form Walsall 1-0 at the Sands Venue Stadium.

Rowe reacted first to nod home in the 34th minute after Ross Millen’s free-kick from 25 yards had struck the inside of the post.

The goal ended a run of seven successive defeats for the bottom-of-the-table Iron – who played the final 37 minutes with 10 men after defender Tom Pugh was sent off for a second booking.

Despite the scoreline Walsall dominated throughout, with Tyrese Shade and Liam Kinsella both testing home keeper Rory Watson before the hosts went ahead and George Miller firing over, albeit from a tight angle, after rounding the Iron stopper.

Scunthorpe might have had a quick second after Rowe’s opener, when Emmanual Onariase was denied from a corner, before the one-way traffic resumed in the second period.

Pugh’s red card, dished out for his reaction to a clumsy challenge by the visitors’ Hayden White in the 53rd minute, gave the Saddlers’ attacking play an extra spark.

But despite being camped in the Iron half for much of the final half-hour Miller’s near-post header from a corner, which rattled the woodwork, was the closest they came to an equaliser in what was a seventh successive defeat for the Saddlers.