SCUNTHORPE United stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches, but had to be content with a point as they failed to beat AFC Wimbledon for the second time this season.
It was a fair result, owed much to some dogged Dons defending, but the Iron were never able to find top form, particularly in the final third.
Sam Winnall had the best of the home side's few openings, most of which came during a decent spell of first-half pressure, but each time was thwarted by some relatively routine stops by goalkeeper Ross Worner.
The right hand side was a productive part of the pitch for Scunthorpe, unchanged from their win at Mansfield Town seven days earlier - despite the return, from a calf injury, of Deon Burton - as they tried to get into an early ascendancy.
Christian Riberio and, particularly, Terry Hawkridge enjoyed plenty of useful possession out wide as the Iron looked to make the most of their numerical advantage on the flanks, where former Scunthorpe full-back Callum Kennedy featured for the Dons, who lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.
A clever bit of play from Hawkridge, cutting inside, almost carved out an early opening for the hosts, but Dave Syers' attempts at a cute through ball were ended, unceremoniously, by a clearance into touch from Will Antwi.
Physically strong, Wimbledon's three centre-backs were able to deal with most of what the Iron threw at them for the opening quarter - despite the loss of Andy Frampton, who was stretchered off following a heavy challenge with Hawkridge.
The Dons' defence was even a good form of attack too, with skipper Alan Bennett narrowly beaten to the ball by the body of Niall Canavan from a corner, after which Middlesbrough loanee Charlie Wyke headed into the side netting.
Scunthorpe had to be patient, but did begin to find some joy in the final third as the midway point of the half arrived.
The game then turned into something of an individual battle between Winnall and Worner, who denied the Iron front man three times in the space of 13 minutes.
Worner went down at his near post to get two hands behind a shot from Winnall that came on the back of some lovely link-up play involving Paul Hayes.
Sixty seconds later he produced the best of the three stops, instinctively sticking out a hand to beat away an effort that came after Winnall had seized upon hesitancy from substitute Aaron Morris - on in place of Frampton.
Sammy Moore, whose midfield partnership with the impressive Harry Pell gave the visitors a strong backbone, tried a speculative effort from range and a header, following a free-kick from deep, by Bennett was easily held by Sam Slocombe as Wimbledon managed to not just frustrate their hosts, but also ask a few, albeit largely tame, questions.
The zip that the Iron had been unable to produce during the opening 45 minutes arrived immediately after the restart and the hosts, feeding off the crowd, began attacking the Doncaster Road End with gusto.
In the 55th minute some persistence from Hawkridge created an opening for Syers, in a move that also involved Winnall and Hayes, but the Iron midfielder fired wide from the edge of the penalty area.
He was not the only one and shortly after, Hayes did the same with a shot on the turn following Ribeiro's low centre.
Unable to find his range with his shooting, Syers turned provider as the game passed the hour mark, brilliantly stepping towards the byline and sending the ball into the middle from where Winnall back-heeled goalwards, only to see Worner again gather.
In an attempt to break the deadlock, boss Russ Wilcox made a double substitution in the 66th minute, both changes of which came up front.
Paddy Madden, for his home debut, and Burton replaced Hayes and Winnall, but neither got much of a look-in as the Dons dug deep and defended deep, soaking up pressure before then trying to pile forward en mass on the break.
Although quickly involved in the action, neither Madden nor Burton got into their stride, suffering the same frustrations as the two front men that had started the game.
And although Scunthorpe applied further pressure during the final 10 minutes, not once did they look like snatching a winner in front of the biggest crowd at Glanford Park since the opening day of the season.
The Iron remain top of the table, despite having failed to score in a game for only the fourth time this term.
SCUNTHORPE: Slocombe, Ribeiro, Mirfin, Canavan, Nolan, Hawkridge, McAllister (Collins 79), Syers, Williams, Hayes (Madden 66), Winnall (Burton 66). Subs: Severn, Waterfall, McSheffrey, Adelakun.
WIMBLEDON: Worner, Antwi, Bennett, Frampton (Morris 11), Fuller, Francomb (Arthur 65), Pell, S Moore, Kennedy, Wyke (Sainte-Luce 65), Midson. Subs: Brown, L Moore, Sheringham.
ATTENDANCE: 4,326 (268 away).
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