Iron manager Graham Alexander felt his players performed well for large parts against Oxford United, and says to come away empty handed is tough to take.
The Iron edged ahead at the Kassam Stadium through a 13th minute Paddy Madden strike, but the hosts battled back to emerge 2-1 victors, thanks to goals from John Lundstram and Phil Edwards.
Speaking to The Iron PlayerHD, Alexander said: “We’re devastated at conceding a goal so late.
“We were very comfortable. Tactically we did what we wanted to do, we made Oxford play in a way which they didn’t want to and we scored a really good goal.
“It was an excellent goal with the way we played it, and the finish from Paddy (Madden).
“In the first half we were comfortable in what we were doing, and unfortunately the goal at the start of the second half has swung the momentum.”
Moving forward, Alexander stated full attention now shifts to next Sunday’s home encounter with Bradford City.
The Scunthorpe boss also explained a lot can still happen between now and the end of the campaign, and insisted it’s crucial to remain positive.
“There are still games and points to play for, and we have to give it our best shot to do that,” he stated.
“We have to make sure that the players are in a good place mentally, going forward to next week’s game.”
Both Matt Crooks and Dutchman Kevin van Veen missed out in the clash with the U’s, and Alexander explained their respective situations.
“Matt (Crooks) picked up an injury the other night when he made the tackle for the first goal,” revealed the boss.
“We gave him the best opportunity to be fit, but on Friday his foot was still really painful, so he couldn’t be part of it today.
“He’ll go for a scan on Monday to see if there’s any internal damage other than bruising and swelling.
“The two changes today were for two injured lads in Matt Crooks and Kevin (van Veen).
“I don’t think he (Kevin van Veen) will be fit for next week, but it’s only a minor (hamstring) strain, so we’ll have to see how he rehabs in the next few days.”
See much more from Graham Alexander and Josh Morris on The Iron PlayerHD.