Wilcox’s rant is a catalyst for Iron
DAVID MIRFIN admits Scunthorpe boss Russ Wilcox left nothing to the imagination at half-time during their clash against Accrington.
But after netting a lastminute winner on Friday – completing a remarkable second-half comeback for the Iron – the defender can’t help but let his own mind wander to a decisive run-in.
Lee Molyneux scored Stanley’s opener before Peter Murphy’s deflected shot beat Sam Slocombe to give the hosts a 2-0 lead at the interval.
But Sam Winnall fired home five minutes after the restart and substitute Hakeeb Adelakun equalised on the hour mark before Mirfin headed home in injury time.
“It’s nice to be on the other end of a late goal and getting the result, there are a lot of positives to take,” said Mirfin.
“At half-time it was looking like the banana skin it potentially could have been but credit to the lads they battled second half and it was a game of two halves.
“You can imagine what Russ said at half-time, he wasn’t happy and made a couple of changes. If we want to do anything this season we had to win this game.
“We’re looking at the countdown now, there’s only 15 games to go and we’re in a great position but nothing has been done yet. We’ve set the standard we have to follow.”
Molyneux slid home George Bowerman’s cross on 18 minutes and it was 2-0 after 37 minutes when Murphy collected a chip from Lawrie Wilson and his deflected shot caught out Scunthorpe goalkeeper Sam Slocombe.
Title hopefuls Iron offered little in the first half but Wilcox brought on Gary McSheffrey and Adelakun at half-time and it turned the game.
Top scorer Winnall grabbed his 16th goal of the season after getting the ball from Paddy Madden and in the 58th minute Adelakun rifled into the far corner to level.
On-loan Fulham goalkeeper Bettinelli was at his best as the game wore on, while the crossbar kept out Madden's header, but Mirfin headed home McSheffrey's free-kick in injury time to keep Scunthorpe’s promotion push on track.
“We looked on course for a victory at half-time, so we’re severely disappointed,” said despondent Accrington boss James Beattie. “There are plenty of positives from first half, not many from the second.
“We managed to get two goals in front against a very good side, and Russ made a couple of changes and we didn’t adapt enough to the two lads out wide. Quite why I don’t know, we’ll have a look, but the lads are devastated.”