POSITIONED proudly above Portsmouth, overlooking the city's dry dock, stands a statue of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson.

It is a memorial in honour of the viscount's amazing courage and bravery in battle for his country, at the navy port where so many of those skirmishes had set sail.

Tonight, less than two miles inland from his famous namesake, the Iron's very own Nelson aims to tower above opposition and lead his crew to a famous victory.

Defeat was not something Admiral Nelson took lightly. Neither does Michael Nelson.

But it is something the Scunthorpe United centre-half has already sampled in abundance since his January move from Norwich City.

Saturday's 2-0 loss at Bristol City was the third time in six appearances the 30-year-old has finished on the losing side in his fledgling Iron career.

But having come on the back of a three-match unbeaten run that had raised expectations, it was that one which hurt the most.

The Ashton Gate result, and performance, is one the defender says his side must bounce back from quickly, in what is their second longest away trip of the campaign.

The fact it is one of their catch-up games – with the chance to move within a point of fourth-bottom Crystal Palace – should add an extra incentive.

Not that the no-nonsense Nelson feels that is necessary.

"We expected more from Saturday, but we have to learn from that defeat," he said.

"On the back of three home games, and three good results, we felt we could go to Bristol City and carry that on, be it with a win or at the very least a draw.

"We conceded two sloppy goals and we weren't good enough on the ball. The final pass out wide or into the front men wasn't really there.

"People will talk about forgetting it and moving on, but we've got to take what positives we can out of it and also use the negatives to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"We have to learn from our mistakes and try to build on the good things that are in place here.

"We have to try to carry on the form we saw at home.

"It would be good if we can start to grind out some results in away matches, but really we just need points. I don't care where they come from.

"It doesn't matter whether we win every home game and lose every away game, if it keeps us up, so be it.

"It doesn't make a difference where you get them, though it would be nice to pick them up at both home and away.

"We need to get something tonight after Saturday's result."

Fratton Park is familiar territory to former Hartlepool and Bury skipper Nelson.

He served as a YT at Pompey – the opposite end of the country to his Gateshead roots – at a time when the south coast club were in a similar position to his current one, fighting to avoid relegation from the second tier.

Times for both parties since those days have been mixed.

But it adds a bit of extra spice to a battle not quite as big as any of Lord Nelson's but one that is important in United's quest to climb out of the relegation zone.

"I had two-and-a-half years at Portsmouth as an apprentice," the defender explained.

"It might sound odd, a lad from Gateshead ending up at Portsmouth, but I'd been playing local football when they spotted me and I went down there and did two years apprenticeship, with six months extended at the end of that.

"They were good years.

"I spent time in the youth team, but when I didn't get a professional deal there I had a couple of trials at other places and eventually went back up north and into non-league football.

"I've got a point to prove tonight, but I've got a point to prove every time I play.

"It doesn't matter if I'm playing against an old club or someone I've never played against before.

"I always go out there to prove to the manager that I'm good enough to stay in the team for the next week.

"Hopefully I can do that again tonight."

Nelson is likely to be joined by Michael Raynes at the heart of the Iron defence against Pompey, with Paul Reid, his only previous partner at United, ruled out with a rib injury sustained on Saturday.

It's unlikely to be the only change to the starting line-up either, given Scunthorpe's lack of energy and drive during that 2-0 defeat.

Tonight's match is the fifth in a gruelling run of 11 games in 35 days, but while tiredness was clearly a problem against the Robins, it cannot, the centre-back says, be used as an excuse.

"Even if teams are playing less times than us, it's part and parcel of football," he concluded.

"We can't blame tiredness for anything. The lads have been in the game long enough to prepare right and get their fitness working.

"We know what to expect and tiredness is not an excuse."

Admirable indeed, Mr Nelson.