Late goals from Patrick Agyemang and Rowan Vine gave QPR a third straight home win as they came from behind to defeat Championship strugglers Scunthorpe at Loftus Road.

Gavin McCann had bent a brilliant 20-yard free-kick into the bottom-right corner to give Nigel Adkins' side an early lead.

The Hoops hit back two minutes before the break when Martin Rowlands converted from the penalty spot after Izzy Iriekpen had fouled Vine inside the area.

The comeback was complete 11 minutes from the final whistle courtesy of Agyemang's powerful 18-yard drive and Vine sealed the win deep into injury-time.

United's Joe Murphy was the first goalkeeper called into action, making a comfortable save to deny Dexter Blackstock from six yards in the fourth minute.

But just three minutes later it was the Iron who took the lead via McCann's perfectly executed set-piece after Fitz Hall had fouled Geoff Horsfield.

It was the visitors who continued to dominate with Horsfield heading over the crossbar in the 18th minute after McCann's inswinging corner had been punched by Hoops stopper Lee Camp.

Scunthorpe midfielder Jim Goodwin did well to cut out a dangerous cross from Vine and Blackstock had an opportunity to level but the striker headed over from six yards.

Murphy came to the rescue to parry Agyemang's volley and Scunthorpe could have doubled the advantage against the run of play after 26 minutes when McCann fired narrowly over from 12 yards.

Damien Delaney cut in from the left side of the area and fired just past the post and at the other end the impressive McCann tried his luck from 18 yards.

But it was Luigi De Canio's men who netted shortly before the half-time whistle when Rowlands kept his cool from the spot.

Despite that setback it was Scunthorpe who began the brighter in what was a scrappy second half punctuated by offsides and fouls.

Horsfield's driven cross-shot from wide on the left called Camp into action but both goalkeepers were rarely tested.

Mikele Leigertwood was sent through down the right in the 72nd minute but he pulled his shot wide of the right post from 12 yards.

Adkins' side remained on the back foot in the closing stages and Akos Buzsaky could count himself unfortunate when his shot fizzed past the same post.

Eventually the pressure told as Agyemang raced onto the Hungarian playmaker's pass to fire emphatically into the roof of the net from the edge of the area.

More than four minutes of added time had been played when Vine wrapped up the win with a well-taken finish from 12 yards.

The result was harsh on Scunthorpe, who remain 23rd in the table, while the three points has taken the Hoops, who have now scored three times in each of their last three home games, over the 50-point barrier usually enough to guarantee survival.

Teams:

QPR Camp, Mancienne, Buzsaky (Mahon 81), Connolly, Delaney, Vine, Leigertwood, Rowlands (Stewart 90), Hall, Agyemang (Lee 90), Blackstock.

Subs Not Used: Pickens, Balanta.

Booked: Connolly, Hall, Leigertwood.

Goals: Rowlands 43 pen, Agyemang 79, Vine 90.

Scunthorpe Murphy, Iriekpen, Crosby, Baraclough, Butler, Sparrow, McCann (May 83), Goodwin, Cork, Hayes (Hurst 87), Horsfield.

Subs Not Used: Hobbs, Lillis, Horlock.

Booked: Murphy.

Goals: McCann 8.

Att: 14,499

Ref: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk).