Scunthorpe United 4 Sheffield Wednesday 2: Owls lose out after Hinds sees red at Iron

The former Iron defender was sent off for scything down Jonathan Forte from behind as the Owls lost out in an action-packed second half.

Wednesday edged the first 45 minutes but went in trailing to Michael Collins's stoppage-time 25-yard curler.

The result was never in doubt once Chris Dagnall and a Michael O'Connor penalty put the hosts 3-0 up. But goals from substitutes Marcus Tudgay and Neil Mellor gave the scoreline a respectable look as Dagnall added a fourth for Scunthorpe.

Irvine made six changes to the side which beat Brighton on Saturday, captain Darren Purse (calf) an enforced absentee which meant a first start of the campaign for Hinds.

Wednesday had an amazing let-off after just two minutes when Sam Togwell was left unmarked at the far post, but his attempted volley rolled wide of Nicky Weaver's goal.

At the other end Wednesday's best chance came after good work from Chris Sedgwick down the left. The winger's cross picked out the recalled Clinton Morrison, but he headed over.

The Owls should have taken the lead 10 minutes before the interval when former Doncaster Rovers striker Paul Heffernan wasted a glorious chance.

Gary Teale chased a lost cause, pinging a cross over from the touchline, but the unmarked Heffernan volleyed over from eight yards.

After denying Michael Raynes and Collins, there was nothing the Owls goalkeeper could do to stop Collins's shot from the corner of the penalty area which curled inside his left-hand post in first-half stoppage time.

And it was 2-0 in the 49th minute. Dagnall skipping around left-back Daniel Jones before drilling a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

That prompted Irvine to throw on attacking midfielder Tommy Miller and strikers Tudgay and Mellor.

It certainly livened the Wednesday attack and Mellor was only denied by the diving Murphy, while Eddie Nolan – who was on loan with the Owls last season – crashed his shot against the inside of Weaver's post as the visitors left gaps at the back in search of a goal.

Wednesday were reduced to 10 men after 67 minutes when Hinds was red carded after tackling Forte from behind.

Michael O'Connor blasted home the resulting penalty to spark a late flurry of goals.

First Tudgay netted from the penalty spot after Mellor was pushed from behind by Cliff Byrne, before Dagnall restored United's advantage with an unmarked header. But the Owls refused to lie down as Mellor blasted home Jones's cross in front of the 1,800 travelling fans.

Scunthorpe United: Murphy, Togwell, Byrne, M O'Connor (Wright 76), Dagnall (Boyes 89), Raynes, Forte (Grant 69), Wright, Collins, Nolan, Canavan. Unused substitutes: Slocombe, Coleman, Godden, Palmer.

Sheffield Wednesday: Weaver, Otsemobor, Beevers, Hinds, Jones, Potter, J O'Connor, Teale (Tudgay 57), Sedgwick (Miller 57), Morrison, Heffernan (Mellor 53). Unused substitutes: Jameson, Spurr, Buxton, Coke.

Referee: N Miller (County Durham).