SCUNTHORPE match-winner Peter Kioso believes Wanderers are now showing why many backed them to have a brief stay in League Two this season.

The Luton loanee scored the only goal of the game at Glanford Park on Tuesday night as Ian Evatt’s men continued their climb up the table with a third straight league victory and fourth in all competitions.

The Whites are now 13th and just three points shy of Salford in the final play-off spot 14 games into their season.

Many observers expected the turnaround after relegation from League One to be immediate but having stuttered out of the blocks, memories of a poor start to the season are fading as Evatt’s squad shows signs they can be at the right end of the division come May.

For Kioso, Wanderers are finally demonstrating they can be the team to beat in the fourth tier this season.

“Everything’s starting to gel now,” the 21-year-old said.

“From the first day that I came in I always had in my head that we’re a great team, honestly.

“On our day I honestly believe that we’re the best team in the league, on our day. It’s just about making sure we’re consistent and that’s what we’re starting to see now and the results are coming.

“For me the goal (against Scunthorpe) was good but the best feeling was getting in that changing room knowing that we didn’t concede.

“Knowing how well the boys defended, how we worked out of possession, that’s for the gaffer and the staff putting in so much work to make sure we do everything we need to do.”

Kioso’s second goal for the Whites, having also been on target in the 3-3 draw at Barrow, was an emphatic finish just before the hour mark.

But the wing-back deflected the acclaim when asked about the strike, pointing to some words of encouragement from his boss and the assist from Nathan Delfouneso, the frontman taking out two defenders with a fine run before squaring for the goalscorer.

“I was making a joke inside (the dressing room) to a couple of the boys and the gaffer because yesterday after training the gaffer sat me down and had a little conversation about what he wants from me and he said ‘I’m not getting enough goals’,” Kioso said.

“I said to him ‘there, that’s the best way for me to show you that I want to get some more goals’.

“I was very happy with the goal but let’s not take away from the build-up that I wasn’t even involved in.

“I won the ball back but after that it’s all Del. He takes two players out of the game and sets me up and after that it’s up to me to make sure I finish it off and thankfully I finished it off.”

Kioso looks to be an increasingly key component of the style of play Evatt wants to implement with Wanderers and the prospect is enjoying working for the former Barrow boss at the UniBol.

“As a player the best thing you can have is a manager trusting in you,” he said.

“The first conversation we had he said ‘look, I trust you and that’s why I brought you in’.

“To hear that, as a player you don’t want to disappoint your gaffer and I want to make sure I put in the best performances I can every week because he depends on me and he’s expecting me to make sure that I’m playing well every week.

“I’m trying to work as hard as I possibly can, not just for the team but so I don’t let the gaffer down, that’s the most important thing.”

Evatt expects hard work day in, day out from his players but Kioso is relishing the daily grind at Lostock.

“They’re hard sessions but they’re always enjoyable,” he said.  

“Most footballers don’t really look forward to the really, really hard sessions but his are made fun.

“You’re always looking forward to every training session because the gaffer, as well as getting your work out of it, wants to make sure, you enjoy it.

“That’s why you should be playing, to enjoy it, be happy. That’s what the gaffer is trying to reiterate with us, to enjoy every day and be happy.”