Team news

Midfielder Mozika may return Scunthorpe midfielder Damien Mozika could be in contention to face Rochdale after a four-month absence.

The 24-year-old midfielder, a summer signing from Bury, has been sidelined since mid-October with an ankle injury, but has been closing in on a return to first-team action and might make the substitutes' bench.

New signings Jon Parkin, David Mirfin, Jamie Reckford and Robbie Gibbons are all hoping to make their belated debuts after the postponement of the Iron's last two fixtures.

Manager Alan Knill will also be boosted by the return of skipper Cliff Byrne (groin), striker Jordan Robertson (hip) and midfielder Jimmy Ryan (knee), while Michael O'Connor (groin) is another player expected to shake off injury in time to make his return to the squad.

Scunthorpe, without midfielder Michael Collins (Achilles), plus strikers Connor Jennings (foot) and Matt Godden (hip), are chasing only their second league win in 12 matches.

Michael Symes and Paul McCallum are in line to finally make their Rochdale debuts when John Coleman's side travel to fellow npower League One strugglers Scunthorpe.

Forward duo Symes and McCallum signed on loan at Spotland before the end of the January transfer window from Bournemouth and West Ham respectively, but subsequent postponements of the scheduled games against Charlton and Notts County have left Dale without a match for more than a fortnight.

It has also been a frustrating time for Coleman, with the former Accrington boss unable to build on the flying start to his tenure when local rivals Bury were dispatched 3-0 in his first game in charge on January 28 - Rochdale's first win since mid-November.

Scunthorpe vs Rochdale

Last modified 22:42 14/02/12

Iron break home hoodoo A brilliant goal from striker Garry Thompson ended Scunthorpe's three-and-a-half month wait for a home win as fellow relegation rivals Rochdale were beaten 1-0 at Glanford Park.

Cutting in from the right, Thompson rifled an unstoppable left-foot shot from 25 yards into the far corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Peter Kurucz with no chance.

It was a deserved victory for Scunthorpe who were always the more positive side. But with three new faces in their line-up, they took time to settle in a first half devoid of much goalmouth action.

It was one of those new faces, loan signing Jon Parkin from Cardiff, who made his physical presence felt up front and he came close to a debut goal early in the second half with a shot which brought the best out of Kurucz.

Rochdale, without a goal in their previous five away games, struggled up front again. But they might have been in front on the hour with their one chance of the match when Nicky Adams could only stab the rebound wide of a gaping goal after skipper Gary Jones saw his shot blocked by goalkeeper Sam Slocombe.