Town boss Paul Lambert felt the Blues were the better team during their 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road, Aaron Drinan having netted his first competitive goal for Town to level Charlie Kirk’s opener for the Railwaymen, prior to Teddy Bishop being dismissed for a second bookable offence.
"I thought we were the better team,” Lambert said. "We didn’t deserve to go a goal down, we were the better team and I’m really happy with how we played, I thought we played really good, the tempo was really good.
"We had some good moments in the first half, we dominated the first half. I know the wind was strong but even in the second half we looked really lively and they scored against the run of play, I think. Then we changed it a little bit and got the goal just after that.
"The sending off was obviously a big one. Anyone who knows Bish, he’s not like that. If Bish puts the brakes on in the penalty box, he gets a penalty because he’d get bundled over. But I’m really happy with how we played, I couldn’t ask for any more.”
He added: "I thought we were the better team throughout the game, they had little spells, which they’re going to have, being the home team, but I thought we played well and I don’t think anybody could argue with that.”
Luke Woolfenden appealed that he had been fouled in the build-up to the Alex goal and Lambert agreed.
"It was a free-kick, it was a free-kick for a foul on Woolfenden, without a doubt,” he said. "How the referee’s not seen it, I don’t know, but for me it’s a free-kick.”
Lambert slammed Kayden Jackson for his red card against Sunderland but had more sympathy with Bishop.
"It’s totally different from Jackson’s,” he said. "As I said, Jackson’s was horrific. That was an honest one there.
"As I say, if Bish puts the brakes on [he could have won a penalty]. He doesn’t put the brakes on through honesty to try and retrieve the ball. If he’s cute, he takes the hit and I think we’ve got a penalty.
"But he tries to work hard to get the ball back, so I’ve got no problem with those sort of things that can happen. But it’s two yellows.”
The Town manager felt Myles Kenlock played well with the left-back having made his first league start since October.
"He did and the secret is to keep that commitment and not plateau off,” he said. "He’s got to keep that drive, Myles. But I thought he had a good game for the first time he’s played.”
Asked whether he felt there was a lack of goal threat from his team, he reflected: "I thought today we had some good moments, Gwion [Edwards] had a good shot, Freddie [Sears] had a shot which he should have done better with, Norwood at the back post, so there were good moments there.
"But we’re trying everything we can, we’re trying to get a striker in to help them as well, but today I thought we were very good without the ball and with the ball I thought with the ball we were more like ourselves.”
Lambert says it’s a waiting game to see whether someone can be added to the squad before Monday’s 11pm deadline with Nottingham Forest youngster Will Swan among a number of potential loan signings on the list.
"As I said before, I don’t know,” Lambert said when quizzed on progress on a new recruit. "We don’t have much to play with on that side of it with everything else that’s going on in the world. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Questioned on whether it will take wins to change the mood around the club Lambert, with TWTD’S Phil Ham still banned from press conferences, said he wouldn’t be commenting on anything beyond the game.
"Especially with what you write,” he responded to the EADT/Ipswich Star, who earlier this week called for a change of manager at Town.
"I don’t read your stuff because your opinion doesn’t matter to me. But I hear about it. I couldn’t give two damns about it, I’ve told you that before.
"My job is to protect those guys [the players], not a problem. I don’t need to answer to you. I told you I’m not going to answer any questions. You asked me about that game, that’s it.”
Crewe manager David Artell felt a draw was the correct result.
"It was a cagey affair in the worst possible conditions to play in,” he told his club's official site. "It was blowing a strong gale, so when we came in at half-time at 0-0 when it was blowing in our faces, it was like 'go on then.'
"We got our noses in front and we should have seen the game out with 25 minutes to go, especially when they went down to ten men. We didn’t show enough quality in that period to go on and win the game.
"It was a tactical affair, 4-3-3 against 4-3-3 and I don’t think either team deserved to win. A draw was probably a fair result but we want to go on achieve things then you have to go on and win the game 1-0. We want to achieve things here.
"You have to make sure that when you get your noses in front you go on and win the game 1-0 and don’t concede, so to concede through a tackle is even more disappointing. They didn’t have too many other chances that I can think of.
"When you put everything into the pot then it could have been better and it could have been worse, so to be disappointed that we have only drawn at home to Ipswich shows how far we have come.”