A young Sparrow ensured injury-ravaged Scunthorpe were flying high at Torquay on Saturday.

A first-half double by Matthew Sparrow on his second start gave Brian Laws' mid-table side only their second win in 14 League games.

It came at a price, because Laws' already crippled squad has been further depleted.

Dave Rogers, a centre half making his debut after Scunthorpe took over his contract with Scottish club Ayr, was stretchered off at the start of the second half with an ankle injury.

He hobbled back on but then dislocated a shoulder.

Midfielder Trevor Berry, on loan from Rotherham, had already been stretchered off with a torn hamstring which rules him out for the rest of the season. Glanford Park resembles a casualty ward at the moment, with no fewer than ten players under treatment out of a senior squad of 21.

Peter Morrison suffered a horrifying leg break in a recent reserve game. It was so severe that the match was abandoned.

Other victims include highly rated young stopper Nathan Stanton and the influential Lee Hodges.

Both Hodges and top scorer Guy Ipoua are on the transfer list. They are out of contract in the summer and have rejected new terms.

Ipoua collected a bemusing and costly booking at Torquay for coming on in place of Rogers before he had been authorised to do so.

It was his tenth yellow card of the campaign, which will mean an automatic two-match suspension if Scunthorpe's appeal fails.

Laws had to play midfielder Paul Harsley at rightback on Saturday and fullback Mark Jackson alongside Rogers in the middle.

Steve Torpey was switched from centre forward to centre half when Rogers went off. Spanish midfielder Alex Calvo-Garcia, only fit enough to be on the bench on Saturday following calf trouble, will probably be pressed back into action tonight to partner Icelandic midfielder Bjarni Larusson in the centre of the park.