DESPITE their form and league position, it is still too early to condemn Scunthorpe United to relegation.

Seven points adrift of fourth bottom Crystal Palace, with 18 matches to play, the situation is far from over.

But the next 10 days will provide the biggest indication yet of which way a largely forgettable campaign is to ultimately go.

Put quite simply, Wednesday marks the start of a season-defining week.

It kicks-off a run of three consecutive home games against Nottingham Forest, Derby County and fellow strugglers Sheffield United, a period where the Iron must prove that the belief and spirit needed to haul themselves out of trouble really exists.

It did on Saturday, in abundance, at Cardiff City. But the manner in which United were sunk by Seyi Olofinjana's 85th minute header was morale-sappingly cruel.

Blows of that nature can be difficult to recover from.

Manager Ian Baraclough claimed it was 'a bitter pill to swallow' and that the away dressing room at the impressive Cardiff City Stadium was 'distraught' after the final whistle.

That isn't difficult to buy into.

When Olofinjana nodded in, after Jay Bothroyd had headed a deep Jason Koumas cross into the middle of the six-yard box, you kind of got the feeling that luck isn't going to be an ally in the battle to beat the drop.

Not that it should need to be, given this was United's best defensive display for some time against what many believe to be the Championship's most feared attacking line-up.

The winning goal was one of only a few occasions in which the Iron failed to prevent a cross into the box and it was one of even fewer moments when they did not deal with Bothroyd.

Yet for every bit of encouragement their performance offers for the long term, it made the defeat even more sickening to stomach.

If Scunthorpe do ultimately go down, there are at least signs that it will be with a fight – something that has been questionable during lacklustre losses against Doncaster (0-3), Leeds (0-4) and Hull City (1-5) in 2011.

Defending from the front, United were able to match their hosts' starting XI man for man.

It was only when both bosses called for reinforcements that Cardiff's superiority emerged.

City boss Dave Jones introduced Welsh international Koumas, Chris Burke – provider of one of the Championship's highest number of assists last season – and the bulky Jon Parkin, a veteran of almost 200 appearances at this level.

Forced into substituting his side's biggest two threats, Mark Duffy and Joe Garner, because 'their legs had gone', Baraclough brought on Michael Collins and Bobby Grant.

That, and it's of no disrespect to those United players, was the difference.

"The three lads that came on changed the game for us," acknowledged Jones in his post-match press conference.

"It gave us something different and meant we could sustain the pressure.

"The people that came on are good players and as everyone saw in the Manchester derby on Saturday, good players change games.

"I felt we were pressing and pressing and as long as we didn't do anything stupid, we had a chance of winning it."

Baraclough was reserved in his envy.

"That's a position that one day I can only hope to work towards," he smiled when asked about the quality taking up space on the home bench.

Although clearly keen to keep things tight – understandable given the way they had been picked off three times in the first 34 minutes during their 4-2 home defeat against the Bluebirds earlier in the season – this was not a case of United simply playing for a point.

But they had to bide their time, soaking up long spells of pressure before then trying to catch their hosts out on the break.

Going gung-ho would have been suicidal, especially as doubts still remain about the Iron as an attacking threat.

On several occasions they came agonisingly close to going ahead.

Just before the hour mark, debutant Ben Gordon showed his willingness to bomb forward, running almost the full length of the pitch before rolling a shot inches wide of the far post.

Garner was also unlucky with a first-time snapshot from the edge of the box that bounced the wrong side of the upright.

Despite though at times looking lively on the break, Scunthorpe did not work City keeper Tom Heaton enough.

The only time he was really called into action was in stoppage time, as the visitors searched in vain for the ability to carve something out of nothing and quickly restore parity.

Cutting inside from out wide, substitute Grant almost obliged, working the ball onto his favoured left foot before curling in a cracking shot that Heaton, back-pedalling, palmed away.

Andy Hughes should have tested the former Manchester United youngster again from the rebound, but fired over from a tight angle.

When the final whistle went soon after, although understandably down, there will have been plenty of positives for Baraclough.

He recalled Josh Wright to the starting line-up for the first time in more than a month and was rewarded with a performance of maturity and class.

Few in the Iron's situation remain as calm and composed on the ball as the former Charlton man, who must now retain his place whatever question marks surround his future beyond the end of the season.

Garner too shone, despite being asked to operate wide on the left though given license to tuck inside when going forward, again offering the sort of bulldog qualities United haven't had up front this term.

But unless these shoots of promise quickly blossom into victories, they offer nothing but veiled optimism for the future.

By then, sadly, the Iron's fate could well be sealed.