Pugh: We've got to turn these draws into wins

Midfielder Tom Pugh drew positives from Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw away at Stevenage but insisted the Iron must look to turn the draws into wins and build on the side’s upturn in performances.

Myles Hippolyte netted his third of the campaign to restore parity at the Lamex Stadium and cancel out Luke Norris’ early opener for the Boro, with no further goals in the second half, despite Pugh going close himself, seeing his effort deflected wide for a corner.

It was a fourth draw from Keith Hill's five league games in charge of the club and speaking to iFollow Iron after the game, Pugh said: “I think there are positives to take from the game, but I think as a team we need to turn the points into wins.

“The effort and hard work that’s going into training is showing in the matches, but there’s always more to come.

“I thought that, especially in the second half, we kept it well round the back. As we got higher up, we didn’t offer much in the final third, and that’s including myself. I had a couple of chances, but just snapped on them.”

The 21-year-old found himself recalled back to the team at the first time of asking after returning from a one-match suspension following five cautions and returned to the heart of the Iron midfield in a pivotal role in the gaffer’s plans.

“I kept myself fit on the training ground and was given the chance to come out here, and I had to prove myself to keep my shirt,” he continued.

“I’ve loved every minute since the gaffer has come in. I think he’s making me into a better player. He’s told me to keep it simple and work hard for the team, and that’s what I’ll do - I’ll always do my best for the team. 

“I’m one of the players who does the dirty work, and I’m quite happy to do that.

“It’s been tough on the training ground. He tells us what he wants and what he doesn’t want, and I think we showed some glimpses of that tonight. I think we need to do it for longer periods of the game, and if we do that, it will help us push up the league.”

United are on the road again this weekend, this time heading north, rather than south, to take on Hartlepool United.

With a number of the Iron’s opponents in-and-around Scunthorpe in the league table, Pugh feels as though it’s an important month to pick up as many points as possible.

“It’s another one where the only thing we can look at is three points again,” he stated. 

“If we carry on like we are, I think it’ll come. It’s a big opportunity. As a squad, we need to stick together, and get those three points, and we can only do that by working together.”

See much more from Tom Pugh and Keith Hill on iFollow Iron.