IRON midfielder Sam Togwell has nothing but good memories about Crystal Palace.

The fact the 26-year-old finds himself an established Championship player comes as a result of the footing he was given during the formative years of his footballing life with the Eagles.

Signing professional forms was also a memorable occasion, more than for most young players, given it happened on the very same day Iain Dowie's Palace clinched promotion back to the Premier League.

Add to those occurrences a cracking 25-yard goal during the Iron's 4-0 visit to Selhurst Park last season, one of their greatest ever away days at this level, and you get a realisation why Togwell's fondness for the south London side will always remain.

The former Barnsley man hopes tomorrow's return trip to the capital will follow a similar pattern.

Even though that means keeping his current side's survival hopes alive at the expense of his former's.

"I still have a lot of affection for Palace, because I spent half my life there. That was why I didn't really celebrate when I scored down there last season," Togwell told the Telegraph.

"I played for the youth team and the reserves as well as the first team so it's a club that I will always look out for. I don't really know many people there now, but it's still close to the heart.

"The day they got promoted to the Premier League I signed as a professional, so I know their fans won't like them to be where we are.

"They were battling against relegation last year and it went down to the last day of the season.

"It could happen, and it wouldn't surprise me if it did, again this year."

Togwell left Palace after just four first-team appearances, to join Barnsley in 2006, but insists he has no regrets about anything connected with his time in south London.

United's players must be able to say the same about their last-ditch attempt at securing Championship status when an at times arduous campaign comes to a close in little over three weeks' time.

Tuesday night's 2-0 home defeat by Reading means Scunthorpe go into their match with the side directly above them in the table six points shy of safety, with the Eagles picking up an unexpected point at play-off chasing Leicester City.

But it changes little when it comes to the big picture in the eyes of Togwell. United were always going to have to win at Selhurst Park.

"People have written us off all season, so another game doesn't really bother us," added the midfielder.

"We still know there's five games left and we, as a squad, believe we are good enough to stay in this league, though it's up to us to prove it."

To read Togwell's thoughts on why the Iron are a better side than they were a month ago, see Friday's Scunthorpe Telegraph, with a three-page preview of the Selhurst Park showdown.