Iron manager Russ Wilcox had many reasons to be pleased after his side ran-out 2-0 winners away at Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The Iron stayed two-point clear at the top of League Two through the victory, which was secured via a goal in each half from Paul Hayes – who was making his debut for the club.The player is now in his third stint with Scunthorpe, and the 30-year-old’s accomplished performance clearly indicated that he is capable of shining once more in claret and blue.
“I think you’ve seen all sides of our game today,” Wilcox said of the match to The Iron Player.
“Mansfield started off really well, but we were strong, resolute and determined.
“I thought that we managed that period really well.
“And then we just grew into the game.”
Indeed, the Iron did make something of a shaky start to the match, and did find themselves under pressure within the opening moments.
However, the United manager praised the way in which his team kept the Stags at bay during that period; as well as the way in which they capitalised on Hayes’ tenth-minute goal by taking control.
“It was a fantastic goal,” the boss said of the strike.
“As it left his boot, I thought ‘that’s got a chance.’”
“And it goes in the top-corner, right in-front of those Scunthorpe fans behind the goal - it must’ve been a fantastic feeling for him.
“That just settled our nerves a bit, and then we stood tall and stayed strong.
“That restricted them to very little chances.”
Furthermore, Wilcox was praised how his side focused during the game, following a busy week at Glanford Park which included the permanent arrivals of Paddy Madden, David Syers and Marcus Williams.
“It could’ve been difficult for the players to focus today,” he considered.
“But we’ve shown what the group are about - and thoroughly deserved the win.
“We can take massive confidence from that.”
Continuing, Wilcox also assessed that United approached the match under a different type of pressure to that which they’ve experienced in recent weeks, due to their status as league leaders.
However, they did not allow this tag to affect them, and even when 1-0 and in a potentially tense situation, put in a focused performance which showed no sign of nerves.
“We haven’t had to look for a result today,” he assessed.
“We’ve said to the players: ‘If you win today, you’re top of the league.’”
“But we always approach the games to win, and the players are just so focused on what we’re doing here.”
See much more from Russ Wilcox, David Mirfin and Paul Hayes on The Iron Player later on Saturday night.