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Berra: Little Between Town and QPR - Ipswich Town News

Town centre-half Christophe Berra believes there was little between the Blues and QPR in the two games the sides have played this season, despite the West Londoners taking all six points from the matches.

At Loftus Road in August debutant Tom Hitchcock came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner, while Rangers won 3-1 at Portman Road on Saturday, even though Town had had the better of the goalless first half.

"In the first game they scored in the last minute and [on Saturday] we were unfortunate again. That's football for you," said Berra.

"If you look at the two teams on paper and the budget they have got they are day and night really, but if you watch the game there was nothing in it really.

"After the second goal they started to play nice little passes but before that they were in a game and we really should have got something out of it."

The Scotland international felt Town ought to have gone in ahead at the break: "We were unfortunate not to go in at half-time in the lead.

"We had some good opportunities and chances where we should have done better by hitting the target or making the keeper make a save.

"In the second half we started fine and their goal came out of nothing. Kranjcar did well to hit a shot across goal and the keeper was unsighted and couldn't do anything about it.

"The second one it was just one of those things. Gerks has been top-notch for us and it was just unfortunate he couldn't parry it to the side instead of putting it straight back in the middle.

"He has been a top player for us, he has made some great saves and it was just one of those things. We all make mistakes and that's life.”

Berra is confident that Gerken will quickly put the error behind him: "He knows he has been a superb player for us.

"He pulled off some superb saves even in this game, like from Charlie Austin's header, and throughout the season he has been a top lad. He's a strong character, we won't worry about him. He'll bounce back.”

Despite Saturday’s result seeing the Blues drop to ninth, the 28-year-old says Town are capable of making the play-offs: "Definitely, I think so. There are about 10 teams who could get there so it's going to be competitive to the end of the season.

"We have a small squad and a small budget and hopefully we can stay injury free. I think that was our fourth defeat in 22 games.

"For a squad that size that's really good. Now we have got to bounce back and look at the positives from this game and the things we could obviously do better and we will move on.”

Gary O'Neil, who scored his first QPR goal, was pleased with his side’s win and that they netted three times: "It was good, it was nice to score some goals as well - we haven't scored too many.

"It was a good performance and we ground it out first half. It was a tough pitch to play on but we were solid and managed to be clinical in the second half.”

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