Tuesday night’s goalscorer Alex Davey insists there is still more to come from his performances.
Facing Chesterfield in the FA Cup third round on Tuesday night, Davey broke the deficit with a deft finish from the edge of the area, curling the ball past Tommy Lee.This was a particularly special goal for the Chelsea loanee in that it is his first in professional football.
“It’s a proud moment for me and obviously for my mum and dad who were here tonight,” the 20-year-old said.
“It’s a good feeling as I think the last time I scored was for Chelsea U17s against Bristol City away. It’s been a long time.
“I didn’t really see the goalkeeper in the goal when I received the ball. I just took a touch and caressed it in.”
It is not every day that a defender majestically whips a ball into the top corner from the edge of the area. Davey put his effort down to practicing a few shots after training and joked that he does quite fancy himself as a striker.
Scunthorpe ended the first half 2-0 up thanks Davey’s goal and one from Lyle Taylor, but had to accept a draw after conceding a goal late on.
“In the first half we dominated them and showed our capabilities as a top half team,” said Davey. "But in the second half they did the same to us so it was an even game. If we can keep that first half performance through to the second period I don’t think they’d have been able to get near us.”
Despite losing a two-goal lead, the Iron defended valiantly with the back four bravely throwing themselves at anything that entered the penalty area. Davey, who was speaking post-match to the Iron Player, felt that him and his teammates defended well as a unit.
He said: “They had a big lad up top but overall I think we coped well against him, although in the second half we dropped a bit which gave him more space.
“We got spread out a bit today but we defended well as a team and that showed in the second half when we were under increased pressure.”
When asked if Scunthorpe fans can expect more from him, Davey had this to say: “100 per cent. I signed on a positive and I can only see the team going up having avoided defeat in ten games. I can certainly see us pushing for the playoffs.”
The former Youth Cup winner says he is still developing as a young player and that playing alongside experienced defenders has helped him grow and learn while on the pitch.
“I’ve got Boyce and Llera in the centre talking to me all the time, along with Slocombe whose communication is also good,” he said.
Slocombe, who turned in a man of the match performance, was crucial in Tuesday’s game, according to Davey, who said: “He kept us in the tie with some great saves. He’s a quality goalkeeper and his distribution is also good.”
Overall, the young defender remained optimistic about the result and Scunthorpe’s chances this season, in both the cup and the league.
“We’re still in the cup and we’re still unbeaten so there are still plenty of positives to take from the result,” he said.
See much more from Alex Davey, Mark Robins and Lyle Taylor on The Iron Player.