Manager Alan Knill remains convinced a return to winning ways remains just around the corner for Scunthorpe United  - despite a fourth successive League One loss.

The Iron squandered an early lead to lose 2-1 against Carlisle United at Glanford Park yesterday and dropped to 20th place in the table as a result.

But Knill is adamant he has the quality to get United out of the 'mess' they currently find themselves in - as fears of a second successive relegation grow.

"It's not happening for us at the moment," the 47-year-old told the media after the Cumbrians snatched victory with an injury-time winner.

"Some things are good and some are bad.

"We had two opportunities to make it 2-1 and didn't take them, then right at the end we switched off.

"I'm a big believer when things like that happen, you have to work harder.

"The players have shown they are quite committed to what we're trying to do and if they're trying their best, you'll get out of it.

"It's tough at the moment, but then life's not easy.

"All we're asking the players to do is get their heads down and work harder.

"There's a result for us coming pretty quickly. We've done in enough in the last two games to have got something and haven't taken anything for one reason or another.

"I'm quite sure this group of players can get ourselves of whatever mess we've got ourselves into."

The most disappointing thing about Scunthorpe's fourth defeat of the campaign was the way they failed to build on the perfect start.

Andy Barcham's sixth goal of the campaign inside four minutes should have given them an injection of self-belief.

But they struggled to produce another noteworthy effort all afternoon and Carlisle hit the woodwork three times in the first half before proving more clinical after the break.

"We had a great start, but we didn't kick on," Knill groaned.

"Carlisle are a good footballing side, but we need to do better.

"Every time they put the ball in our box from a set play they looked really dangerous.

"Maybe I thought 'how are we ahead?' going in at half-time.

"But I've thought that in the opposite way – how have we been 1-0 down? – on quite a few occasions.

"All you can do is try to change it and sort the problem out, which we did.

"They didn't cause us as many problems second half and I thought we looked quite comfortable once we changed the shape after them scoring.

"But a lapse in concentration lets him in and unfortunately he puts it in the back of the net.

"Defeat was tough to take, but a game lasts for 90 minutes and you have to defend properly for that length of time."