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Chambers: We Must Cut Out the Soft Goals - Ipswich Town News

Skipper Luke Chambers says Town need to cut out the soft goals having conceded four in their last three games. Norwich’s winner in Saturday’s East Anglian derby at Portman Road followed very preventable goals in the defeat at Reading last weekend and two in the draw at Birmingham on Tuesday.

Although replays showed that goalscorer Grabban was offside when Alex Tettey headed back into the area following a corner, the opportunity came about due to a mix-up between keeper Dean Gerken and midfielder Cole Skuse.

The pair left the ball for one another with Skuse having apparently reacted to a call of ‘keeper’s’ which manager Mick McCarthy revealed didn’t come from Gerken .

"It was disappointing to lose to a goal from a set piece,” Chambers said. "We need to learn from this. We can’t afford to give chances away.

"It was a soft goal to concede and one we work on defending day in day out, so it is particularly disappointing.

"It is not the first time of late and we need to cut these out. It is a little phase we are going through and we need to get through it.”

Overall, the 28-year-old felt the derby was a close match with the Blues having opportunities of their own: "There was not too much between the teams, it was an even game.

"There were chances for each side and we could have scored. We had a massive chance with Daryl going wide but we didn’t get the rub of the green.

"The goal knocked us out of our stride. We took the game to them and they were getting breakaways. We always put effort in for every game, not just derby matches.

"We were just lacking a bit of quality and that’s something we need to work on.”

He added: "I’m disappointed for ourselves and fans who turned out in their thousands.”

Despite the derby defeat, the former Forest man says the players will be ready for next Saturday’s match away against his old club’s local rivals, Derby County: "We will pick ourselves up from this and we will be up for our next game.

"The manager told us that we can’t afford to give goals away and then if we do we need to keep our heads.

"We showed last season how we can come back from a goal down and if it happens again that’s what we need to do.”

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