Nigel Adkins hailed a 'fantastic achievement' from his players after Scunthorpe beat the drop.
Iron boss elated; McDermott left seething after draw
Scunthorpe United manager Nigel Adkins hailed a 'fantastic achievement' from his players after they guaranteed their Championship status for another season with a 2-2 draw against Reading.
The Iron put any relegation fears to bed after a dramatic draw at Glanford Park, while Reading's faint play-off hopes are now officially over.
It looked for long periods as if Scunthorpe would remain in a relegation scrap after the Royals took a 2-0 lead with just 18 minutes remaining.
However, late goals from striker Gary Hooper and stalwart Matt Sparrow sent the home fans into raptures as the Iron claimed the point required to secure back-to-back seasons in the second tier for the first time in 46 years.
Team spirit
"I am very pleased, it's a fantastic group of lads," Adkins said. "Over the course of the season we have set out what we hoped to do.
"It is a fantastic achievement. It's like swimming the channel, doing the Tour de France and then climbing Everest.
"It's a fantastic achievement for Scunthorpe to stay in the Championship."
Striker Hooper, who grabbed his 18th goal of the season under the watching eyes of Premier League managers Iain Dowie and Mick McCarthy, is attracting most of the plaudits at Glanford Park, but Adkins insists the success is down to the team spirit.
"It's about the team. Our strongest asset is the team," he added.
"You have got believe to achieve. We have assembled a talented group of players.
"You are going to get your beatings, but you have to keep striving to move on. I think unbelievable credit goes to the team."
Reading counterpart Brian McDermott was left fuming after referee Graham Salisbury decided not to send Scunthorpe defender Cliff Byrne off for the foul on Jobi McAnuff that led to the Royals' penalty.
Fantastic
Gylfi Sigurdsson converted the spot-kick but the decision allowed Scunthorpe to launch a comeback with a full complement of players when they could, and perhaps should have been down to 10 men.
"It was an obvious red card. I don't like seeing players sent off but it beggars belief," McDermott moaned.
"Having said that we were 2-0 up and on another day we see that out.
"It is a tough place to come to. They got their point, they have survived, good luck to them.
"When we are really going for things next season that won't happen and we will see things out. We got into an end-to-end game when we didn't need to. And we learn from that and move on."
The draw ends Reading's faint ambitions of overhauling sixth-placed Swansea, but considering McDermott inherited a side that was in a relegation battle in January, it points to a fantastic second half of the campaign.
"It is a fantastic effort from everyone," he added. "Everyone in there is gutted, but this is football."
