United defender Aaron Hayden marked his return to the starting line-up with the winning goal as the Blues picked up a hard-earned three points on the road at Scunthorpe United.
Speaking to CUTV, he said: “Yeah, it was a tough, well-fought win for the boys.
“We’re really happy to come here and get three points.
“It’s a tough place to come – it’s a cliché, but it’s true. Their fans are loud, they give a lot of energy, and you can feel that, but I’m buzzing for the team, it’s a big win.”
The Blues' number six came back into the side to line up alongside Morgan Feeney, and he said it felt like a natural fit.
“Fairly easy, to be honest. Playing alongside Morgan again felt comfortable.
“He’s a great player and we’ve got a good understanding, so it just clicked.”
Hayden’s header proved to be the decisive moment, and he admitted that he could have scored from a similar chance just moments before.
“It was the exact same situation. Archie put in a great corner.
“I just put one wide, and I told myself if I got a similar opportunity, I was going to score.
“And it came, and I did it. The first one was probably easier, to be fair – I should have scored two if I’m being critical, but I’m happy to get the decisive goal.
“We should have had three or four as a team, but three points is all that matters.”
It was a physical affair from start to finish, with United showing determination and resilience throughout, he said: “It was a real battle out there; there were a lot of strong challenges. Georgie (Kelly) took a few, and Junior (Luamba) as well - luckily, he’s alright.
“The gaffer didn’t say too much at half-time. I was catching my breath, to be honest.
“It was more just: keep doing what we’re doing. We were excellent in the first half, probably better than in the second, but we stuck at it.”
The hosts piled on the pressure late on, but Hayden said he was proud of how the team stood firm.
“Credit to them – even with 10 men, they didn’t look like it, they had that flurry, the crowd was behind them, and the pitch wasn’t great – it was cutting up and heavy.
“But the running from the lads was outstanding. Everyone put in a shift.
“When the referee blew for full-time, it was pure relief.
“We were resolute, putting in tackles, doing the dirty, ugly stuff that doesn’t always look pretty but wins you games.”
He was quick to highlight the impact of the players who came off the bench: “Everyone played their part, Granty (Josh Grant) came on after Junior’s injury and was excellent.
“Josh Williams came on, drove us forward, and worked hard defensively, too.
“That’s the difference, players coming on with energy and helping us manage the game. They were picking up seconds, winning fouls, leading by example, it’s massive.”
Over 700 travelling fans made the trip, and the defender was full of praise for their backing, he said: “They were brilliant, really loud all game, and we’re just happy to give them the three points.
“They stayed behind us right to the end. Like you said, it’s not an easy place to come, and I don’t think they’ve lost here for a while.
“The gaffer mentioned that after the game, so it’s a really good achievement for us as a team.”
With the FA Cup next on the agenda at Brunton Park, Hayden said the group will quickly refocus.
“Every game is important, we’ll recover properly, focus on the FA Cup first, and then look to keep that same attitude in the league.
“When the fans get behind us, you can feel it – it gives you that lift. Even today, when the legs were heavy and the pitch was cutting up, hearing that roar kept us going.”
On the mood in the camp, he said: Everyone’s buzzing, we worked really hard for it. There were some tough moments, but we hung in there and got the result.
“It’s a great feeling, and now we’ve got a good week to recover and get ready for Saturday.”
