Iron boss Mark Robins says that his side were unlucky to slip to defeat against Barnsley on Tuesday night, but he feels there are signs of progress in the team.
United went out on penalties to the Tykes, but Robins has seen plenty of positive signs ahead of the visit of Crewe Alexandra on Saturday."There were bits in the performance that were really good and there were bits that weren't as good," he told The Iron PlayerHD.
"We were a couple of chances away from having a really top performance.
"We passed the ball well at times, but we also gave the ball away carelessly at times also.
"We feel we're not far away, we feel aggrieved that Paddy's goal was disallowed, but there's nothing we can do about it now."
New signing Darius Henderson played from the start on Tuesday night and Robins says that he's getting closer to being match fit.
"Darius has come in and done well, you could see as the game went on that he was getting better and better," he said.
"He's a bit behind fitness-wise, but he's getting there."
Hakeeb Adelakun made his return to first team action after missing all of pre-season through injury, with Robins stating just how important it was for the youngster to get some game time.
"The 45 minutes that Hakeeb (Adelakun) came on and got, will stand him in good stead for the season ahead," he said.
Manager Robins is happy with the size of the playing squad and says that there is good competition for places throughout - something which he feels is important for future success.
"We've got many players who can come off the bench and make a difference," he stated.
"Ultimately, only 11 can play, but it's important for everyone to get their head down and work hard.
"Everyone is challenging each other - one, to get in the team and two, to stay in it."
Looking ahead to Crewe, the boss says that he's aware of the threat that the Railwaymen pose, but it's up to the Iron to take the game to them.
"It's a typical Crewe side, they're young and they'll want to move the ball quickly," he explained.
"I watched them against Preston and I was very impressed.
"We've got to be aware of their threats, but we've also got to see where we can hurt them."
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