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For most of the game Scunthorpe were unconvincing and rarely looked a top of the table side, while the visitors showed great resolution and determination and must have felt absolutely shattered with the end result.
Beagrie's quality shone on an afternoon when not many reputations were enhanced, although Rushden's newcomer Mark Willians made an outstanding contribution.
Rushden's Andy Burgess had the first opportunity of the game but Scunthorpe skipper Andrew Crosby was able to slip in and chest the ball down and away from danger.
Beagrie was returning to action after two games out through injury and was quite prominent in the early stages with some fine work on the left and excellent crosses which failed to find any takers.
Scunthorpe were dealt a serious blows after 20 minutes when young centre-back Andy Butler was stretchered off with what proved to be a badly sprained ankle following an innocuous challenge.
Shortly afterwards Beagrie was again the architect with a fine delivery from the left. Leading scorer Paul Hayes got a faint touch with his head but the ball flew over the top of the bar.
Rushden responded when Billy Sharp hammered in a low cross which Cliff Byrne deflected away from Drewe Broughton. Just on the interval, goalkeeper Lee Worgan dived bravely at Lee Ridley's feet in the box as the defender broke free.
Scunthorpe made a much better opening to the second half with Hayes crashing a shot over the top and Richard Kell doing the same after he'd been set up by Beagrie.
Little was seen of the Rushden attack and they failed to create a goalscoring opportunity as the home side continued to look threatening.
The Iron went close after 76 minutes when Beagrie hammered a free-kick into the wall and twice Ridley was denied by Worgan who also pushed a Crosby header round the post. However, Scunthorpe grabbed victory thanks to Beagrie's last-gasp strike.