Boss Roy Keane felt his side were comfortable during their 3-1 Carling Cup victory over Northampton Town, but thought that nerves could have been steadied if they had scored their third goal earlier on.

Keane said: “I thought we were comfortable in the second half but when you don’t get that goal you never know what might happen and they had one or two half-chances.

“We’ve seen enough times since I’ve been at the club us paying the price for having only a one-goal lead, so it would have been ideal to get the third goal a touch earlier.

“Credit to the players, they stuck at it and we definitely deserved to win the game of football tonight.”

The Blues manager was pleased with his strikers, particularly Tamás Priskin: “I thought Tamás and Jason put in good shifts for us. The onus was on the two strikers to give us a platform, particularly with their workrate, not to give Northampton too much time at the back because some of their players hadn’t had too many minutes under their belts.”

Keane says he’s not overly concerned about who his side might draw in the quarter-finals: “We’re hopeful of a home tie, but our priority is of course the league game on Saturday.

“The big boys will start flexing their muscles, as you’d expect a lot of them to get through over the next 24 hours, but the finals, semi-finals and the quarter-final are a long way off yet. Our mindset has to be on Saturday.”

Keane says Connor Wickham is likely to be out for around two weeks after twisting his ankle in training on Sunday, while Grant Leadbitter is a doubt for Saturday's home match against Millwall with a knee injury. David Norris has a dead leg after colliding with the Northampton keeper in the first half just before Damien Delaney’s goal.

Northampton manager Ian Sampson thought that his side scored too soon: “I think it was a well-worked goal, a good shot, we got a bit lucky with the deflection, but you do start dreaming a little bit.

“Perhaps it was a little bit early for the goal to go in and I think Ipswich’s quality showed through in the end.”

Photo: Action Images

AB_ITFC added 23:37 - Oct 26 Enjoyed the game tonight. Nice to see two up front. I thought it worked rather well. Lower league side granted but Northampton did themselves proud and should be aplauded for the cup run! shame only 12,000 odd showed up, but hopefully a big home tie next round will see a bigger crowd. Lets kick on from the win with three points on saturday!! COYB!!!
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ITFCAlex added 23:49 - Oct 26 Man Utd would be interesting. Wigan at home would be winable. If Stoke win tomorrow then them at PR would mean a return for Walters.
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Big_Foot_Blue added 00:26 - Oct 27 AB ITFC, I completely agree that 12,000 is a shambolic attendance but even I missed my first game of the season tonight. I'm an 18 year old student at Ipswich Uni and I have no money until my student loan comes through in January. Therefore can't afford ticket since didnt come with my season ticket. My point to this is it is very expensive to get to PR and although I would have hoped for a bigger crowd I am in a position where I can understand why the attendance may be low against opposition such as Northampton.

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ChambersM added 00:45 - Oct 27 Keano keano keano! The man is a genius
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moomoosereni added 00:49 - Oct 27 I sense a hint of sarcasm in Chambers post this evening! Not a bad game tonight really. We won, and so we should have. With all due respect to Northampton, we should be winning a game like that, regardless of how poorly we've been playing lately. Fingers crossed for a result on saturday. If we lose again, I feel Keane may be struggling to justify keeping his job! Much like some of the "fans" on here have been saying for about the last 18 months!

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Karlosfandangal added 00:58 - Oct 27 Only got 3 goals against Northampton boo what a load of rubbish Keane out Keane out why play two up front should have played one what a waste of money Priskin is only scored 4 this season and at last Delaney scored that's 1 in 50 games 1 win in four games rubbish rubbish and we missed out on Mowbray
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bobble added 01:53 - Oct 27 millwall is the real game we are waiting to see
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Thetruth added 06:19 - Oct 27 12000 people bothered to show up.......shocking attendance from so called real fans Watch that crowd swell when we draw a prem team at home...!! Nice to see so many supporters getting behind the team
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nobrain added 06:45 - Oct 27 Couldn't get to the game as I work away - so listen on Radio Northampton - the commentators kept mentioning how 'big' (meaning tall) our players are. Had to smile,as when I listen to away gamens on Radio Suffolk, I'm always hearing how tall the opposition players are compared to ours. Personally, I don't think 12000 people turning out in bad weather, when money is short, to watch two teams who are both on bad runs is too bad!

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debenturedave added 07:27 - Oct 27 Not a bad attendance considering the weather and Town's overpriced ticket structure. With 2 home games in a week , especially with it being Half term week, it should have been kids for a quid and a tenner for everyone else, not the £8 and £23 it was for paying on the night !What is the point of having 17,000 empty seats though, we might get some atmosphere back if we fill them, however cheaply.I will be surprised if we get 20,000 for the Millwall game. At least we played 2 up front and we looked a decent side going forward and had plenty of chances - bring on the Arsenal or Man Ure and watch the rush for tickets then !!!

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Keaneish added 07:33 - Oct 27 Hammers to beat Stoke and then West Ham at home please. That'll surely get PR rocking!?
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SammyT added 08:14 - Oct 27 12,000 was rubbish, weather didnt help attendance on the night but still very lame. Once again the singing in the North stand was split in 2, needs to be united. Section 6 need to sit in the middle! Norwich priority letter came yesterday, good times! Who is going? Chmabers....? Whoppit......? Or u fellas sticking to the forum...
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dobbie73 added 08:27 - Oct 27 Despite the paltry crowd (but then again - Wigan 11k, Leicester 16k, Brum 15k, Man Utd 46k - all crowds were around the 40-60% of capacity last night), I thoroughly enjoyed the game! There was a reasonable atmosphere, fair bit of chanting, some nice football to enjoy, a cute lady lino on the Cobbold side, and a good result. Priskin shone last night, and certainly did enough to warrant a start on Saturday, as long as Keano sticks with the 4-4-2. Not sure about the 4 CBs again though - Tommy Smith did OK, but Eastman looked a bit out of it at times, poor lad. A better opposition would have murdered the defence last night. Is Shane O'Connor injured? Surely he would have been a good shout at LB? All in all though, a good night. Bring on ..... whoever. Really don't care who we get, as the whole point of this competition is to win it, not get a one off thumping by a Big Club in the quarters or semis just to get a payday and please the glory fans who just want to watch Man Poo or the Ar$e at Portman Road rather than see Ipswich progress in the cup. I would far rather get a lesser club, progress, and have a real stab at some silverware! Here's to beating the meatheads from Millwall on Saturday .... COYB!!

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hogster1970 added 09:01 - Oct 27 well i went with some others and for a change sat in south upper, what a view, also you pick up more atmosphere from the north stand, any way not a bad game thought priskin played well and should start along with scotland on sat, thought we played better with 4 4 2 all be it against the 2nd worst club in the whole leaque. having said that thought are passing and pass choices was pretty poor, to many time when the midfield had possesion they didnt pass to players who was in space, only passing to players under pressure, the four center backs idea is not much good dont think eastman can cut it as a right back, yes he has the height but not much ball skill in the passing dept, bit like delany at left back last year. would rather see peters in that postion as he has done a better job overall all be it not a ideal choice but prob the best we have. think smith is betterr as the left side of the center and use o conner as he is good going forward. and i think leadbitter should be dropped, this year dont think he is cutting the mustard in all deptments, think colbeck or hyham should have a stint. well just hope we play 4 4 2 and stick with it for the rest of the season as the to strikers will all ways give defence hassle and can then split them 1 upfront just doesnt work for me

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Calmingwind added 09:02 - Oct 27 i to have been wondering about young shane, he was back in training a few weeks ago i believe, im not sure how many run outs hes had in the reserves since then. thoughly enjoyed it last night Good cup tie, i think 12k was an ok turn out considering the weather, the timing (as in pay days) ticket prices and current form. do i wish there were mor fans there - yes, does it make them anyless a supporter - no is the draw saturday? anyone at home please!!!

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dobbie73 added 09:04 - Oct 27 Yeah, draw is on Saturday - midday I believe.
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brittaniaman added 09:11 - Oct 27 Great win last night Keano and the lads !!! Very pleased you took my advice Keano on tactics ha! ha! Now we have got to knuckle down and get that 2nd win on sat. so we can start to rise up the table again, you can do it !!!! I shall be sitting behind you again on sat. Keano !!!!!! COYB !!!!!
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dobbie73 added 09:18 - Oct 27 Just realised that if Burnley lose at Villa tonight, we will be the ONLY non-Premiership team left in this comeptition .... COYB!!
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meekreech added 09:39 - Oct 27 Where are you now whoppit/chambers ? We win and you keep quiet ! Makes for better reading !
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bluelady added 09:44 - Oct 27 went to the game, glad i did! Ok it neither team set the world on fire, but when we brought the ball down and played if on the ground we really did show our class. Agree with majority, Prisken looked lively and i think he and Scotland given time could have a great partnership, although i think i'd prefer Scotland to be the more forward player of the two - it seemed that Prisken was the frontman with Scotland slightly behind. Prisken has for more pace and is better in the air so for me ideally he provides the balls into the box for Scotland (who outside the box huff and puffs and looks very unfit!). cannot understand why O'Connor didnt get a run out even for the last 20 mins or so. For me he offers far better options to overlap with Townsend down the wing. Only problem i think is that Townsend is not good defensively and O'connor is very attacking so may leave us exposed at the back. Tommy will do a job at left back, not ideal but for me much better than Eastman who just does not seem comfortable with the ball at his feet, he either hoofs it or passes to the nearest player even if it isnt the best option. Murray for me was the real highlight, and a very exciting prospect. Fast, great vision, worries defenders and has to be used more often as a super sub to change games. against a tiring defence i really think he can make a differance - also his eye for a pass is superb. Having seen him a couple of years back in a youth game i preferred him to Wickham then, who knows i may just have been right!

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brogansnose added 10:05 - Oct 27 Got to echo Dobbies comments but would add that i enjoyed the really enjoyed the game and having the cobblers fans so close got a bit of banter going between them and section 6. Football mostly was enjoyable apart from a period in the 2nd half when we got a bit sloppy and a better team would have punished us. Despite the opposition that we have played to get this far, its no mean achievement to be in the quarter finals especially seeing as we have used this to blood a lot of the young guns. Lets hope we can get a win Saturday and get ourselves going again.

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vulcher added 10:10 - Oct 27 Well done lads, nice to have a couple run after all these years. Can't remember us having one since our semi against birmingham, hopefully we won't get knocked out due to a terrible pitch this time! Coyb.
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vulcher added 10:16 - Oct 27 * cup
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dobbie73 added 10:27 - Oct 27 Agreed Brogansnose - having the away fans closer to the SBR stand DID make a difference (are you listening Cleggy and Suffolk Old Bill???). *CUE THE "MOVE AWAY FANS" DEBATE* ... :o)
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blueblue87 added 10:33 - Oct 27 Good Result!! Great first half, but the second half was very disapointing. Bluelady - I was at the game, I thought Eastman in the first half was good, good passing kept it simple and on the floor, but in the second half wasn't the best but give him time, i think like Beattie said on the radio a real prospect for the future!!! Murrey when he came on was good looks an exciting player, see him play in the f.a youth cup last year good to see him breaking into the first, will work his socks off up front and offers more than what priskin could ever offer!! Overall brilliant boys, lets hope for a big team next round!!

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