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Jim Praise for Walters - Ipswich Town News

Boss Jim Magilton hailed the performance of two-goal striker Jon Walters after the Blues' 3-1 home victory over Cardiff City. The Town manager says there is much more to come from the former Chester City man.

Magilton said: "He has got a terrific work ethic and we know he has been working extremely hard on his game. Both goals were excellent.

"We are very fortunate to have him and he will feel the benefit of having pre-season with us and he will be a big asset to the club.

"Slowly but surely the players are getting to grips with a new manager, new ideas and a new backroom staff and a different work ethic at this football club.

"We want them to take ownership of that and the season is coming to an end too soon.

"We will not settle for mediocrity. 14th is not where we want to be, but the last two months have been encouraging.

"We started the game really well and passed the ball superbly. It was a terrific ball from Owen Garvan and when you get someone of the calibre of Franny Jeffers on the end of it, there is only going to be one outcome.

"We got a bit sloppy though, and Cardiff got a deserved equaliser. So we spoke at half-time about setting the right standards and getting more urgency in our play and we saw that after the break.”

Cardiff manager Dave Jones described his side's defending for the first two goals as "suicidal” and admitted his team are not ready for promotion, despite setting the pace early on in the season: "A lot of people said we were good enough to go up but we were not ready and that showed. We are in the rebuilding process and it is going to take a little bit of time.

"Ten games ago we were in with a shout of automatic promotion and six games ago we were in the play-off places, but we were not ready to do it.

"We are very disappointed, but when you look at it in the cold light of day we have come a long way in a short space of time and hopefully the ones that stay will benefit from that."

Get the fastest and most comprehensive Ipswich Town news service at ipswichtown.footballlatest.co.uk.

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