Scunthorpe Utd: Brass says Iron got 'just rewards' at Pools

Chris Brass says Scunthorpe United's win at Hartlepool United has set the standard for the rest of the season.

Goals from Sam Togwell and Garry Thompson earned the Iron a 2-1 success at Victoria Park yesterday - their first league victory in eight attempts.

Scunthorpe's victory at Hartlepool was their first success in eight league matches, but was deserved according to Chris Brass. Picture: Mark Dickinson.

It was the perfect start to 2012 for Scunthorpe, on the back of a difficult couple of weeks for boss Alan Knill.

And for Brass it was no more than his side deserved, having seen them control most of the play in the North East.

"We've had certain performances of late and done well in patches, but it was pleasing to get a result," said Knill's assistant.

"We were a little bit tentative at the start, but once we got on the front foot it was a good, solid performance throughout. We were good value for the win.

"We put in a good 95 minutes of hard work and got our just rewards.

"We said to the players before the game that there is only so much that they can be told.

"We had a game plan against Bury (a 3-1 loss on Boxing Day) and in fairness to the players they were honest and admitted they didn't do as we'd asked.

"Today they did and that's what we expect, that level of performance day in, day out."

Brass was particularly pleased with Scunthorpe's professionalism at Pools, given several of their starting XI were playing through the pain barrier.

Having seen Mark Duffy and Bobby Grant both drop out of the squad through injury, the Iron were down to the bare bones in their attacking options, with Chris Dagnall their only forward player on the bench.

"Some lads who went out there and played really shouldn't have done, but we patched them up and they got on with it," he added.

"Credit to them, but that's what it takes to win games of football – you have to go that extra yard and give that extra bit.

"Every member of the squad has done that over the festive period and yesterday we got our just rewards."

"We had some good chances, but the goals were two good finishes.

"It was as good a football as we'd played in a while in the build up to Togs' goal and Thommo took his chance extremely well."