Baraclough: I Can't Fault My Players

Scunthorpe United caretaker manager Ian Baraclough said today's defeat against Swansea City was a 'bitter pill to swallow' as his side went close to earning a point.

The Iron worked hard throughout and they made it difficult for us as they closed us down quickly and put us under a lot of pressure. But Rodgers' team showed good patience in their attack and continued to create chances late on, and the winning goals finally came from Scott Sinclair and Stephen Dobbie.

Baraclough said:

'It was a bitter pill to swallow. The lads in the dressing room are distraught.

'Two minutes before Swansea scored their first goal we could have scored. That shows it's a fine line between success and failure.

'But the players worked their socks off and I can't fault any of them. We came here and tried not to be defensive. Instead of playing five in midfield like we have done in previous seasons we played two up front and tried to play to our strengths.

'We knew we had to be a tight unit and avoid getting stretched because Swansea have a lot of pace. We came here with a game plan and it so nearly worked for us.

'I had a few words with Brendan after the final whistle and he was very complimentary about my side and the way we performed.'

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