BURY head coach Chris Brass admitted his young players were taught a lesson as they dropped back into the relegation zone with a 3-2 defeat at Scunthorpe.

The Shakers fielded five teenagers in the starting XI against the Iron and it showed in the opening stages.

Harry Toffolo and Stephen Dawson scored two quick-fire goals as Scunthorpe raced into a 2-0 lead.

Goalkeeper Rob Lainton made a string of fine saves to keep the score respectable and Neal Bishop rattled the post before George Miller pulled a goal back for Bury.

Any thoughts of keeping it tight before half time were undone by Josh Morris, who hit a third from a free kick – albeit in controversial circumstances – which capped off the hosts’ dominant first-half display.

Substitute Kelvin Etuhu netted for Bury to reduce the deficit in the second half, but it proved to be only a consolation.

Brass replaced two of his teen players at half time – midfielders Callum Styles, aged 16, and Scott Burgess, 19 – in a bid to add more muscle and experience to the side.

But he says the youngsters will have learned a lot from what was a tough afternoon for them.

“It was certainly a lesson for one or two of the younger players,” Brass said. “It gave them an understanding as to why Scunthorpe are challenging at the top of the division.

“The way they went about it in the first 15, 20 minutes, we had to quickly adapt.

“Once we did adapt we got back into the game. We made it a bit more difficult.

“They (Styles and Burgess) have been our best players in recent weeks but it was the type of game today where we had to change it and just match them up a little bit.

“They will learn from it and will have to learn that part of the game is what the top boys do well.”

Bury have performed well in a tough run of four straight fixtures against teams in the top six.

Draws against Fleetwood and Bradford were followed by defeat against league leaders Sheffield United before Saturday’s loss to Scunthorpe, who are second.

The Shakers’ task was made harder against the Blades after appeals for what looked to be a clear-cut penalty were waved away by the referee, a decision Brass branded as “disgusting”.

The head coach was equally unhappy with Eddie Ilderton’s performance at Glanford Park after he overruled his assistant’s offside flag to allow Morris’ match-winning free kick to stand.

Brass said: “We got back into the game at 2-1 and I’m perplexed again how we have got a decision against us that has effectively cost us a point.

“I have been more than fair. I was phoned and told last week that the referee had made a mistake and it was a definite penalty.

“It’s gone now, so it is hard to take.

“We are all professional people, and yes people make mistakes – but I find it hard to be civil.

“I am sick of defending referees and trying to be nice. Why should I?”

Brass handed debuts to Reece Brown, who re-signed after being released by the club in the summer, and England Under-20s defender Taylor Moore, who signed on loan from Bristol City.

Fellow new boy Cameron Burgess linked up with the squad late and therefore only made the bench, but Brass is now happy with the options available to him in defence.

“I was comfortable going into the game thinking we had a much stronger squad,” he said. “Reece (Brown) did well, he has come in and knows what I expect.

“I think everybody saw, especially as the game went on, just what talents Taylor Moore possesses.

“It was unfortunate Cameron (Burgess) was done just a little too late in order to get the work done on the training ground.”

Midfielder Jacob Mellis was a surprise absentee with a thigh injury, but he is not expected to be on the sidelines for too long. Winger Danny Mayor also remains on the sidelines – but Brass says he is not a million miles away from returning.

Match ratings

Bury (4-2-3-1): Lainton 6; Moore 6, Kay 6, Bedeau 6, Leigh 6; Styles 4 (Etuhu 45, 7), Brown 7; G. Miller 7, S. Burgess 4 (Mackreth 45, 6), Vaughan 6; Pope 5 (I. Miller 77, 6). Unused subs: Williams, C. Burgess, Danns, I. Miller, Hope.

Scunthorpe United (4-4-2): Daniels; Clarke, Goode, Wallace, Toffolo; Bishop, Dawson, Mantom (Smallwood 88), Morris; van Veen (Holmes 88), Hopper (Davies 71). Unused subs: Anyon, Wiseman, Williams, Margetts.

Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).