The phrase 'every point gained is a good one' may be a footballing cliche that is used too often, but it's certainly an adage that Iron goalkeeper Joe Murphy believes applies to Scunthorpe United in the Championship.

The Iron managed to snatch a draw from Saturday's home game with Watford, as Gary Hooper scored a penalty four minutes into stoppage time to make the score 2-2.

There was a tinge of disappointment for United though, who had led through an first-half Hooper effort but conceded two 'soft' goals in the second period to see the roles reversed against a Hornets side just above them in the league table.



Jay DeMerit was adjudged to have handballed Cliff Byrne's volley deep into stoppage time and Scunthorpe were given the chance to take a point with the last meaningful kick of the match.

The result leaves Nigel Adkins' side 18th in the division but a win over Ipswich Town on Tuesday night can take them to 14th.

Murphy has a hunch though that bottom three places in the Championship may not be settled until the final day of the season, when Scunthorpe host Nottingham Forest on May 2.

"As long as we stay out of that bottom three then it will be good for the confidence," the former Sunderland man told The Iron Player.

"We've got four points from two games - that's not bad for a team which is supposed to be involved in the fight against relegation.

"There are at least eight or ten teams involved in that battle too.

"I have a feeling, and some of the lads do too, that it will come down to the final day of the season.

"Every point is crucial. You take scoring in the last minute to at least get something from the match.

"But I think we're disappointed overall. It wasn't the best of games and that's been the case for the last couple of weeks. The matches have been scrappy.

"That's the way it will probably be until the end of the season. The pitch isn't great so we have to try and use that to our advantage.

"While we're disappointed to just draw we could have lost, so we're happy with a point.

"A draw in this division isn't a bad result and we're down there, we know that, so we have to consider any point gained as a good one.

"We need to keep chipping away now. It would have been great if we'd got the three because a couple of results went for us.

"We've got another game this Tuesday, against Ipswich and weather-permitting the game will be on.

"It's another chance for us to get three points and we have to take it."

See much more from Joe Murphy, Cliff Byrne and Nigel Adkins on The Iron Player.