Clough hails Sheff Utd display

Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough was thrilled with his team's performance as they swept aside struggling Scunthorpe 4-0.

Jose Baxter scored twice from the penalty spot, either side of the break, with Jason Holt and Jamie Murphy also on target. Holt struck in the 14th minute when his low 25-yard drive beat keeper Luke Daniels, who appeared to have been unsighted. Baxter put the hosts further ahead from the penalty spot after Ryan Flynn was fouled by Jordan Clarke five minutes before the break. Murphy (81) added a third after being set-up by Kieron Freeman and Baxter (85) completed the scoring from the spot after Miguel Llera fouled Marc McNulty and was sent off for his second booking. Clough said: "I thought we deserved it in all areas of the game. I thought we deserved our clean sheet and I thought we deserved our four goals. "Some of the movement was good and our work-rate was certainly as good as it has always been. "Hopefully things are just gelling. Half a dozen new players have come into the team and they're just starting to gel. "We've still got work to do but it gives us a little bit of a cushion. We know that six points can soon be eroded if we don't keep winning games. Saturday now becomes another big game for us. "We looked probably better balanced with [Ryan] Flynn out on the right and Murphy on the left. I thought the rotation of the five across the middle was very good. "I thought Steven Davies was excellent again. He's not got a goal but we're not really bothered if he doesn't score because his all-round game, holding the ball up, is crucial to how we're playing." Scunthorpe manager Mark Robins, whose side is without a win in eight games, said: "You've just witnessed probably one of the best performances from a Sheffield United team that I've seen in a long time. "You're talking about a big club who've turned up and played a game that was absolutely outstanding. Nobody likes to lose but you've got to take your hat off and say 'well played'. "If we can get to that level, I'll be delighted. We're just not at that level. That was a Championship performance from them - they were outstanding. "We've come up against them on an unbelievably good night and you can't do anything about that. "We've been around the bottom of the division all season so you've got to put it into some perspective. "We've got to take it on the chin and move on as quickly as we possibly can."