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Keane Frustrated By Another Draw - Ipswich Town News

Boss Roy Keane was frustrated that the Blues recorded yet another draw - their 15th in the league this season - as the home game with Middlesbrough ended 1-1. However, the Town manager conceded that it was a fair result.

Keane said: "Our performances generally haven't been too bad but it's another draw and draws don't get you anywhere fast.

"When you look back at all the draws we've had we might have been better to lose half and win the other half.

"Somebody must be making money out of us by predicting draws every week and we shouldn't begrudge them that.

"But this was a typical Championship game. Both teams had chances, it finished 1-1 and we all go home. Boring."

The Blues boss felt his side needed a better final ball: "Scoring goals has been a problem for us all season.

"In the second half we got in some really good positions but we just needed the final ball. The final ball is the most important one in football.

"If you look at what happens between the two boxes we do reasonably well. But what goes on in the boxes is what life's all about.”

Keane was pleased with his two new loanees: "It was a great start for us, the perfect start and we looked comfortable for the first half.

"It was a good ball in from David and Murph did well to get on the end of it. But we needed a second goal, particularly in the Championship where teams can score from set-pieces and we saw that again today.

"Middlesbrough gave us a few scares in the second half and, after they scored, they had the momentum, so the result was probably about right.

"I was fairly pleased with our performance generally. It was a disappointing goal to concede but we defended fairly well against a decent side.

"It was a risk putting David and Murph in because they've not had a lot of football and Jon Walters, who has been out with a hamstring injury and hasn't trained much, but they came through well.

"I was delighted with the two new lads, they linked up well and their fitness levels were excellent but we have another game on Tuesday and we will have to be careful with them."

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan also felt a draw was the correct outcome: "I thought it was a fair result. Ipswich were the better team in the first half.

"We were getting used to a right-back playing in the middle of the park and a left-back playing on the left of midfield.

"We weren't ready for that type of game, with so many new players, and it was unsettling.

"Had it been a nice simple, passing game we might have been all right and we'd have settled in but it was ferocious to start with.

"The fact we then went a goal down so early on threw the guys who were playing out of position into a bit of shock.

"But our mental strength got better as the game went on. We showed we can play but we have to learn to be more professional in the first couple of minutes.

"Sometimes when a team score early on it's a brilliant goal and you can't do anything about it.

"But with this one we were so embarrassed, down the left-sided area, that we crumbled. It took us until half-time to settle everyone down."

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