First team manager Neil Cox felt a 'big refereeing decision' cost his side as they were defeated 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night, ending a four game winning run.
A controversial moment in the first-half saw a spot-kick given to the hosts, after Jacob Bedeau was adjudged to have fouled Nathan Delfouneso. Eoin Doyle netted that penalty, while Antoni Sarcevic added another goal during the second period on the break as Scunthorpe, who introduced Kevin van Veen, Jordan Clarke and Harrison McGahey at half-time, pushed for a leveller.
Cox told iFollow Iron: "I know we've lost the game 2-0 but yet again a refereeing decision goes against us. I know they had lots of possession but that's never a penalty. JB kicks the ball and the lad doesn't even get touched. It's disappointing that a refereeing decision changed the match really.
"In the second-half we chased the game, and I changed the formation to try and get us attacking them. We didn't create too much but we did create a couple of opportunities, and we got lots of set-plays in there. We were then undone by another poor goal, which we haven't conceded many of of late, when chasing the game.
"We had a go. I'm just disappointed we haven't taken any points from Bolton this year because we deserved more from those two games. We knew it was going to be difficult, they're a good footballing side and I believed the longer we stayed in the game we could get something out of it, but to have a decision like that go against you is disappointing. You have to get on with it though.
"We had a couple of chances, a couple of half-chances but we didn't really pull them apart enough. In that formation we have to be a little better on the ball higher up the pitch. At times we took too many touches to get good deliveries into the box.
"We've had four really good results recently and I'm disappointed, but we go again (against Cheltenham Town at the Sands Venue Stadium on Saturday). We can't do anything about this result now. A little bit of luck and we might have got something. It's disappointing but we've got to move forward."
See much more from Neil Cox and Jem Karacan on iFollow Iron.