Scunthorpe boss Hurst rues lack of killer instinct

Posted Sunday, August 25, 2019 by PA

Paul Hurst was once again left to rue missed chances as Scunthorpe left Macclesfield empty-handed following a 1-0 defeat.

The Iron were undone by Joe Ironside’s second-half penalty after dominating the first half and Hurst admitted it was a familiar tale that unfolded before his eyes.

“My initial reaction is that I’m angry, I don’t think we warranted losing the game,” Hurst said after a defeat that leaves his team rock-bottom.

“I don’t think there’s any question of that, but we have done because we didn’t score a goal, particularly in that first period when we were well on top.

“It was 20 attempts on goal today and to not get any return from that is extremely disappointing.

“When you allow a team to stay in the game as Macclesfield did then they can get the goal, which they did from the penalty spot – I have no qualms in terms of it being a penalty – and we couldn’t get a goal to at least take something from the game.

“We should have been winning that game, there was no doubt about that, but it doesn’t matter how you lose a game, if you should have scored, it’s just another one that’s not in our favour.”

While Hurst’s wait for a first win of the season goes on, new Macclesfield boss Daryl McMahon was delighted to get his first victory following a surprising defeat to Morecambe in midweek.

And he acknowledged they had to weather a storm from Scunthorpe to get it.

“I’m delighted to get the win and the clean sheet which is massively positive for us as well,” he said. “We were nowhere near the level we should be at in the first half, we were overplaying on a dry pitch and inviting pressure from Scunthorpe.

“In the second half we played more in their half and put them on the back foot and I think we deserved the win in the end.

“We rode our luck at times and we were hoping we could get to half time – the whistle couldn’t come quick enough for me – and then in the second half I thought we were really good.”

McMahon did have some words of encouragement for his opposite number, adding: “The league table today is irrelevant, we’re still in August.

“Scunthorpe are a good side, they’ve got good players and a good manager and by the end of the season I’m sure they will be in and around the play-off positions.”