Reaction From Scunthorpe Boss Alan Knill

Last updated : 10 December 2011 By Thetashkentterror

Alan KnillIron manager Alan Knill spoke to BBC Radio Humberside after his side's 2-1 League One defeat against Carlisle at Glanford Park, Knill saying one lapse in concentration cost his side a point : 

 

"It is a defeat and you would have taken a draw when it goes so far into the game, and yet we just switch off right at the end and it cost us. But, I think there were some positives to take out of it, obviously Jimmy (Ryan) gets on the pitch and makes us look a different team. So, I thought there were a lot of positives and the only negative again was the result. But, the players are working really hard and trying their best, but we just need to take some results at the moment.

"Great start and we go up 1-0 up and you think here we go, and we just go the other way a little bit and to be fair every time they had a set play they were dangerous and caused us some problems and great defending kept it out of the net. You come in 1-0 up and say whoever gets the next goal and unfortunately it is a poor goal for us, a little one-two on the edge around the box and then he (James Berrett) is through and then he tucks it away well.

"But, even after that we have some good chances, really good chances to make it 2-1. Jimmy has just come on the pitch and it gets pulled back to him and it just bounces up a little bit before he strikes it, and then Togs (Sam Togwell) goes in again and can't keep it down. I wasn't really tempted to stick Jimmy on at half-time at 1-0, it was just kind of calm the players down, and we were always putting him on the pitch at some stage.

"He has only played 45 minutes in, I don't know, eight weeks, something like that, maybe longer, so you have to be careful because you want him for the rest of the season injury-free. But, I think you can see when he goes on the pitch, a really good talent and has the ball wherever, a great passer and mobile and enthusiastic, all the things that we want."

 

 

"I was wondering how we had come in at half-time 1-0 up, but hey, I have been in many games where I have been on the other side of that. You just take it don't you, you just take it and I have to say that some of it was good defending, some of it wasn't, obviously some of the first headers you have got to do better from the set-plays, but if you keep it out of the net then that is pretty good defending.

"I thought Thommo (Garry Thompson) did quite well leading the line, then we went to three at the top and just left it as it was, and to be fair Thommo got down the sides quite well, pulled the ball back for Togs and pulled the ball back for Jimmy. I didn't make anything of Garry talking to the fans at the end because I didn't see it unfortunately, I'll ask and then no doubt I will be told and then we will find out and everybody has an opinion, and everybody is open to express it. As I said before, I can't really comment too much because I don't know, and Garry hasn't said anything about it.

"I don't think from a morale perspective being in the relegation zone or not at this point makes a difference. It is about winning, we need to win a game and I have got to say that some of the performance was good and some of it wasn't, but there were some positives to take out of it. So, while there are positives to take out of it then you will accept it, and I am quite sure we will win games.

"We will win games, it's just we seem to be one player comes back, one player goes out, we lose Cliff (Byrne) it looks like for three weeks, Damo (Damien Mozika) I have heard today is going to be another five weeks instead of next week. Damien has got some bone bruising, again that famous one, bone bruising whatever that is, and I think really that he has been treated for something and it has kind of flared up a little bit, so we will have to wait and see.

"So, quite tough at the moment but you just have to dig in when it gets tough and try to remain positive and try to keep that belief, and I am quite sure that this group of players can get ourselves out of whatever mess we have got ourselves into."