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Ismael Disappointed to Lose 50/50 Game - Ipswich Town News

Watford boss Valerien Ismael was disappointed to lose what he felt was a “50/50 game”, the Blues having come from a goal behind to defeat the Hornets 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

Town captain Sam Morsy netted the winner in the 80th minute, seizing on a heavy touch by his Watford counterpart Wesley Hoedt to inflict the Hornets’ second defeat in their last 11.

"We are disappointed to lose the game like that, especially at the end,” he said. "Otherwise, I think it was another tough game for us, three days after the Southampton game, but I think we showed again that we are ready to compete, ready to show our level, the mentality of the players, the structure, the discipline.

"I think in the first half, the main issue was our unforced mistakes, errors in the build-up without any big pressure, just giving the ball away.

"You need more control and I think at the end of the first half we got the control and it was easier for us to play and force Ipswich more to drop and to have the control in the opponents’ half.

"I think the second half was a game on the front foot from both teams, a 50/50 game, a typical top game, 50/50, the first team that made a mistake would be punished.

"We had two chances to take the lead again with Jamal [Lewis] and Edo Kayembe and you have to take one of them.

"I think it’s what I said after the game against Southampton, we have to work on our ruthlessness in front of goal, we have to shoot on the target, we have to put the ball behind the line and to make sure we can get the reward because if you take the lead, it’s another game, another situation.

"At the end, after we’d made the mistake, it was difficult to come back into the game. The goal shocked us more rather than giving us the feeling that we could come back.

"But it is the learning process now, it’s more about the fine details. When you stay in a game like that, a 50/50 game, we know we can score at any time, so we need to be more calm and show more belief and force [the opposition] open and defend more.

"But it was a good game, from both sides. The team at the minute who are the flavour of the month played well, but I think we created a lot of chances, but the final pass or the final shot wasn’t not really on target.”

Regarding Hoedt’s error, he added: "It’s a part of the game. He gave us three points against Hull City [with a terrific strike] and today these things happen in football.

"There’s no vaccine against mistakes, he just has to stay concentrated, to learn from that and next time in a 50/50 game to make sure we stay in the game.”

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