Hackney: I've learnt a lot this season

On-loan midfielder Hayden Hackney is hoping his team can gain confidence from last weekend's performance at runaway league leaders Forest Green and the Lincolnshire Senior Cup final win over Gainsborough Trinity in midweek.

A young Iron side as the season reaches its climax, Hackney is amongst those looking to take as many positives as possible from the final six matches of the season, which begin with a home match against sixth-placed Mansfield Town, chasing automatic promotion, on Saturday.

Hackney told iFollow Iron: "We showed how good we can be (at Forest Green), we created a lot of chances when it was level at 0-0 and we were unlucky with those. We defended well too and looked very strong. I don't think they had many chances. I don't think the free-kick that led to their goal should have been because it wasn't a foul, but overall it was encouraging to put a good performance in against the team that's top of the league."

Reflecting on his first-half effort, which cannoned back off the woodwork, he added: "An inch inside the post and it goes in, but that's just the luck we've had this season."

Talking about the Lincolnshire Senior Cup final victory in midweek, he continued: "It's good for them (the young players) to play in front of a crowd, and a good experience. I thought the team played some really good football in the first half, and you can only play who you're playing against.

"It gives confidence. Alfie Beestin will go into the next game raring to go after scoring for example."

"It'll be a tough game again this weekend but we can take a lot of positives from the Forest Green match and I don't think there's anything to be afraid of," he explained.

"It'll be another good experience for them and hopefully we can go out there and play our stuff."

Hackney has made 29 appearances this season, since signing on loan from Championship side Middlesbrough in August transfer deadline day, and said: "Personally, I've learnt a lot. It's been my first loan move, playing league football and have learnt more about the defensive and physical side of the game.

"This season's situation has hurt me. I don't like losing games. I'm very competitive and it has been tough, because I do think there are games when we've been the better team and the results have killed us.

"We'll go into this game and the final five positive and looking to wins."

See much more from Hayden Hackney and Keith Hill on iFollow Iron.