The Tigers are now three point clear of 2nd-placed Doncaster Rovers, and the gap could have been more but for some late heroics at Glanford Park. Andy Butler added to Steve Torpey's early header to give Scunthorpe a 2-0 lead, and Rovers were then reduced to ten men with less than 20 minutes to go after James Price was given his marching orders. However, the visitors were given a lifeline in the 82nd minute when Michael McIndoe scored from a penalty he won, and then Leo Fortune-West grabbed a stoppage time equaliser.
The two teams directly below them did even worse though, with Oxford losing 1-0 at Leyton Orient, and Rochdale thumping three past Mansfield with no reply.
Huddersfield were also dealt a hammer blow as their six-match winning streak came to an end, with Darlington surprisingly picking up a 2-0 win at the McAlpine Stadium - the Terriers' first defeat of 2004.
That win isn't enough to move the Quakers out of the bottom two though as Lawrie Dudfield scored on his Southend debut in their 1-0 win over Cambridge.
Those results put a dampener on Carlisle's fightback against Bury, coming from behind to win 2-1. They've now won four and drawn one of their last five home games, but just four points on their travels all season leaves them at the foot of the table, 8 points from safety.
Saturday 7th February 2004
Carlisle United 2-1 Bury (attendance: 4,954)
Huddersfield Town 0-2 Darlington (attendance: 11,014)
Hull City 2-1 York City (attendance: 19,099)
Kidderminster 0 - 1 Yeovil Town (attendance: 3,255)
Leyton Orient 1-0 Oxford United (attendance: 5,433)
Lincoln City 1-1 Boston United (attendance: 7,114)
Macclesfield Town 1-2 Cheltenham Town (attendance: 2,061)
Northampton Town 2-0 Bristol Rovers (attendance: 5,068)
Rochdale 3-0 Mansfield Town (attendance: 3,157)
Scunthorpe United 2-2 Doncaster Rovers (attendance: 5,681)
Southend United 1-0 Cambridge United (attendance: 4,289)
Swansea City 1-2 Torquay United (attendance: 7,323)