Boss Paul Jewell says it’s a concern that Town rarely draw a game and generally lose heavily if they don't win comfortably themselves. The Blues’ fourth win on the trot, last week’s 3-0 victory over Cardiff, was followed by Saturday’s loss to Brighton by the same scoreline.

Jewell said: “It’s a cause of concern for us that we don’t seem to be able to draw games. I was speaking to Lennie Lawrence [the assistant manager] at Crystal Palace the other day and he said they very rarely lose heavily and very rarely win heavily.

“We look at our results and we either win well or lose badly. Again on Saturday it looked like a bad defeat, although it wasn’t as far as the football was concerned, but the goals against column tells you where we’ve got to be better.”

The Town manager dismissed suggestions that the number of games had caught up with his young side with Luke Hyam substituted in the second half: “It’s not as if they are babes in arms, we’ve got a few 21-year-olds and Luke, who has done terrific.

“I just thought he had been yellow-carded and made a couple of tackles and I didn’t want us to be reduced to 10 men. It wasn’t a reflection on his performance, more to make sure he didn’t get another yellow card.

“We’ve done really well of late and I thought we did well in large periods of the game but we’ve been punished for basic errors and bad mistakes by a good team, a team who are quite rightly on the edge of the play-offs and who can give anybody a good game.

“It’s not all doom and gloom, we’re disappointed, more in the result than the performance. The only thing that was missing, certainly at half-time, was a goal.”

Asked whether the defeat would end mentions of the play-offs, Jewell added: “I don’t think too many people were seriously talking about the play-offs. It’s a question that your editors are always asking you to ask, I guess.

“We were in a relegation battle a month ago, so to be in a play-off fight a month later is madness. It’s a tough league, there are no easy games and anybody can beat anybody, everyone knows that. We know where we are, we know where we need to strengthen to move forward for next season.”

Meanwhile, Josh Carson has flown to Northern Ireland for their friendly against Norway at Windsor Park, Belfast on Wednesday. The 18-year-old, who signed a new contract last week, has previously won two full caps.

Defender Tommy Smith has arrived in New Zealand for their friendly against Jamaica in Auckland on Wednesday after a gruelling three-leg flight which he will repeat in reverse in time for Town training on Friday. Smith has previously been capped eight times by the All Whites.

Photo: Action Images

BlueBoots added 09:11 - Feb 27 A lack of drawers never seemed to bother PJ in the past... I'm here all week - try the veal
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blueblood66 added 09:12 - Feb 27 Then why didnt you take Luke off them you fool? It was obvious from where I was standing that he was holdimg back because of the yellow he got, the game was lost in midfield.
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Surco72 added 09:15 - Feb 27 He did take Luke off ? ^^^^
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 09:16 - Feb 27 The talk of the play-offs was and is lunacy. Someone posted that we are definitely safe despite losing to Brighton. Do we have such short memories? Another seven consecutive defeats and we will be right back in it. We need a season-steadying 1-0 win over Bristol City on Saturday and at the end of the season be content with survival and hopefully mid-table. But we will have yet another "summer of re-building" to look forward to. Many players are out of contract and we cannot attract a decent central defender or goalkeeper for love nor money. Lets be realistic please.

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Sindre94 added 09:20 - Feb 27 PJ's barmy army ITFC!
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Sindre94 added 09:21 - Feb 27 5-1 over west ham, 3-0 over coventry and cardiff, 5-3 over barnsley, we've had some huge wins aswell, after all.
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Sindre94 added 09:21 - Feb 27 ^ Sorry I misread Jewell's comments.
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RetroBlue added 09:23 - Feb 27 Its called having a lack of decent defenders and GK. That's why we can't draw those close games. We can't bloody defend. Thank god its only a "new" problem....oh wait a.minute !!
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cornishnick added 09:27 - Feb 27 And a bad run of results has usually followed a good run, so vital we quickly stamp that out with a good win against Brizzle on Saturday. Bit surprise Smith has been allowed/wants to play for NZ this week. Will almost certainly mean missing out on Saturday, and if Sonko is half decent, will struggle to get back into the team
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martleshamitfc added 09:42 - Feb 27 It's quite simple, we need better defenders.
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oldbri added 09:47 - Feb 27 Hi Guys, Hands up everyone who thinks we should pay silly money as wages to get in a goalkeeper a center half. .Hands up who thought building a successfull team was a 5 minute job. hands up everyone that thought ( the management where not trying to get players in.) Hands up those of you that heard Paul Jewell talk about promotion this year. Right,every one with there hands up,go sit on the naughty step and have a word with yourself or have a word with that Scotch bloke Ferguson at Man Unt.How long was he at the club before they clicked as a team. Keep the faith,Paul Jewell is a great manager. Ipswich Town is a great club and our time will come.

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sonian_blue added 09:48 - Feb 27 Spot on Retro, when will the penny finally drop with these so called 'managers' We as fans have harped on about this for the past three seasons.
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Sindre94 added 09:55 - Feb 27 damn, tommy smith will have a tough week!
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Stato added 09:56 - Feb 27 Confidence is fragile in this team. Having looked so comfortable against Pompey we seemed short of ideas on Saturday and we must have the quietest away support in the division.
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hogster1970 added 10:15 - Feb 27 well for me what happened in the past few weeks was the midfield worked very hard chasing the ball getting in takles and making forward runs and getting the ball in the box, this in turn helps the defence, unfochantly on sat jet and murphy wasnt even in the game they looked tired and just not interested, which ment we basicaly had a 3 man midfield which is never going to work with just poor chops up front on his own, unforchantly pj shot himself in the foot again buy not having josh carson on the bench, to me bullard and carson should always atleast be on the bench as these 2 players can change a game if you are chasing it like we were, leadboots to me never gives us nothing extra and as a team thats what you need, i agree smith and delany was not helping matters but for when the shot hit the cross bar he never even jumped and gave the guy a free header then had the cheek to have a go at barrett, cressy got skinned alive buy butler all to often, but there first goal was a killer 2 passes and would split most defences to be fair. well for me on sat i would like to see murphy dropped to the bench and get carson in just to add some pace to the wings, and he can swap around with jet if needs be other than that i would stick to the same starting 11.

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bobble added 10:32 - Feb 27 wright in goal alan hunter and kevin beatie or russel osman in defense should slow the defeats.
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thechangingman added 10:57 - Feb 27 Yes, I agree with the 'away support' quietness comment... I always feel vaguely embarrassed when I go to away games that we're so very demure and non-demonstrative. I guess coming from the back-end of nowhere and being seen as a 'nice club' doesn't help in these regards...
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algarvefan added 11:13 - Feb 27 Paul....PAUL.....you need to sort out the defence mate. Paul...Paul...PAUL!!! He's not listening is he......?
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 11:35 - Feb 27 Oldbri You must get very tired being right all the time. But actually I don't think anyone has said any of those things. So when I say hands up who is a patronising plank, I wonder who will go and sit on the naughty step this time?
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AlanMahon2011 added 11:36 - Feb 27 Jewell out
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walberswick added 11:57 - Feb 27 Everythings all right just as long as we don't count actual goals. Please use the rest of the season to do something more than avoid relegation.
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Urchin added 11:57 - Feb 27 I see alanmahon2011 is using his 7 letter keyboards again
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Garv added 11:59 - Feb 27 If Smith's knackered for Saturday I don't mind seeing Delaney and Sonko who were playing well together before Sonko got suspended.
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algarvefan added 12:00 - Feb 27 Oh dear, if you have an opinion, go sit on the naughty step! What exactly has PJ done to sort out our woeful defence, the worst in the Championship and why we are where we are, well I'll just have to be naughty this once and say...nothing!!
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roytheboy added 12:06 - Feb 27 I wanted Lee Barrett to do well for us but fear that he isn't quite good enough yet, he has many good qualities but I believe we need a more reliable Goalkeeper asap; obviously the main reason for losing badly is that the defence, generally speaking is just not good enough, especially when we meet some of the better attacking teams, once they have identified our weaknesses they take advantage of them time after time and we have no answer to it at the moment, I'm sure Paul Jewell realises all of this and am confident that things will improve in those areas eventually, obviously the sooner the better.

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