Nelson's Chesterfield reaction

Interim first team manager Michael Nelson provided his reaction to Iron Player after his side were beaten at promotion-chasing Chesterfield on New Year's Day.

Cameron Wilson opened the scoring for United but the hosts hit back through Armando Dobra's leveller.

Wilson then hit the post for the Iron as they threatened to go ahead once more before the break, but Akwasi Asante scored in the second minute of first half stoppage time.

Pushing for an equaliser in front of their brilliant vocal support of 664 fans, United were well in the game until seven minutes from time when Jeff King's free-kick and Kabongo Tshimanga's goal soon after sealed the points for the hosts.

Nelson said: "I didn't think it was a 4-1 type of game if I'm honest. We stayed right in the game at 2-1 up until the last seven minutes and gave a sloppy free-kick away, though fair play to the lad (King) because he's stuck it right in the top corner.

"We've got to work a little bit harder and not be as sloppy to give a free-kick away. Then I don't know how you legislate for the fourth goal really.

"We needed to be solid and disciplined, but seven minutes after scoring they equalised. We're trying to work as hard as we can on the training pitch to rectify things but it's the same problems that have crept in.

"We were still in the game. Obviously at home, Chesterfield will dominate the ball and they had a lot of possession but I think we kept ourselves in the game, right up until they scored the third goal.

"We had a couple of attacks in the second half where their fans got a little bit nervy, but our quality just wasn't there.

"We had a couple of chances down the side of the box where the deliveries in were just not good enough, going out for a goal kick. Our quality in the final third wasn't good enough today.

"We tried to chase the game and brought Harrison Poulter on so we had three forwards on the pitch.

"Fair play to the lads for sticking at it but I just didn't think we managed the key moments of the game well enough today."

Talking about the away following, he added: "They were brilliant and you could hear them all through the warm-up and through the game, singing their hearts out. I'm just disappointed we couldn't get anything for them, especially after taking the lead and staying in the game for so long.

"We need to be more clinical in both boxes. It needs to mean more to keep the ball out of our net, and mean more to put the ball in their net, but the fans have been brilliant and I just hope they stick with us right through to the end (of the season)."

See more from Michael Nelson and Cameron Wilson on Iron Player.