Town boss Kieran McKenna was frustrated as the his side were beaten 1-0 at Portman Road by Lincoln, their first league home defeat of the season, but felt they did more good things than bad in a second half in which eight or nine times out of 10 he felt they would have scored more than once.
Ben House’s goal in the 24th minute saw the Imps, who are managed by former Blues full-back and coach Mark Kennedy, to their first win at Portman Road since September 1954 with the Blues failing to take as many chances as they created in some months under previous managers.
"I think probably two different reflections really,” McKenna said when asked his thoughts on the game. "After their goal, end of the first half, but in particular in the second, I thought we did a lot of good things.
"In terms of how we chased the lead, I think we went about it quite well, I thought we built pressure on their goal, created chances in all different ways, sustained pressure, locked it in well, didn’t give away many counter-attacks and I think if we play the second half 10 times over, I think we would score more than one goal maybe eight or nine times.
"Frustration there, of course, in the second half. We missed chances that we shouldn’t miss, that we don’t want to miss, but that’s football and that can happen.
"The other bit of the game, the start to the game and the first 23 minutes or whatever it was up until their goal, was probably the period that we can look back on a little bit and control what we can control.
"We didn’t start the game how we wanted to start it, we didn’t manage to create the same atmosphere or pressure or intensity in the game that we’ve managed to do in our home games this season in general.
"And if you don’t do that, of course, then the minutes tick by and the opposition are just waiting for that one set play. And if you don’t defend your set play well enough and you give them a cheap goal, then it makes it a difficult challenge, much, much, much more difficult again.
"I think the main bit that we can improve on is the start to the game and how we went about it. Not in terms of our will to do well, but in terms of where we place that intent and improve on that and make sure that when we face these type of games that we’re really clear on what we want the start of the game to look like.
"But the second half was, of course, frustrating and disappointing, but we have to move on from that. It was one of those unlucky days in some ways. The ball didn’t fall our way and we missed chances when we had them and, again, we did more good things than not in the second half.”
Regarding Lincoln’s goal, he added: "It’s another strange one in some ways because he spoons a header 20 yards up in the air. We didn’t mark well enough, we didn’t pin the runners into the six-yard box well enough, so it allows them to get the first contact.
"An unusual goal, we need to do better when it goes so high up in the air, be more alert, get inside the frame of the goal better as a team.
"A few little details to improve. There was a lucky element to the goal as well and that made the game much more difficult than it was already going to be.”
While it was frustrating that Town managed only five efforts on target out of their 33 shots, McKenna says he would be more concerned if his side weren’t creating opportunities.
"Nobody plans to miss a chance,” he continued. "We didn’t have that many on target but ewe got to really good positions.
"I think if you’re not having shots on target because your shots are all from 35 yards, you’re concerned about what you’re doing to break down the low block.
"But we got to really good positions and had some really good chances that on another day I would back us to score.
"We’ve done that in general this season, we’ve been the highest scorers in the league before today [on 27, only Plymouth have scored more, 28] and scored in every game [in the league] before today, so it’s a frustrating day but I think in general we’ve been more clinical and have been doing well converting our chances. It didn’t happen today, they blocked a lot of shots as well.
"When you give them the 1-0 lead, then they’ve got that extra incentive and have every right to have so many of their team in the penalty box diving in front of shots and you’re going to have a lot of blocks.
"Frustrating, but in general we did more good things than not in terms of how we chased the lead and if we went about it the same way, lots of times over we would get more reward than we did today.”
After the defeat to the Pilgrims, McKenna stressed the importance of getting back to winning ways quickly with Derby County visiting Portman Road for a live Sky game on Friday evening.
"Another big game, lots of big games and challenges ahead, so lots to look forward to,” the Blues boss added.
"It’s early in the season, the team’s improving in a lot of different ways and learning and we need to get ready now for Friday night for another really challenging game and a tough block of three games now with Derby and then Port Vale and Charlton away.
"We need to dust ourselves down after today, swallow the disappointment, learn from the bits that we can do better, especially the start of the game and make sure we’re ready for next week.”
Lincoln boss Mark Kennedy, making his first return to Portman Road since leaving his role as U21s manager in 2016 for a position as U15s coach of Manchester City, said: "We were talking beforehand about their incredible home record and I said they had to lose at some point.
"We knew Ipswich were going to have the lion’s share of the possession but we defended brilliantly when we had to.
"The players showed great belief and they’re an incredible group. I just wish they believed it more.
"We have the youngest squad in the league but there were some awesome performances out there.”