MALKY Mackay sounded a warning to his Watford players following their 3-0 success over Portsmouth on Saturday.

"The moment you think you've cracked it, you've found some magic formula, this division is ready to bite back at you."

Scunthorpe United have lived their own, rather more extreme, version of that this season, with captain Cliff Byrne admitting their campaign is crying out for that well-used footballing term, consistency.

A run of four victories has propelled today's opponents the Hornets into the play-off places.

Such a sequence for the Iron would go a long way to securing their safety.

Byrne accepts the players only have themselves to blame for why that hasn't happened, with a 3-0 collapse at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday their latest setback.

But he is convinced it is United who will be doing the biting back at Glanford Park this afternoon.

"We're well aware that when things haven't gone well we need to rectify it," said the Scunthorpe skipper.

"The pleasing thing is, we work hard towards that.

"If things are there in black and white, players just need telling, it's as simple as that.

"No punches get pulled in our dressing room.

"If someone's not doing their job, it's there for all to see. It's not rocket science to work it out.

"One or two might need a little flea in their ear, one or two might need a little arm around them. But I can promise whatever XI go out there today, they will be bang on it.

"It's important that we stay positive in the dressing room because, at the end of the day, no-one is going to give us three points. We've got to earn them."

United's home form has become infamous for its woefulness this term.

But having not turned out at Glanford Park since November due to the icy weather, Byrne believes they now have a chance to make a clean break from that.

A 2-0 result at Watford earlier this season also gives him hope that today may not be the lost cause many people expect.

"They are a good young footballing team with a little bit of experience dotted around the starting XI," said Byrne.

"We know what they're all about.

"We played them down there and played particularly well, so I'm sure they'll be looking to avenge that.

"We've got to be on our game, compete and battle, then get the ball down and play.

"We believe we've got enough to go on and take the three points. But as I said before, no-one is going to give them to us.

"It's been spoken about a lot, and the sooner I can sit down and talk about a victory at home, the better.

"We are endeavouring to deal with it. It's just the way it's fallen this year, our away form has been stronger.

"We've had that break from playing there, so let's hope that helps. But we're eager to get going.

"We want to get our form at home bouncing because that ignites the crowd, and the crowd make it a difficult place to come then for away teams.

"We're well aware of what we need to do. Obviously the more games go by, the less opportunities you have to pick up three points, but the only thing we can do is look towards Watford and getting three points there.

"Burnley (a 2-0 victory) we were on a high, after Donny we were on a bit of a low. It's important to find the happy medium.

"It's a word that is used an awful lot in football, but consistency is important."

For Byrne, key to a successful afternoon will be United maintaining a disciplined performance – something which didn't happen against Rovers.

"It's disappointing to lose 3-0 in any game, especially a local derby," said the defender, who will be available to face the Hornets despite picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Doncaster.

That's because the amnesty for current cautions was December 31, meaning five bookings now means just a warning.

"I felt we were the main factor in why we lost. We were the main contributors to our own downfall.

"If you give a team like Donny the opportunities we did, you are going to be on the wrong end of the scoreline.

"We all know our jobs and unfortunately at key times we didn't carry them out."