Paul Hayes scored the winning goal at Vicarage Road on Saturday, ensuring Scunthorpe are ending the season with some positives to cling onto.
"After the defeat to Crystal Palace which sent us down we sat down and set ourselves some new goals," said Adkins.
"Once we got relegated it would have been easy to throw the towel in and become disillusioned but we've competed very well and can hold our heads up high.
"We had a well deserved victory over Cardiff last week and another one here; that is two wins in our pre-season for League One.
"At the start of the season nobody thought we'd take a point off anyone in this league but we've got 45 points now and that would have kept us up last season.
"All the players are under contract bar one for next year and we are trying to mould a team of young, hungry players."The objective is to come straight back up now. We'll keep persevering with them and they will flourish."Watford remain in the play-off positions, although they know it will go down to the wire if they are to finish in the top six.They travel to Blackpool next weekend knowing a win would guarantee them a spot in the end-of-season shakedown.
"We have been outstanding for long periods of the season, we have been decidedly average at times and at the minute we are poor," said the Hornets boss Aidy Boothroyd.
"As a manager when you see players perform valiantly and in a manner which suggests that they will romp the league earlier in the season and now they are afraid then you have to change it.
"Wherever there is fear you can turn and run or stay and fight. We have to fight because if we don't then we won't get promoted. It's as simple as that."