Scunthorpe picked up a surprise win over Sunderland this afternoon, as Roy Keane watched a stuttering performance from his Premiership-bound troops.

Roy Keane handed first starts to two of his summer signings, with Dickson Etuhu and Michael Chopra starting in midfield and attack respectively. Russell Anderson and Carlos Edwards stayed in Wearside with injuries, while Kieran Richardson was rested as we still wait for his first appearance following his £5.5m move from Manchester United. There was a surprise on the bench as well, as 19 year old trialist Jack Pelter was named among the subs, as Keane looked to the New Zealand defender in his search for new blood.

Scunthorpe named former Sunderland players Joe Murphy and Cliff Byrne in their starting XI, and the Championship newcomers were ahead inside the opening two minutes, as Nyron Nosworthy revisited his old self. Nyron's pass out of defence hit the back of a Scunthorpe player, and rebounded into the path of Martin Paterson, who slotted the ball underneath Darren Ward.

Sunderland could have gotten back into it almost immediately, as Grant Leadbitter smashed a shot wide from Etuhu's cross on seven minutes, before the former Norwich man saw his shot cleared off the line on 15 minutes after some good work from Daryl Murphy. Dwight Yorke had a chance following some set up play from Chopra, before a second attempt on 24 minutes saw Yorke fire a long-range shot well off target.

We almost conceded again, thanks to some more poor defending, as Stan Varga lost the ball to Paterson, who then crossed the ball in for Paul Hayes to sidefoot straight at Ward, before Kevan Hurst blasted the rebound over the bar. Roy Keane reacted by bringing on Ross Wallace before half time, with Danny Collins making way in the tactical reshuffle. Within moments, Daryl Murphy fired in a cross towards Chopra, only for Izzy Iriekpen to head away the danger.

Both sides had chances to score before the break, with Nosworthy deflecting an effort from Jim Goodwin, before Greg Halford headed a Wallace cross straight at Joe Murphy as Scunthorpe went into half time with their noses in front.

Sunderland made five changes at half time, bringing on trialist Pelter among others, as Etuhu and Chopra made way. Grant Leadbitter could have equalised just after the restart, but Murphy was able to stop his drive from the edge of the area, before Paterson, Goodwin and substitute Jon Forte came close to extending the home side's lead. David Connolly tried to equalise after a one-two with Stern John - one of the Trinidad and Tobagan's rare good pieces of play - but Connolly sent his effort wide, as Scunthorpe piled on the pressure.

Sub keeper Marton Fulop had to watch Hayes head the ball wide just before the hour mark, before he made saves from Hayes again and Forte as the game headed into the final 20 minutes. Sunderland did try to get an equaliser, with substitute Billy Dennehy crossing the ball in for Murphy to send a shot off the post, before David Connolly found his effort blocked by the Scunthorpe keeper as our desparation started to show, but in the end it was too little too late as an early mistake gave the Championship new boys the pre-season win.

Sunderland: Ward (sub 46, Fulop), Halford, Nosworthy, Varga (sub 46, Pelter), Collins (sub 34, Wallace), Yorke, Etuhu (sub 46, Miller), Whitehead (sub 46, John), Leadbitter (sub 69, Dennehy), Murphy, Chopra (sub 46, Connolly).

Scunthorpe: Murphy, Byrne (sub 86, Wilcox), Crosby, Iriekpen (sub 60, Butler), Williams (sub 77, Barnett), Taylor (sub 60, Mulligan), Goodwin (sub 85, Moxon), Morris (sub 60, Baraclough), Hurst (sub 60, Youga), Hayes (sub 60, Forte), Paterson (sub 69, Winn).