Seven times this season Scunthorpe United have held a half-time advantage. On only one of those occasions have they still been in front come the full-time whistle.

The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks, with Carlisle, Bury and latterly Chesterfield all staging second half fightbacks to come away with at least a point, and in the case of the first two, all three.

It is a lingering problem which is costing the Iron dearly, and midfielder Sam Togwell says United must change their half-time preparations if they are to see any improvement in their lowly league position.

"First half against Chesterfield we were dominant," he said of Saturday's 2-2 draw. "There was only one team that was going to go on and score, and that was us.

"Second half, for whatever reason, the same old thing happened – we conceded early and then you're on the back foot straight away.

"We know teams are going to come out at us. It was exactly the same last Monday when Bury came out all guns blazing, we couldn't cope with it because we weren't at the races.

"If it means we have to come out earlier or prepare mentally and physically better for the second half then we have to do it because we can't keep doing what we're doing."

Scunthorpe make the trip to Hartlepool today having climbed out of the relegation zone, though only by virtue of a better goal difference.

With a bleak 2011 behind them, Togwell wants to see a much brighter start to the new year.

"We've played all the top teams and drew against all of them, bar Sheffield Wednesday, so we know we've got nothing to fear," he said.

"It's the fact we're just sloppy, mentally and physically, at the wrong times during a game.

"Whether it's inexperience, whether it's players doing something that's not natural to them, whether it's lack of concentration at certain times ¬ - it could be all of them, we don't know, because if we knew, we wouldn't do it.

"I think you can improve on concentration, you've got to keep switched on at all times, making the right decisions at the right times.

"We have to do it because if not we have to score two for every goal we concede in order to win a game.

"We're having enough shots and enough chances but there are not many games where we've scored more than two.

"We've under-achieved massively, this season especially. There's no way we should be where we are. But we're there for a reason and there's only us who can get us out of it.

"It's the start of a new year so let's go to Hartlepool, put in a good performance and get a good result.

"I think we're making progress but we're still slipping into old ways. We're still making silly errors and silly mistakes, passing short when we should go long, passing long when we should go short. It's silly little things like that.

"As soon as you cut them out, you'll start seeing better performances, but mainly better results."

Having filled in for the suspended Eddie Nolan at left-back against the Spireites, Togwell hopes to be back in familiar territory this afternoon.

The former Barnsley man has already been deployed on the right side of the defence this term and admits a change in role can bring about its own challenges.

He joked: "I'll be in goal next!

"Obviously it's not natural to me, playing on my left side. Playing there I felt I had to concentrate more on my first touch and passing with my left foot.

"But I felt I defended reasonably well, in fact, I defended quite well.

"Going forward I think I did okay.

"Your mindset is different. It's not negative, but you're feeling like you're uncomfortable in that position, playing right-back was similar as well. I was more comfortable at right-back than left-back obviously, but I enjoy it.

"I enjoy playing and I'm learning playing left-back at the moment.

"Eddie should be back available for selection today so we'll see what the gaffer does."