Iron assistant manager Chris Brass has backed goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to bounce back stronger for his nightmare end to 2011.

The on-loan Manchester United stopper made a series of glaring errors as Scunthorpe United were held by bottom-of-the-table Chesterfield this afternoon, the worst of which could have been even more costly had Jimmy Ryan not rescued a point with an injury-time equaliser.

Johnstone put his side under unnecessary early pressure when he picked up a back pass inside the first couple of minutes and was then yellow carded soon after for handling the ball outside his area.

But his decision to dally from an Andrew Wright back pass in the 70th minute was the biggest mistake, as he fluffed his clearance straight to visiting winger Craig Westcarr, who duly lobbed Chesterfield into a 2-1 lead.

"You have to remember he's a youngster and he is learning," said Brass of the 19-year-old.

"But he has also got to accept it was a costly error today.

"As a goalkeeper, if you make a mistake, ultimately you're punished and he has to learn very, very quickly from it.

"If he's put in the same situation again, perhaps the decision he makes will be a little bit different.

"Because of our situation at present, it magnifies it a little bit.

"He's frustrated, but he's an honest kid. He'll hold his hands up, but he'll have to accept what's been put to him from our side and quickly move on."

A 2-2 draw did little to aid either Scunthorpe or their visitors' survival hopes, though the home camp were understandably happier at the final whistle.

As well as Ryan's equaliser, a dreadful year also ended on a reasonably happy note for the Iron, with a late Stevenage winner at Wycombe ensuring United will end 2011 outside of League One's bottom four.

Nevertheless, Brass was 'disappointed' with the way Scunthorpe again failed to build on an early lead, given to them today by Niall Canavan's first goal of the campaign.

"We're pleased in the end with a point, but in all fairness, we should have had all three," he groaned.

"We showed tremendous character to keep on going, the type of spirit we'll need between now and the end of the season to get us out of the situation we're in.

"To get something out of the game is massive.

"We'd have been frustrated to have lost the game, but to come back and score a late goal lifts you.

"After the game we said 'well done' for the way they kept on, however, we can't accept the little bit in between the goals.

"We should never have been in that situation.

"But it was a fantastic strike from Jimmy and it takes us into the game on Monday with a brighter outlook."

Chesterfield boss John Sheridan, who has seen his side go 15 games without a win, described the circumstances of the draw as 'soul-destroying', especially given the quality of the opposition.

"When I see the players Scunthorpe have got, I can't see why they are at the bottom of the table," he said.