NOTTS County claimed a dramatic 3-2 win against Scunthorpe United in League One at Meadow Lane today.

Krystian Pearce headed the Magpies in front in the first half, but the Iron hit back before half-time through Andy Barcham.

The visitors then went 2-1 ahead early in the second half as Bobby Grant struck, but Scunthorpe midfielder Oli Norwood was later sent off and Notts substitute Jeff Hughes made it 2-2 before Julian Kelly scored the winner on 82 minutes.

The Magpies faced Scunthorpe seven days after a 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town and made two changes, with Mike Edwards returning to the heart of their defence and Ishmel Demontagnac replacing Jeff Hughes to make his first league start of the season.

Lee Hughes was notably named on the substitutes' bench, so Ben Burgess and Karl Hawley were once again paired together in attack.

Notts were first to threaten on six minutes. Edwards crossed the ball dangerously into the penalty area from the left wing, Pearce met it and attempted to direct a left-footed shot beyond Iron goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, but he made a good save to deny the defender.

The Magpies should have taken a 1-0 lead on 16 minutes. Alan Judge swung a corner into the box and Burgess made a terrifically-timed run to meet it, but headed the ball over the crossbar from eight yards.

Edwards then blocked a powerful long-range strike from Norwood on 19 minutes and, in swift reply, Hawley directed a glancing header wide on 21 minutes.

Scunthorpe threatened for the first time on 26 minutes when Bobby Grant sent Barcham racing into the Magpies' penalty area and Notts were hugely indebted to Judge as he chased the midfielder and blocked his shot.

Burgess then had a second outstanding opportunity to break the deadlock on 32 minutes. After beating his marker on the right, Demontagnac curled a cross into the box, but Burgess, entirely unmarked, headed the ball over the bar for a second time.

His miss was soon forgotten, however, because Notts scored on 39 minutes. It was a good move that finally undid Scunthorpe and it culminated in Judge crossing the ball into the box from the right wing and Pearce heading the ball past Johnstone and inside his left-hand post.

Frustratingly, their lead was short-lived and the visitors equalised on 44 minutes when Barcham, their most threatening player, swept a shot past Magpies' goalkeeper Stuart Nelson and into the top-right corner of the net.

Level at 1-1, Notts made two substitutions at the start of the second half, with Jeff Hughes and Lee Hughes replacing Demontagnac and Hawley.

It was Scunthorpe who scored a second goal, however, to take a 2-1 lead on 53 minutes, as Mark Duffy crossed the ball into the Magpies' box from the right and Grant stretched to direct a header past Nelson.

Scunthorpe were then reduced to ten men on 57 minutes when Norwood was sent off for a late tackle on Jeff Hughes, which sparked a melee. Once the game restarted, Notts went close to equalising on 61 minutes. Alan Sheehan got forward down the left and crossed the ball into the box and Burgess headed it back across the face of goal.

It took them only five more minutes to make it 2-2. Once again Judge was the architect, lifting the ball into the box from the right and Jeff Hughes made no mistake, driving the ball powerfully past Johnstone.

Judge was playing brilliantly and he hit a shot narrowly over the bar from 20 yards on 68 minutes as Notts strove for a third goal.

They made their final substitution on 75 minutes, bringing on Sam Sodje for Burgess and he joined Lee Hughes in attack. Two minutes later, Judge hit another shot that was deflected inches over the bar.

The Magpies were undeterred, however, and scored a third goal on 82 minutes. Kelly was the scorer, seizing onto the ball just inside the Iron's half when Niall Canavan made a mess of a routine clearance and he promptly strode into the box and beat Johnstone.

He tore his shirt off in jubilant celebration – and Notts went on to claim a hugely important win after six minutes of injury time.

NOTTS: Nelson, Kelly, Pearce, Edwards, Sheehan, Judge, Mahon, Bishop, Demontagnac (J Hughes, 46), Burgess (Sodje, 75), Hawley (L Hughes, 46). Subs: Mitchell, Stirling.

SCUNTHORPE: Johnstone, Byrne, S Duffy, Canavan, Nolan, M Duffy (Palmer, 62), O'Connor, Norwood, Barcham (Dagnall, 81), Grant, Thompson (Robertson, 78). Subs: Slocombe, Ajose.

ATTENDANCE: 6,120 (523 away).