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Friday, November 21, 2008, 09:30
City go to Glanford Park for the League One clash knowing they should be well clear of the table-topping Iron.
But late lapses, notably at Brighton and then at Swindon on Saturday, meant five points thrown away from winning positions.
But Hobbs says they have learned their lesson and there should be no repeat.
Hobbs saw at first hand how City blew a 2-0 lead at Huddersfield, only to win with a last-gasp winner from winger Lloyd Dyer.
And, thanks to his own goal, Hobbs could not have been any closer to the disappointment of a 2-0 half-time lead at Brighton turning into a 3-2 defeat.
And then he watched from the bench in similar frustration at the County Ground last Saturday.
But he believes City have put things right after a rare full week on the training ground without a midweek fixture – and he sees no likelihood of a repeat tomorrow.
Hobbs said: "We have been through it and, if there are to be late goals, they should be at the other end this time.
"I think we just needed to kill off the Swindon game. We sat too deep, perhaps, and invited pressure on ourselves.
"But we have debriefed, looked at the clips of that game – and the ones against Brighton and Huddersfield – and hopefully, if it comes to that, we are going to stop it this time."
Hobbs stands by to regain his place in the defence and, if selected, could not have picked a more high-profile fixture.
He said: "This is pretty much the biggest game of the season so far – first against second.
"It is a very important game, it will be a big crowd and it is important for me, because I was at Scunthorpe on loan last season.
"We could be well clear and it is frustrating because we could have picked up more points.
"But that is behind us and we start again tomorrow, try to get three points and go back to the top of the table.
"It will not be easy. They are doing well, grinding out results when they need to, and they have a bit of quality about them."
City are awaiting a fitness check on defender Aleksandar Tunchev, who played 45 minutes for Bulgaria in their 6-1 hammering away to Serbia on Wednesday night.
Then they will decide whether to give the defence who played against Swindon a chance to redeem themselves or bring Hobbs back into the fold.
Either way, there should be no late City slip-ups this time.
Jack Hobbs
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