AUDIO: Nigel Adkins makes no apologies for 'boring' Scunthorpe United

NIGEL Adkins believes Scunthorpe United have found a steely edge to their game away from home - even though it proved fruitless in their 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.

The Iron defended resolutely for 90 minutes of a poor spectacle between two sides struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table.

But they fell victim to a sucker punch from teenage substitute Connor Wickham two minutes into stoppage time and dropped into the relegation zone as a result.

Fans of the Tractor Boys chanted 'boring, boring Scunthorpe' throughout the match.

But Adkins is not looking to win admiration from the terraces during the remaining months of the campaign.

He insists he will have his side play any way possible if it means a positive result, something United came desperately close to achieving at Portman Road.

“It was a disappointing end to a battling performance," he said of the result.

“Ipswich play at a very high tempo and are dangerous from set plays, so I make no apologies for our game plan, we tried to slow that tempo down.

“In some of our previous away performances, we’ve been out of sight for half an hour, so we had to make sure that didn’t happen here.

“We had to defend resolutely at times, so the disappointing thing is that one lapse of concentration has allowed Ipswich to score and get a valuable three points.

“But the fact of the matter is that it is all about winning and we didn’t.”

Having seen his side fall victim to several injury-time goals this season, Town boss Roy Keane admitted he had some sympathy for the Iron.

But he was glad to see 16-year-old Wickham snatch all three points at the death.

"It wasn't a great performance, but we got the win and we'll take it," said the Irishman.

"I can never fault the work rate of the players, not many teams out-run us.

"Scunthorpe pushed us close today because of the way they were set-up. They made it very hard for us.

"I said before the game there was no way it was going to be same as Tuesday (1 2-0 win over Cardiff). It was a different game of football and Scunthorpe are a different animal.

"I thought it was going to 1-0 and I thought it was going to be a goal like it was."

To hear more from both bosses, click on the audio players below.