Neil Cox was full of praise for his in-form Scunthorpe side after they won 1-0 at Colchester to register a third straight League Two victory.

Alfie Beestin netted the Iron’s winner in the fifth minute with a superb long-range strike to seal a fine away win and extend the hosts’ winless run to nine matches.

Scunthorpe boss Cox said: “We’re on a good run over the last three games especially.

“We’ve done really well over the last four or five weeks but just had no luck in front of goal and conceded the odd sloppy goal.

“We’d let ourselves down but over the last week, I’d been under a little bit of pressure to get results and the boys and the staff have stuck by me.

“The football club are working really hard to get better – they’ve been trying to change a lot of things and I think three wins in six days and three clean sheets is excellent for the football club.

“It was difficult earlier in the season and a lot of people didn’t know if they wanted to be at the football club and I’ve had to grab everybody together and build up a bit of team spirit and a bit of morale and it’s only just coming together now.”

Beestin netted Scunthorpe’s winner when he collected Ryan Loft’s assist and ran at the U’s defence before planting a fine shot past the motionless Dean Gerken.

Scunthorpe keeper Mark Howard denied Callum Harriott and Colchester had a penalty appeal rejected early in the second half when Courtney Senior tumbled under Manny Onariase’s challenge in the area.

Howard denied Harriott late on but Colchester are now nine without a win, having netted only once in their last six games.

Colchester boss Steve Ball said: “I’m not sure what I can say after that.

“We were the better team in terms of getting in the final third with loads of crosses and loads of shots, albeit not working the goalie enough.

“If you look at our possession and getting into the final third we’ve been doing it – it’s just that final bit that’s been missing of late.

“We need someone at the minute to nick a goal to get us back on that goal run.

“The Achilles heel right now is trying to score goals and it’s a flat feeling again.

“It’s one where you just have to take it on the chin. We’ve lost to a 30-yarder and I think they had two shots in the game and they scored from one of them – that at the moment is the way it is.

“We had two injuries after they scored so it doesn’t rain but it pours.”