Manager Graham Alexander wasn’t impressed with his side’s performance during the first hour of the Iron’s 2-2 draw against Northampton Town.
The visitors took the lead through Chris Long, but a driven shot from Funso Ojo got United level in the first half.
However, John-Joe O’Toole headed his team back in front, before Murray Wallace grabbed another equaliser to earn his side a point.
After the match, Alexander provided his reaction to iFollow Iron.
ON THE 2-2 DRAW…
GA: It was a flat performance, certainly in the first hour, and we have gone a goal down to another set-piece, which is really disappointing from our perspective. It is something that we have to improve on, but our play was slow, we took too many touches and not enough movement. On the back of the performance against Peterborough, where we moved the ball extremely quick and we were making lots of angles for each other, the first hour was the opposite of that. We enabled Northampton to go a goal in front, which caused us a few problems, but our general play, regardless of the opponent, wasn’t at the required standard of what we are looking for. It was probably only the last 25 minutes of the game where we found that spark and energy, and started to cause Northampton all sorts of problems.
ON HOW THE GAME PANNED OUT…
GA: It is so disappointing because the first goal is not a free-kick, but once it is given, it is given. The actual way the goal went in was poor. It puts you under a bit of pressure and you are losing. We shouldn’t have put ourselves in that situation. We got a fantastic goal back to equal up again through Funso (Ojo). It was a superb strike and really in the second half we should have learnt from the first half and put it better, but we conceded another goal from a set-piece. We then found that energy that was needed to play well, but we have to learn extremely quickly that we have to start games with a much better tempo and better mindset of what is required to win. It was almost like we were waiting to see what happens and then we react to that. We have to make it happen.
ON FUNSO OJO’S GOAL…
GA: He is a very intelligent footballer and I think the opportunities to shoot will arrive when it is right. I know the crowd give him a lot of encouragement to shoot, but I think he has made better decisions recently of making the right pass at the right time. Like today, when the shot is on, it is on and he took it. He didn’t force it, it was naturally there for him. It was a fantastic strike and a great goal. I am really pleased for him. That was the one time we did move the ball quickly and we broke the lines, causing them problems.
ON MURRAY WALLACE’S GOAL…
GA: It is good for him. The centre halves haven’t been scoring enough this season. I believe with our delivery and ability, we should be scoring more from set-pieces. I am glad that he has got off the mark, but we need to score more to make sure we take advantage of our attacking play.
ON IVAN TONEY COMING OFF INJURED…
GA: He spoke about a slight groin problem at half time, so we were going to take him off but he insisted to continue. Hopefully, it is nothing major and he will be okay and be in for contention next week.
ON TRAINING FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEK…
GA: We have to do a lot of work. We have to make some decisions this week about the team because we have conceded too many goals. I wouldn’t say they were fantastic goals, so it is something we have to work on. We have to work extremely hard on this in training, but it is about taking that out on to a matchday. We need to stop giving cheap goals away.
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