Scunthorpe 2 Barnsley 0: Johnson is defiant as Reds slump continues

Yet manager Lee Johnson remains adamant that they can get out of trouble.

Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Coventry City, the Reds chief said: “We can turn it around. With our best 11, we are competitive in the top half of the division. We have players to come back and we have the chance to add some players.”

“We have to bat on. I genuinely thought we could get something at Scunthorpe.”

Factors behind the defeat included goalkeeper Nick Townsend’s awful attempted clearance gifting Tom Hopper his first goal of the season.

The Iron doubled their lead as Gary McSheffrey drilled home Scott Wiseman’s pinpoint cross before former Scunthorpe striker Sam Winnall had his penalty saved by Luke Daniels after a foul by Murray Wallace.

“I thought, first half, we were very good,” added Johnson. “We asked the players to show that spirit of attack but you can’t legislate for that opening goal.

“We kept going and I thought we were the better side in the first half. But we conceded another goal after failing to stop the cross and then we had the penalty and missed that as well! Sometimes you wonder if the footballing gods are with you or not.

“At half-time, we tried to rally them because we genuinely felt we could get back into the game. There have been far too many individual errors.”

Scunthorpe United: Daniels, Wiseman, Mirfin, Wallace, Laird, Bishop, King, Rowe, Madden, Hopper (Henderson 59), McSheffrey (Williams 81). Unused substitutes: McAllister, van Veen, Anyon, Clarke, Lolley.

Barnsley: Townsend, Wabara, Roberts, Mawson, Nyatanga, George Smith (Templeton 90), Scowen, Pearson, Isgrove (Maris 85), Michael Smith (Wilkinson 74), Winnall. Unused substitutes: Davies, Bree, Jackson, Abbott.

Referee: S Attwell (Warwickshire).

Man of the match: Gary McSheffrey.