JOSH Vela showed there’s more than one string to his bow with a stunner at Scunthorpe United.

Wanderers earned a hard-fought draw at Glanford Park courtesy of a rare strike from the highly-rated midfielder, who is now looking in good shape for the Championship season ahead.

Vela, known more for his skills with the ball than his eye for goal, has never scored a senior strike for the Whites. But on this evidence, Lennon will be demanding more from the 21-year-old, who set the game alight with a rasping right-footed effort after just four minutes.

Paddy Madden grabbed an equaliser for Scunthorpe, who were good value for a draw, and could have snatched a winner with a late header saved by Ross Fitzsimons.

There was once again an experimental feel about the Wanderers line-up, still shorn of some key creative players in Mark Davies, Zach Clough and Max Clayton, and some valuable experience in Emile Heskey, David Wheater and Darren Pratley – whose absence took everyone by surprise prior to kick-off.

At the heart of defence was development squad regular Alex Finney, the powerfully-built 19-year-old signed from Leyton Orient last summer. With Derik Osede on the bench and Quade Taylor also missing, it was a good chance for the youngster to impress – and he let no-one down against a mobile front two in Paddy Madden and Tom Hopper.

Lawrie Wilson continued his attempt to earn a deal with the Whites, and while we saw little of note in an attacking sense, he certainly got a more thorough defensive examination when experienced Scot Gary McSheffrey came off the bench midway through the half.

With little more than a week to go before the start of the season, a specialist right-back is an absolute must. Yet with most who have watched the former Charlton man in pre-season, he has a little more to prove.

Again Dean Moxey stood out as a good outlet on the left, combining well with Liam Feeney and giving home full-back Jack King plenty to think about.

That was the case after just four minutes, as they worked the ball to the edge of the box for Vela to despatch a perfect right-footed shot into the top corner.

He doesn’t score many but if the Salfordian could add goals to his game, there won’t be much stopping him in the Championship this season.

Feeney looked sharp at Oldham and showed up well again here in Lincolnshire. He could have scored a second for the Whites when he raced on to a through-ball from Neil Danns, beat David Mirfin with a drop of the shoulder, but had his shot blocked by the legs of Joe Anyon.

Scunthorpe played at a high tempo and had plenty of chances to draw level before the break.

The closest they got was a deflected shot from Luke Williams which looped up off Dorian Dervite and on to the top of the crossbar with Ben Amos beaten.

Sub McSheffrey shaved the post with an angled shot just before the interval, giving a strong indication that the League One side were not done yet.

And so it proved almost immediately. Derik Osede had come on for Dervite at half time and was immediately embroiled in a bout of pinball in the penalty box. Wanderers failed to get the ball clear, and when Danns tried to dispossess Madden on the edge of the area, the Irishman collapsed to the floor and won a penalty from referee Gary Sutton.

It was soft, to say the least, but consistent with what had been a very patchy performance from the local referee. Let’s hope he’s just getting his mistakes out of the way in pre-season.

Feeney should have restored the lead just before the hour mark. Hall had pounced on a bad pass from Madden and played his team-mate into the penalty area – but quite unlike his volley at Boundary Park on Tuesday night, his shot into the 170 Wanderers fans was as wild as they come.

Liam Trotter came off the bench for his first taste of pre-season action, getting involved right away as he sprung the offside trap and rolled a pass in for Hall, whose shot dribbled across goal and wide of the far post.

Madden continued to be a thorn in Wanderers’ side, smashing a shot from the edge of the box that just whistled past the post.

But Lennon’s side steadied the ship again, marshalled well by Spearing who had picked up the captain’s armband in Pratley’s absence and definitely led by example.

Kevin Van Veen and Madden might have stolen a second for the Iron with late headers but it ended honours even – the kind of night where neither manager had cause for complaint.

Wanderers: Amos (Fizsimons 75); Wilson, Dervite (Derik 46), Finney (Holding 88), Moxey (Twardzik 60); Spearing, Vela, Danns (Trotter 60); Hall, Madine (Dobbie 60), Feeney (Woolery 75).