x

Joe: We Were Fortunate - Ipswich Town News

Boss Joe Royle felt his side were slightly fortunate to have gained a point from the 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Sunday lunchtime. Black Cats' boss Mick McCarthy said his players were disappointed not to win the game.

Royle said: "Sunderland will be disappointed. They played well. They are a good unit and we were slightly fortunate.

"Now they need only one win to go up and I think they will be there. Their movement and running in midfield was terrific."

Royle explained that leaving Jim Magilton out of his starting line-up was partly to protect the veteran's legs: "I knew Sunderland were very athletic in midfield and felt we needed holding players.

"Jim has had a great run but is coming up to 36-years-old and we must look after senior players, especially with three important matches to come.

"We didn't get hold of the midfield today and there are one or two issues we need to look at.

"We must keep going. We didn't play desperately badly, but we can certainly play a great deal better."

Royle isn't ruling out gaining the points required to overtake Wigan: "It's not over until it's over. To catch up two points in three games is not the biggest ever turnaround."

The Town boss was understandably unhappy with referee Steve Bennett's decision to award a first half penalty: "I was disappointed with several things the referee did, but they did not affect the result."

Mick McCarthy is not overly concerned at dropping two points: "Last week was the time to worry when we played well against Reading but lost and knew we had a visit to Ipswich to come. But why panic? We have been playing well.

"We have a disappointed dressing room because we had enough chances to have won. We didn't finish them off.

"But my players deserve a lot of credit for coming to Ipswich in a real pressure game and playing as well as they did.

"It would have been foolish of me to expect to dominate against a side like Ipswich."

McCarthy praised for keeper Michael Ingham, making his first league start for Sunderland: "He has been told he can leave the club and finds himself in a match that could be worth millions of pounds.

"I was delighted with the job he did overall. He only played because Ben Alnwick has suffered a bereavement and I didn't think it was fair to select him."

What to read next:

Former Blues Striker Knights Named Stourbridge Boss
Former Blues striker Darryl Knights has been named the manager of Southern League Premier Division Central Stourbridge.
Burgess's Australia Set to Confirm World Cup Qualification
Cameron Burgess’s Australia should formally confirm their qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals when they take on Saudi Arabia in their final qualification group game in Jeddah this evening, while Dara O’Shea and Jack Taylor will be in friendly action with the Republic of Ireland.
TWTD Questionnaire 2024/25
Welcome to the annual TWTD Questionnaire, your chance to look back in judgement on Town's 2024/25 season
Hirst Nets First International Goal in Scotland Victory
Town striker George Hirst bagged his first international goal as Scotland beat Liechtenstein 4-0 in a friendly in Vaduz this evening.
Keeper Gray Adds to New Zealand U20s Caps
Young Blues keeper Henry Gray added to his New Zealand U20 caps in a 2-1 friendly defeat in Chile on Saturday.
Eight Youngsters Offered Terms
Town have offered professional terms to eight youngsters including Rio Morgan (pictured), Nico Valentine, Gerrard Buabo and Leon Ayinde, while 18 of their U21s and U18s teammates have been released.
Fans of Town's Women's Team Asked to Complete Survey For Yearbook
Writer-publisher David Moloney is working on a women’s football fan yearbook and is after input from supporters of Ipswich Town Women.
O'Shea: I'm Fully Committed to Town at the Moment
Central defender Dara O’Shea says he’s “fully committed to Ipswich at the moment” and wants to get the Blues back into the Premier League, the Republic of Ireland international having been linked with Wolves, Leeds United and a return to Burnley this summer.
U21s to Play Friendly at Bury Town
Town’s U21s will play a friendly against Cole Skuse’s Bury Town at Ram Meadow on Tuesday 29th July.
Clarke: Slicker Will Bounce Back, He Has a Big Future
Keeper Cieran Slicker is one of three Town players who could win senior caps this evening - along with George Hirst, also with Scotland, and Nathan Broadhead with Wales - with Scots boss Steve Clarke having given the 22-year-old his backing for “a big future” following his tough international debut against Iceland on Friday evening.