Polish striker Grzegorz Rasiak celebrated his birthday with a first goal in 14 games as Southampton edged past struggling Scunthorpe. Rasiak tapped home Andrew Surman's cross on 25 minutes after Saints had spurned early chances.
Ian Morris came close for the visitors on two occasions before Rasiak missed a headed chance to grab his second.
Scunthorpe have now managed just one win from their past 15 league games and remain stranded in the relegation zone.
Southampton boss George Burley:
"We never really got going today and I felt Scunthorpe were really unlucky not to win the game. "The balance in the midfield today was not right and to be honest Scunthorpe played so much better than us.
"I have to give them credit for coming out and trying to play football away from home.
"They are a really good side who pass the ball well and if they keep on playing like that then they won't go down this season."
Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins:
"Ultimately it is about winning games but I want to do that playing football the right way and play properly. "I'm a big believer that you get your rewards if you keep on playing football the way football should be played and we are going to continue doing that.
"At the start of the season everyone said we did not have a cat in hell's chance of surviving but we still think we can and our aim is to keep on proving people wrong who think we are going down."
Southampton: Davis, Vignal, Davies, Thomas, Wright, Surman, Idiakez (Viafara 52), Euell, Hammill, Wright-Phillips (McGoldrick 79), Rasiak (John 65).
Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Skacel.
Booked: Viafara.
Goals: Rasiak 25.
Scunthorpe: Murphy, Byrne (Seck 90), Martis, Crosby, Williams, Hayes, Hurst (Forte 74), Cork, Sparrow (Ameobi 90), Paterson, Morris.
Subs Not Used: Lillis, Baraclough.
Booked: Morris, Sparrow.
Att: 18,146
Ref: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire).
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