Jobi McAnuff scored his first goal for Leyton Orient as the O’s beat Scunthorpe United 2-1 to extend their unbeaten run away from home to six league fixtures.

After a winless run of four League 1 fixtures had seen Russell Slade’s job on the line a week ago but his players collected their fourth point on the road in the space of week to secure a result which should go some way to easing the pressure on Slade.

The win was just the O’s second at Glanford Park this Millennium and their third against the Iron, homeo or away, since 2000.

Scott Cuthbert got the O’s off to the perfect start when he crashed thumping a header home after just three minutes.

Matt Sparrow soon equalised after the break for the Iron but, just two minutes after being pegged back, McAnuff scored to secure the points for Orient.

Russell Slade made three changes from the side which drew at Notts County on Tuesday. In came Dean Cox, Lloyd James and Darius Henderson, with Michael Petrasso, Bradley Pritchard and David Mooney all dropping to the bench.

Gary Woods continued between the sticks; Scott Cuthbert, Nathan Clarke, Shane Lowry and Elliott Omozusi in front of him.

In midfield, Cox and McAnuff were on the flanks, with James and Romain Vincelot in the middle. Henderson partnered former Iron forward Chris Dagnall up front.

Scunthorpe United boss Russ Wilcox – who was part of the Irons side which beat the O’s to promotion at Wembley in 1999 – named an unchanged starting XI from the one which beat Coventry City 2-1 on Tuesday.

The O’s made the ideal start, taking the lead after just three minutes with their first attack.

Skipper Clarke’s long throw-on earned the visitors a corner and from Cox’s delivery, it was Cuthbert who rose highest to send a powerful header beyond Bobby Olejnik.

Both sides struggled to create any chances of note after the goal, with the hosts failing to hold onto the ball for long enough to threaten the O’s backline.

Just before the half-hour mark, Orient carved out a rare presentable chance, McAnuff skipping down the left before crossing for Dagnall, who drew a sharp stop from Olejnik with a looping header.

The game was slowly beginning to come to life and in the 32nd minute, Dagnall almost seized the opportunity to net against his former employers.

After Luke O’Neill surrendered possession cheaply, the former Iron striker burst forward and weaved between several United defenders before testing Olejnik with a low left-footed strike.

Scunthorpe came close with their next attack, a matter of seconds later; Paddy Madden sending a speculative dipping volley wide of Woods’ goal.

Five minutes before half-time, the hosts could have drawn level when Miguel Llera lashed a left-footed effort towards goal from a clever free-kick routine, only for Cuthbert to block superbly.

The Iron continued to shoot themselves in the foot and nearly paid the ultimate price when a long ball forward was miss-controlled by Niall Canavan. Henderson nipped in to steal the ball and advanced into the 18-yard box only to be stopped by Canavan’s inch-perfect challenge.

After a lacklustre first period, the second half began at a frenetic pace, with Orient pegged back before re-taking the lead after just six minutes of play.

First, the hosts levelled when captain Gary McSheffrey whipped a cross to the back post which Madden knocked down for the arriving Sparrow to volley past Woods first time first time.

Almost immediately, though, Orient charged up the other end to re-take the lead in front of their almost 300-strong travelling support.

Cox’s cross from the right was headed up by Dagnall and McAnuff was quickest to react, prodding home at the far post to put Slade’s side back in front.

With Orient’s tails up, Cox almost added a third just 60 seconds later, testing Olejnik with a swerving right-footed effort from 25 yards.

The game had well and truly sprung to life and with half an hour remaining, Orient could have grabbed a fourth.

After Sean McAllister lost the ball, Dagnall saw his cross into Henderson flick off the head of Canavan before the big forward controlled and fired in a tame effort which Olejnik held easily.

The impressive Dagnall saw another good chance go to waste when Cox’s clever lofted pass released the forward inside the area, only for the ball to bounce off him and into the grasp of the grateful Olejnik.

With less than 20 minutes remaining, the home side should have equalised when substitute Jennison Myrie-Williams darted down the left and crossed for Sparrow.

The midfielder controlled and steadied himself but took too long before shooting into the covering Leyton Orient defender when he had looked poised to net for a second time. 

Orient then raced up the other end to force a corner via Henderson’s deflected shot.

From the resulting set-piece, Lowry saw his back-post header blocked by Iron keeper Olejnik among a sea of bodies.

In injury time, substitutes Shaun Batt and Jay Simpson combined, with the later only able to stab the former’s cross over the bar from point-blank range.

The hosts kept pushing for a second equaliser but the O’s held firm to pick up their third win against the Iron in 19 attempts.

Scunthorpe United: Olejnik; O'Neill, Llera, Canavan, Williams; Hawkridge (Myrie-Williams 74), Sparrow, McAllister (Kee 76), McSheffrey; Madden, Taylor (Adelakun 67).

Subs: Weaver (GK), Dawson, Boyce, Sutton.

Leyton Orient: Woods; Cuthbert, Clarke, Lowry, Omozusi; Cox (Batt 82), James, Vincelot, McAnuff (Petrasso 72); Dagnall (Simpson 75), Henderson.

Subs: Grainger (GK), Baudry, Mooney, Pritchard.

Attendance: 3,264 (261 away fans).

Referee: Mr Eddie Ilderton.