FOR the second game, and second defeat in succession, manager Ian Baraclough was disappointed with the performance of his Scunthorpe side.

At Oakwell last Tuesday, he felt they lacked urgency in their 2-1 loss at Barnsley.

In Saturday's 3-0 home humbling against Leicester City, it was their inability to defend set-pieces that left him annoyed.

"It was a very tight game with not many chances," he declared.

"It could have gone either way, if we had struck first from a set-piece.

"That is why we talk about set-pieces being such a critical part of the game.

"We have not defended any of Leicester's three goals very well.

"We have fallen asleep at set-pieces – it has lost us the game.

"When you are given jobs to do, you should be able to see them out.

"The players are down – and rightly so. We can't afford to lose games in a manner like this when we are fighting against relegation."

Baraclough refused to comment on the performance of referee Rob Shoebridge, who awarded United an early second half penalty that could have brought them back on level terms – and then changed his mind.

"I have not got thousands of pounds to waste so I am not going to comment," insisted the United boss.

"Sometimes you have got to give credit to the opposition.

Leicester are a big, strong side. They blanked us out and negated our threat at set-pieces.

"They are well managed and have spent a fair bit of money. Probably, by rights, they should be in the top two.

"I think they can still make the play-offs and I think Sven (Goran-Eriksson) is still eyeing a top two spot – and why not?"

Baraclough is now focusing on United's vital home game with Preston tomorrow.

"It's our game in hand which gives us a chance to close the gap on Crystal Palace," he said.

"If we go about things in the right manner, it's a game I am sure we can win.

"We didn't lose ground on Saturday because other results went for us.

"That means it is still in our own hands."

Two Iron players face a battle against the clock to be fit for Tuesday.

Full-back Ben Gordon and acting skipper Sam Togwell are both struggling with tight hamstrings.

Togwell picked his up in training on Friday, while Gordon stayed off at half-time on Saturday.

"Whether Sam's is a fatigue injury or not, we do not know at the moment," said Baraclough.

"There is a worry with Ben that it is in the same site as the hamstring injury he suffered at the end of his loan spell at Kilmarnock, just before he joined us on loan from Chelsea.

"He felt a tightness, but he did not pull right up and did not have to hobble off."