Norwich City tightened their grip on second place in the Championship with a six-goal hammering of bottom of the table Scunthorpe, writes Mark Burchett and John Maiden.
Leading striker Grant Holt scored twice in the first half, the second from the penalty spot after Irons' defender Paul Reid had brought him down and which saw him dismissed. Holt completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute and after his 69th minute introduction Simeon Jackson then produced a hat-trick of his own to complete the rout.
Scunthorpe kicked off 'attacking' the Barclay end goal but it was more a case of 'defending' for the Championship strugglers and it was no surprise when City went ahead in the tenth minute.
Andrew Surman's pass released loan debutante, Dani Pacheco on the Norwich left and when he drove the ball back along the ground towards the near post, Holt turned it into the net with a crisp finish.
Surman went close and Wes Hoolahan's shot was saved by Joe Murphy before the home side doubled their lead from the penalty spot on the half hour. Once again it was Pacheco's pass that created a shooting chance for Holt, but this time he was sent crashing to the ground by Reid who referee Oliver Langford sent off for denying a shooting opportunity.
Holt scored from the spot, sending Murphy the wrong way with a right foot shot to the keeper's right.
David Fox, Andrew Crofts and Holt all went close before half-time.
HALF-TIME: City 2 Scunthorpe 0
Neither manager made any changes at the break and City kicked off towards their favoured 'Barclay' end.
Nine minutes into the second half Pacheco had Murphy back peddling to catch a long range chip and on the hour Hoolahan's shot hit a post A minute later Holt completed his hat-trick, beating Murphy at the near post with a powerful header to convert a ring wing cross from Crofts.
Pacheco fired wide and Marc Tierney had a shot saved before substitute Simeon Jackson scored the first of his three goals in the seventy-fifth minute, beating Murphy to a weak back pass from Michael Raynes and finding the back of the net with a low first time shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Two minutes later Jackson met fellow substitute Henri Lansbury's low right wing cross at the near post and his close-range shot gave Murphy no chance.
Lansbury had a shot saved and Jackson headed over. While at the other end John Ruddy had to tip over a rare and long-range effort from Michael O'Connor for the visitors.
But it would not be Norwich if there was not a goal in stoppage time and who better to score it than Jackson who ended his personal goal drought when he turned in Surman's off target shot, or cross from the City left, with a low shot first-time shot from some eight yards, which beat Murphy to his right.
FULL-TIME: City 6 Scunthorpe 0