Boss Roy Keane was less than impressed with his side's performance in their 2-0 defeat to Cork City on Sunday. The Town manager gave his players a stiff talking to in the dressing room for a display he felt was "unacceptable”.

After the game Keane said: "You can't kid a kidder. I wouldn't be a great one for hiding my feelings anyway if I tried.

"Poor enough from our point of view. I thought we started badly and gradually got worse.

"Some players had another opportunity to impress me and they didn't take it. Some players have run out of chances.”

The Blues boss was less than impressed with the two goals the Blues conceded, which he said were "abysmal at any level" and jokingly suggested that he would need to extend the two-year timeframe he has been given to get the club promoted: "After today, I would have thought 22."

All that aside, the Town manager says he is still confident that his team will be fine in time for the visit to Coventry on August 9th: "Over the next week or two we'll have to start really nailing down team shape and certain players.

"And I believe that, in three weeks, we'll be ready for the Coventry game and the big battle ahead.

"I try not to over-analyse pre-seasons. I have been involved with teams that have been flying but then it doesn't happen when the season starts and vice-versa. The new lads are settling in and I'm pleased with them.

"The players are off and back in on Tuesday. It has been hectic and I have told them to go away and switch off. We are back in on Tuesday and then have games Wednesday and Saturday.”

The Blues boss was impressed with the home side's performance: "Credit to Cork. I keep saying that's the beauty of coming over here. They've got some good players and it was the same at Finn Harps 10 days ago.

"The League of Ireland teams are good. And I would never underestimate them – I've played League of Ireland myself. It's tough, you don't get much time on the ball – sometimes you might get even more in England."

Keane hopes Cork are able to settle their financial problems with the Irish tax authorities in the weeks to come: "For them to just disappear over the next few weeks would be an absolute disaster. Please God something will fall into place for them."

Meanwhile, Shane O'Connor has confirmed that he will sign the one-year contract he was offered by the Blues over the weekend: "Being from Cork Roy Keane is one of my heroes. I had a tough few years at Liverpool but to join Ipswich and get the chance to possibly play in the Championship means everything to me.”

Former Liverpool academy scholar O'Connor, 19, has been on trial for the last couple of weeks and played in the friendlies at Gorleston and Waterford. He is expected to put pen to paper on his deal today.

Manager Keane says the versatile O'Connor – he played left midfield and up front at Gorleston and left-back at Waterford – prefers to play in advanced positions: "Good players can play in any position. He played left-back on Friday but sees himself as an attacker. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and not a lot of people have enough enthusiasm.”

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