Mansfield sounded a warning to the rest of Division Three with this five-goal rout of a stunned Scunthorpe at Field Mill.
The Stags, relegated last season, took only one point from two excellent performances in their first two games but this resounding success made it six points in four days for Keith Curle's men and on this form they will take some stopping.
It was one-way traffic throughout with home keeper Kevin Pilkington only having one save to make in each half.
"It was pleasing on the eye to say the least," said Curle. "There were a few rumblings about my summer signings saying too many defenders and not enough up front. But you build from the back and even though the strikers will take the headlines, I thought we looked very solid." Defender Rhys Day started the ball rolling with a ninth-minute header from a Liam Lawrence corner.
Mansfield wasted several chances before Junior Mendes drilled home a second across Iron keeper Tom Evans on 18 minutes after a neat four-man move.
Pilkington kept out a swerving Paul Hayes shot on 24 minutes. But, that aside, it was all Mansfield as a combination of keeper Evans and poor finishing kept the score to 2-0 at the break.
Iyseden Christie sent a free header wide from seven yards before Lawrence finally made it 3-0 on 65 minutes with a superb 20-yard free kick that found the net off the underside of the bar.
It was 4-0 on 72 minutes as Bobby Hassell pulled the ball back into Mendes' path and though Evans parried his powerful finish, the ball rolled to Christie to tuck away from close range.
Steve McLean wasted a free header from six yards at the other end, while Pilkington made a rare save to deny Peter Beagrie.
But the Stags had the last say, after Mendes had shaved the outside of the post in a one-on-one, as Mendes then set up Lawrence to drill home a low finish under the keeper in stoppage time to rub salt in Scunthorpe's wounds.
Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws said: "The one word that comes to mind is humiliation, in our last four games we have been absolutely brilliant, so to see that tonight leaves me speechless.
"You expect your players to go out and give you 100 per cent and I thought some, if not all, showed a lack of that, which hurts me to say.
"I'm taking nothing away from Mansfield. We hit a red-hot side tonight and their strikers absolutely crucified our defenders.
"We looked like a Sunday pub team. It was like a testimonial performance with no contact or aggression."