SCUNTHORPE boss Nigel Adkins has admitted he wouldn't be surprised to see today's opponents Ipswich Town in the Championship play-offs come the end of this season.

Mike Bacon

The opposition camp

Adkins hails Blues' unity

Scunthorpe boss is impressed with Town's powers of recovery

By Mike Bacon

SCUNTHORPE boss Nigel Adkins has admitted he wouldn't be surprised to see today's opponents Ipswich Town in the Championship play-offs come the end of this season.

Indeed for two teams near the bottom of the table, Scunthorpe and Town are both in pretty decent form.

With Roy Keane's side on an unbeaten 10-match run, Adkins' team are bidding to make it five games unbeaten in the Championship with victory over Town today at Glanford Park.

The Scunthorpe boss however knows his team face a tough test, with Ipswich's confidence having risen considerably, now they are out of the bottom three.

“It will be a very tough game for us,” Adkins admitted.

“They didn't expect to be in the lower echelons of the division this season and they've turned it around now.

“They're a big side; they've got unity and are on a good unbeaten run at this moment in time.

“I wouldn't be surprised if, come the end of the season, you didn't see Ipswich around that play-off area.

“Roy Keane sets high standards and demands a lot from his players. They are aspects we are trying to emulate at our football club.”

On the pitch, The Iron will welcome back goalkeeper Joe Murphy, who served a one-match suspension last week in a creditable draw at Reading, where stand-in keeper Josh Lillis put in a superb display.

Defender Cliff Byrne suffered a hamstring injury in the clash at the Madejski Stadium, but trained this week and is expected to line-up for the home side, while Michael O'Connor is back from a dead leg and pushing for a starting place.

The Glanford Park pitch had covers put on it on Wednesday and only half an inch of snow fell on Friday, as Suffolk woke up to a blanket.

The likelihood is the game will go ahead without any problems, as both sides look to maintain their unbeaten runs.

mike.bacon@archant.co.uk

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CHAMPIONSHIP FORM

Scunthorpe's last four games

Leicester (H) 1-1

Coventry (H) 1-0

Barnsley (A) 1-1

Reading (A) 1-1

Ipswich's last four games

Cardiff (A) 2-1

Bristol City (A) 0-0

Peterborough (H) 0-0

Blackpool (H) 3-1