Alexander hails shut-out show

GOAL-LINE SAVIOUR . . . Scunthorpe United's Connor Townsend made a vital clearance against Coventry City

THEY are the top-scoring team in the whole of English football, but Scunthorpe's manager Graham Alexander preferred to focus on exploits at the back following their latest victory.

The 1-0 victory at Coventry, which came courtesy of winger Josh Morris's 15th goal of the season, increased the Iron's lead at the top of Sky Bet League One to five points.

That solitary strike also put the club on to 37 goals for the season - a total no other side in any of the professional divisions can match.

But it was the clean sheet against the Sky Blues that really impressed Alexander.

A sixth shut-out of the season, it was achieved despite losing the services of experienced defender David Mirfin in the first half, while left-back Conor Townsend - a former Hull City colleague of Calaum Jahraldo-Martin's - was forced into a goal-line clearance to preserve the three points at the Ricoh Arena.

'BLOCKS'

"The defence were committed to keeping a clean sheet and that won us the game," Alexander told the Scunthorpe Telegraph.

"Conor was not the only one who made blocks and we needed that, because if we hadn't done that we could have got beaten.

"I am delighted for the players, because they have worked extremely hard over the last couple of weeks and that was a big three points for us."

Former Rochdale right-back Scott Wiseman was also delighted with the manner of the Coventry victory, seeing it as evidence that the title-chasers are well capable of grinding results out when necessary.

"That is one of the toughest teams we have played this season so to come away with a win like that proves a point to everybody," Wiseman said.

"That win gives us more satisfaction and it shows the character we have got.

"It shows that when things don't go our way and teams try to stop us we can come through it."

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