Ahead of United’s home encounter with Stevenage this weekend, Junior Brown spoke to iFollow Iron.
The left-back has earned his place in the starting XI since Paul Hurst brought him to the club on loan from Coventry City in the summer, but was left disappointed with his side's exploits last Saturday away at Salford City, despite taking a point.
He stated: “We’re confident at the moment and there’s been a definite up-turn in performances, but we were a bit disappointed that we didn’t get all three points against Salford. There’s been improvement though, which is something to build on.”
After a positive first half display against the Ammies, the Iron were unfortunate not to head into the break at least one goal to the good.
He added: “It was the old ‘game of two halves’ as they say, certainly in the first half we were very dominant and we should probably have been two goals in front at half time - 1-1 was disappointing.
“We weren’t happy about the second half because we didn’t build on what we’d done in the first 45. Although, as I’ve said, it’s been a definite improvement performance-wise over the past few weeks, particularly at home, so going into Saturday we’re looking forward to it.”
If the Iron remain unbeaten against Stevenage on Saturday, it’ll mark seven consecutive home matches without defeat in all competitions, and Brown recognises the importance of this. He said: “Getting the home form right can be a massive thing.
“We need to make it difficult for teams to come here (the Sands Venue Stadium). It gives you a good platform to take things forward, so it’s certainly something that we’re keen to maintain.”
Last time the Iron played at home, Paul Hurst’s men comfortably beat high-flying Exeter City, proving they can compete with the best teams in Sky Bet League Two, and Brown knows this is a warning to other sides. He said: “It was a massive result, and it shows where we’re at, at the moment.
“When we’re at our best against the better teams in the league, they can’t cope with us. If we can sustain that consistency and take it away from home as well, you’ll see us climb the league.”
Saturday’s match sees 22nd play 23rd in the Sky Bet League Two table, but Brown insists the team are focussed on themselves.
“We’re not really bothered by the standings, it’s more a case of we’ll focus on ‘us’ and put in a good performance. We’re looking at the teams above us now to try and claw them back," he said.
“We need to build on what we’ve done recently, and start moving up the league, not look behind us.”
Based on recent performances, the Iron have been unfortunate not to leave matches with more points than they have, but the players will be looking for another positive home result on Saturday. Brown stated: “How we’ve played probably justifies more points than we’ve currently got.
“More importantly at this stage, performances in the last few weeks have been a definite turning point for us, and results are starting to justify that. I think going forward we’ve got to keep this up, and that starts with Stevenage at the weekend.”
Having signed on loan from Coventry in August, Brown was brought in by Hurst after the pair worked together at Shrewsbury Town, and it’s fair to say the full-back is settling in well at the Sands Venue Stadium.
“I’m enjoying it. What’s important to me is that I build on my performances, and do well for the team which is the main thing," he concluded.
See much more from Junior Brown, Harrison McGahey and Paul Hurst on iFollow Iron. Click here to sign-up.