Iron defender Miguel Llera has hailed the professionalism of his team-mates, after coming through the first round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers.
The Spaniard kept his place in the United side, playing alongside Andrew Boyce in the centre of defence, and he was pleased to be in the draw for the second round.“It was a great win,” he told The Iron Player.
“That’s the most important thing in that kind of game when you play against Conference teams.
“Maybe it wasn’t our best performance, but we got the result. We defended pretty well and everything was about getting the win.
“The key point in that kind of game is to keep concentration from the beginning to the end, to stay focused and not to give them any advantage.
“If we gave them too much possession and advantage, we could have been punished. If they started winning the game, it would have been difficult to beat them.”
Not only can Llera be pleased with a winning performance, the team didn’t concede at The New Lawn.
“For me, as a defender, it’s important to come back into the side to get a clean sheet and to win the game,” he said.
“We defended pretty well as a team on Sunday and my job was easier because the whole team did their jobs pretty well.
“We’re unbeaten away from home four games now and it’s a positive we can take. It’s a line we have to follow because we know if we get a few good results in a row like we have been doing, we will leave the relegation zone and go as far as we can and fight for a better position.”
The draw for the next round of the FA Cup took place on Monday, live from the National Football Museum in Manchester.
The Iron were drawn against Conference North side Worcester City at Glanford Park, a tie which will be played on December the 5th/6th/7th or 8th.
Managed by Carl Heeley, the Dragons beat Coventry at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday and Llera admits he is looking forward to the challenge, one where the winner could face opposition from the top two tiers.
“We have to respect Worcester a lot because they got a massive result against Coventry.
“For us, it will be a good opportunity to be in the next round, where we get the chance to be drawn against a Championship or Premier League club.
“First, we have to give Worcester the maximum respect and we have a good chance.”
The Iron’s weekend match with MK Dons has been rescheduled due to international duty, so United do not have a match and Llera admits the pause in fixtures hasn’t come at the best time, although the rest will benefit the team.
He stated: “Maybe the break is good, maybe it’s a disadvantage, because we have got some good results and coming out of this weekend full of confidence.
“We have to think about next weekend and train properly to get fitter and ready for the next games.”
As it’s nearly a month since Mark Robins took charge of Scunthorpe United, Llera said he is enjoying life working under his new manager.
“I enjoy playing for him,” he added.
“The attitude among the lads has changed a little bit and maybe he is the key to getting better results.”
See much more from Miguel Llera and Ned Kelly on The Iron Player.