A frustrating week for Ipswich Town ended with a 1-1 draw at Morecambe, but Blues captain Sam Morsy has seen enough from the last two games to believe that the Blues can still finish in the top six.

Town dominated the game at the Mazuma Stadium with 72 per cent possession but a mixture of opportunities which were either saved by Trevor Carson or squandered - aside from Wes Burns’s late equaliser to Aaron Wildig’s against-the-run-of-play opener for the Shrimps - meant they couldn’t turn their superiority into three points.

A single point for the second time in five days - Town drew 0-0 at home to Cheltenham on Tuesday - means Kieran McKenna’s ninth-placed side sit five points from Sheffield Wednesday in sixth, having played more games than the Owls, Wycombe and Plymouth directly above them.

However, with 11 matches remaining, Morsy insists there is still plenty left to play for, with the Blues a cutting edge away from putting a winning run together.

“Absolutely, of course, it is,” Morsy said when asked if a top-six finish is still on. “We’re going to have to put wins together and we know that. We’re going to have to get scoring and find that last touch, but if we do that, we’re going to be a real force.

“Every time we don’t get three points, we’re going to feel it. But there’s a lot of belief that if we play like that nine times out of 10, we’ll win. I genuinely believe that, but we’ve got to keep going.

“You could see how the manager has got us playing. If you were a neutral, you’d probably say this is a proper team. If you take yourself out and watch the clips you think ‘Wow!’. But obviously, there is loads to get better and we’re still improving.

“The gaffer has only been here for 12 games, so it’s still early doors, but you can see how much we’re improving all the time and we’re starting to look like a really good team, but we just have to put wins together now which I think we can.”

Despite going behind to sub Wildig’s 59th-minute goal, there was no panic from Town, who continued to play the same way rather than showing signs of panic.

“The gaffer is trying to get it into us to stick to the game plan, keep doing what we’re doing, and his ambition is to be a really strong football club,” Morsy continued.

“And all the top teams keep doing what they are doing. If Plan A isn’t working, they don’t suddenly try something else, they keep doing it and hammer it home, and in the end, it comes good. So we kept doing what we’re doing and we kept getting the chances.

“Wes is in great goalscoring form and has been a really top player for us. He got another goal today, great for him and then we had so many good opportunities to win the game.

“On Tuesday, I think the manager said it was the best half of the season in the first half and I would probably say it was even better than that today, to be fair.

“We had great opportunities; we had good opportunities from shots, from crosses, from pullbacks, clear-cut chances, long-range efforts. We had every sort of chance today.

“Like the save from JD [Janoi Donacien] that he [Carson] made, then two top corner saves. Macca [Macauley Bonne] missed a few you’d want to score, and then Nors [James Norwood] has a chance, and then Macca has the follow-up and there were so many. Santi [Bersant Celina] has the one in the bottom corner and he makes the save, and no one is there to tap it in.

“The keeper has had the game of his life. He’ll be putting that on all of his social media and I’m sure trying to get a move from this game today!

“You just have to keep believing and keep getting better, and we’ll have a really good week of training ready for a three-game week next week.”

Morsy himself was among those to have chances and he knows if there is any chance to clinching sixth that he and others are going to have to pitch in with goals.

“It’s the hardest thing in football putting the ball in the net, but we had really clear-cut opportunities,” he continued.

“Obviously, I had a close one as well and goals are something I want to add to my game in the run-in. Other individuals need to start scoring as well because we need to start scoring.

“I thought [my shot] was in and then on the rebound, we probably should have scored as well, but we had so many like that as well. Credit to their goalkeeper, he’s had the game of his life, to be fair.

“If you keep running in the box, you’ll get a chance, you’ll get a tap in, you’ll get goals, and I’ve got to continue to do that. And we’ve just got to continue doing what we’re doing because there won’t be many teams who play better today.

“I guarantee you that across any of the divisions, really, when you look at the chances created and how we played. But the most important thing we couldn’t get today.

“They defended fairly well but I think the keeper mainly. But it’s that little bit of individual class and that demand and the players taking that responsibility and being the one to win us the game, and that’s what we’re looking for at the moment.

“I think as a team in between both boxes, I think we’re absolutely fantastic and defending-wise we’ve been fantastic as well, but we just need to start scoring goals.”

At the back, the Blues conceded for the first time in six games at Morcambe, extending their time without conceding to a new club record 592 minutes.

“It’s really good,” the Egyptian international continued when asked about the defensive form.

“We’re not going to overreact with the back lads and whatever [regarding the goal] because it’s a really good header as well to be fair, it definitely can happen.

“But we didn’t look like conceding other than that. I don’t think they had any spells in the game. It was incredible really how much we attacked and how much of the ball we had. To be fair they did work really hard and gave everything they had and so did we to be fair, but we couldn’t get that win.”

Photos: TWTD/PagePix

Timefliesbyintheblue added 10:42 - Feb 27 I for one believe what he says - how refreshing that players and the manager are singing from the same hymn sheet. Have faith, we still have a wonderful chance and let us have trust in our Manager - he picks the correct team every match. To question that is to question him and that would be foolish; he is the best we have had for a long time and averages 2 points a game. Happy Sunday everyone.

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jong75 added 10:48 - Feb 27 Sorry Sam, I don't think it is. 2 points from the last 2 matches is just not enough, more worrying is only 1 goal. I hope I am wrong, but I think we will finish about where we are.
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Suffolkboy added 10:49 - Feb 27 Almost gets to the nub of the challenges : need to find the Jimmy Greaves instinct of picking up the scraps ,instinctively being right there and being hungry to put the ball away ! We can't rely solely on the system creating chances , as individuals you've got to capitalise and gets thrill from doing so ! You can do it Blues !! COYB
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TimmyH added 11:01 - Feb 27 If we can win 4 or 5 in a row it is but there's been no signs this season we're capable of doing it...we've improved under McK and the future certainly looks better but scoring from our strikers needs to be addressed as well as set pieces and corners.
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Bazza8564 added 11:31 - Feb 27 We can, yes, but results like these last two make games at Oxford and Rotherham must wins rather than "get something". I do still believe we will do it and strangely enough I think Bonne might yet hold the key. Players like him go from famine to feast very quickly, oh how we could have done with one of those chances going in yesterday. Jackson Chaplin and particularly Celina improved us, we played some mesmerizing stuff at times yesterday and we are not far away, but we simply have to improve our finishing, everything else in place, I think we would have played some Championship sides off the park at times in the last two games, first halves especially. League one pitches dont help either....

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herfie added 11:45 - Feb 27 The real and quantum improvements achieved by KMcK in just 12 games - effectively starting to repair years of mediocrity resulting from chronic under investment - is in danger of being drowned out by the clear deficiencies that need more work. I am confident - given progress already achieved - that McK knows what they are and will address them successfully. We can see them, the players can see them and the manager can see them. Realistically, the play-offs are beyond us. But with what's currently in place, and what will be further improved, we're going to be a real force to be reckoned wit next term. Hopefully the frustration of dropping points against the likes of C'ham and M'cambe, or being shut out by these whose games are based on physicality and intimidation, will be few and far between. So, we need to have that bit of patience and belief that this young, intelligent and analytical manager/coach will get us to where we all want to be. COYB!

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KernewekBlue added 11:50 - Feb 27 It appears that, at the moment, the missing piece of the jigsaw is an in-form striker. For all of our marksmen to suffer a lean spell at the same time, in this crucial part of the season, diminishes our chances of gatecrashing the play-off party but I'm sure KMcK will already have plans to address that come the next transfer window. It is encouraging to see us dominate games so heavily with high possession stats, playing good football and creating chances we should be converting. The start we had, after the total rebuild prior to this term, would always mean it would be a struggle to catch and overhaul other already settled sides who were quick out of the blocks. Since McKenna came in, we've been shown that the players we now have are capable of getting us out of this division and on to better things. It may just be a bridge too far this time around. Give McKenna the time to work even more with the squad in the close-season, allied to the support of the owners to be proactive in the transfer market and we'll reap the rewards next season. Whilst it's still mathematically possible this term, I'm sure the team will be fired up to have a real go at reaching the top six but it's a big ask.

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Cakeman added 11:51 - Feb 27 Good words Sam and yes being optimistic we could still get in the top Six as other teams around us will drop points. However unless we can persuade Billy Sharp to play for us in disguise then we have little chance. Quite simply our set of strikers are completely out of form and/or not good enough.
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muhrensleftfoot added 11:52 - Feb 27 Morsy says 9 times out of 10 we'll win playing like that, but the sad fact is that 2 times out of 2 we haven't. I was so impressed with us 1st half against Cheltenham, and listening to the commentary on BBC Suffolk, it sounds like we were equally as impressive yesterday. However, the strikers are firing blanks at this very important stage of the season. We could afford a couple of slip-ups had we not had such a disastrous start to the season under Cook. The future looks good under the new owners and McKenna, but realistically it's going to be in League One again next season. (and I was so looking forward to putting Norwich to the sword next season)

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Stato added 12:32 - Feb 27 Chopping and changing the forward 3 for every game isn't producing results. McK needs to decide on his most potent top 3 combination and play them against Fleetwood. None of them appear to be getting the run of games they need to play themselves into form and let's switch to a back 4 sometimes when we need goals from a game rather than only ever swapping the top 3.
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sohamblue74 added 13:59 - Feb 27 No. Let's be realistic. The playoffs are beyond us this season. This is Chambers-esque levels of empty rhetoric from Morsy. All the teams above us score goals and win matches. Whereas we do not. We failed to beat Cheltenham and Morecambe who are both very weak teams, over 4 matches. We have zero chance of beating Rotherham and Wigan. Our strikers are demonstrably terrible and do not score goals. We cannot rely on the midfield every week. Plus our set pieces are woeful. We therefore face a FOURTH season in the THIRD division, which is embarrassing. However, we now have credible owners and a talented manager. So there are grounds for cautious optimism for next season.

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Dissboyitfc added 14:24 - Feb 27 The challenge when KM came in was to average 2 points per game, that so far has been accomplished and if we continue with that average the play-offs are on!
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johnwarksshorts added 14:50 - Feb 27 Believe!
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Linkboy13 added 14:55 - Feb 27 I could live with Bonne not scoring if he was contributing in other ways but he's not he seems to have lost the heart and desire in my opinion. McKenna is in the process of building a good side and is going the right way about it by making us a solid looking unit. I don't think he's too concerned about the play offs this season and is looking more towards next season when we will be better prepared for a promotion push. He's having a good look at the present squad at the moment and i expect plenty of comings and goings in the summer.

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hyperbrit added 15:12 - Feb 27 I agree with the above comments. McK is having a good look at who to keep and who to let go in the summer hence the rotation. If by some fluke Town sneaked into the playoffs and won they would be placed in full survival mode instead of being able to intelligently plan for the future.
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Flamencaman added 15:17 - Feb 27 Sadly that was a new manager bounce how the hell we never won I don't know, Morecombe players chucked themselves at everything even when beaten the gods smiled on the keeper, one schoolboy error at the back they score,act of god that we didn't get 3 points
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Woodbridgian added 15:23 - Feb 27 Not sure it is “still on” probably going to need at least 78 points for top 6 which means we need 25 points from 11 games, to get there. Not mathematically impossible but highly improbable unless we can start scoring.
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blues1 added 18:12 - Feb 27 Why oh why do people think k we have no chance of naking the playoffs still? We are only 1 point worse off than prior to yesterday. Of course it will be hard but teams above us have to play each other so points will ve dropped by some of them. And while some have games in hand they have to win them. If we are going to make it tho, our strikers have to start scoring.
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blues1 added 18:12 - Feb 27 Why oh why do people think k we have no chance of naking the playoffs still? We are only 1 point worse off than prior to yesterday. Of course it will be hard but teams above us have to play each other so points will ve dropped by some of them. And while some have games in hand they have to win them. If we are going to make it tho, our strikers have to start scoring.
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ChrisFelix added 18:18 - Feb 27 Since Mckenna arrival we have managed 2 points a game. But these include games against Gillingham & Doncaster. Also our 11 remaining matches include Rotherham, Wigan Oxford & Plymouth. Can even the most enthusiastic Town fan see us hitting the 75 point total. Sorry but the last 2 games continue to show that we are sadly still work in progress
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ringwoodblue added 21:17 - Feb 27 Blues1 - Face facts, we are not capitalising when other teams around us drop points and we've been 9th for what seems like ages. Yes the teams with games in hand might not win all those games but we are not scoring freely so while that continues, we are unlikely to win enough games to sneak into the top six. Hope to be proved wrong.
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Bert added 23:16 - Feb 27 The ownership of our club has changed, the manager and his back room staff have changed, the squad has changed. the attendances have changed, the style of play has changed, the atmosphere has changed so whether we miss out on the play offs this year or not, our club is back in our hearts. Yes, we need to learn how to break stubborn defences down but the future is rosy under new management.

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Linkboy13 added 09:03 - Feb 28 Why oh why do people think we can't make the play offs. Because we've been in consistent all season and have not been able to beat some pretty poor teams. McKenna's doing a very good job of slowly building a good side and deep down i think he's looking at next season there's no quick way to success im afraid.
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BlueBlood90 added 12:54 - Feb 28 Just cut this nonsense out and forget about the playoffs. We haven't deserved to be in the top 6 all season and haven't been anywhere near them so I wish we'd stop talking about them now. That's not to say we should give up hope but we're not in a good enough or close enough position to be so obsessed with them. We've played more games than everyone else and we're still quite far behind points wise so it's completely irrelevant discussing them. Try to win every game and what will be will be.

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oldelsworthyfan added 14:43 - Feb 28 I believe supporters always need to be optimistic. We've stopped leaking goals (only one conceded in the last six games). We are now creating more chances up front. All it needs now is for our strikers to click (for a change). Bonne to end his lean spell. There are still 33 points available
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