Hill post-Bradford (A)

First team manager Keith Hill provided his reaction to iFollow Iron following the 2-1 loss to Bradford City on Saturday afternoon.

Summarising the game, Hill said: “It was a great experience for the young players - playing in front of a bigger crowd than they usually do and at one of the bigger clubs in League Two.

“I’m glad the players didn’t go under, they got back into the game and made it competitive.

“They played against a fluid midfield with wide players coming off the line on the inside, overloading the midfield, and I had Jack Moore-Billam, Alfie Beestin and Dan Gallimore in there. It was a difficult task for them, but they didn’t shy away from the responsibilities. 

“I’m pleased with them, and what we’re trying to achieve with the end of the season games we’ve got remaining (this one included) without us going under and getting heavily beaten."

Describing the goal which Rekeil Pyke forced in the 33rd minute, Hill said: “It was a press - simple hard work. Run hard at the opponents until you get the ball back. When you get the ball; retain it, pass it and attack. 

“We’ve got to do more of that. I want the players to be humble but also a little bit arrogant so they can show the footballing world how good they potentially can be. 

“What’s valuable about these games is we get a close look at their mental abilities under pressure. This is a great place to come and learn about your young players and their mentalities. It’s not only me who will learn but these players will really learn when they digest it."

When being told of the 338 Iron fans who travelled this afternoon, Hill said: “Brilliant, they need to be saluted. 

“They’ve been very warm to me and the players, I think they can see there’s a homegrown nucleus of young players who are being rewarded now.

“That’s not just down to me - that’s down to the players, that’s down to Tony Daws and Dale (Tonge) who was previously at the football club. 

“It’s not just happened overnight; we’ve taken advantage of the product and we’ve probably given one or two players an early birth, but they’ve responded really well to it."

“It’s down to a lot of people, a little bit of forward planning and it’s something I enjoy doing which is putting my trust in young players,” Hill finished. 

Jordan Hallam, who set up Harry Bunn’s goal in the 1-1 draw on Easter Monday against Stevenage, missed the game this afternoon through the aftereffects of a COVID-19 Booster Jab. 

On the Hallam situation, Hill stated: “He ended up being hospitalised overnight, he had a lot of tightness in his chest and just as a precaution they kept him in overnight and did an ECG test.

He concluded by saying: “Everything is fine, but he wasn’t available for today. 

Hear more from Keith Hill and Ethan Young on iFollow Iron.