Boss Roy Keane bemoaned his side’s lack of goals after losing 2-1 at home to Coventry City. The Blues manager was disappointed with his team’s first half display but felt they improved after the break.

Keane said: “I think we had enough good attacking play, particularly in the second half, but we’ve not been scoring enough goals and that was the case today.

“If you score one at home you think you’ve a chance of at least getting a point. You can talk about possession but we gave two very bad goals away and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb and we weren’t quite able to do it.

“We gave ourselves a chance by getting back into it so quickly with Jason, but the first half was poor and we should do better.”

The Town manager thought his team were well under par before the break: “I was pleased to go in at 1-0 at half-time. We couldn’t have been any worse and we weren’t, but then to give the penalty away.

“The penalty was a bad goal, a really bad goal to give away. When you think of the progress we’re trying to make, just to give away a penalty like that is criminal really.”

Keane feels his side made poor decisions in and around the area: “Possession won’t win you football matches, but we got into good areas in the second half, wide positions on the edge of the box where you need to be inventive.

“I thought we were a bit on our heels today, we were waiting for things to happen rather than making it happen.

“We just need that bit of quality sometimes, someone with that bit of composure when it drops to them to think ‘this is the right decision, this is the right pass’. Today we picked the wrong one too many times.”

Keane says full-back Mark Kennedy is unlikely to play at Watford on Tuesday after suffering another hamstring injury in the closing stages.

Coventry boss Aidy Boothroyd was delighted with his side’s first win at Portman Road since 1994: “It was tough, any game in the Championship is difficult, but coming here is very, very hard because they’re a good side and they’re where they are for a reason. It was a difficult game today.”

The one-time Colchester manager was in little doubt that Lukas Jutkiewicz‘s first half strike crossed the line: “I thought we were the better team in the first half. The ‘goal’ from Lukas is a goal but obviously the referee doesn’t have the benefit of goal-line technology, so it’s my turn again to complain about that and say we should have it. But you have to get on with it and you can’t blame referees.

“The first half we created a lot of chances, I thought we put them under a lot of pressure, but in the second half I thought they came out the better team and, although we hit the post, it was a fight for your life, defend for your life job. You have to do that in the Championship, and we did it really well.”

Photo: Action Images

Blandford added 23:41 - Oct 16 We all know that today wasn't one of our better games so far this year. However I do wish that 'fans' would give Wickham a break. Stop trying to sell him on to the highest bidder asap and ask yourselves - when you began work at 17 did everyone expect you to be an expert in your chosen occupation.
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Suffolktractor added 23:43 - Oct 16 Total lack of ambition by the manager, then he moans that we don't score goals. We have 3 decent strikers that would walk into most teams in this league, but he plays only one, even then the midfield do not support that lone striker. Coventry played with two upfront, they were a real handful for our defence and sorry to say they deserved to win, cos they wanted to win more than we did. Very sad.

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moomoosereni added 23:59 - Oct 16 Changing the formation 3 times in one home game was not good to see. It should managerial naivety and tactical inexperience. Playing one upfront was particularly irritating to see them starting the game like that. Having said that some of the comments on here are a little unfair. Not so much at the manager I think he knows that he made some pretty poor judgement calls today, in particular how our midfield lined up. Other than our two wide players the central 3 didn't look like they really knew what their role was at times. But, Wickham IS JUST 17!!! Give the lad a break. Keane is playing him in half games probably partly to not run him into the ground but also to keep him grounded. Unfortunately by doing that it makes it harder at times for a young lad to make his mark on a game especially when he comes into it with us already losing. But I'm sure if he was played in every game from the start and then got badly injured or burnt out you would flip the blame onto Keane. As it stands I don't think we are good enough to go up even through the playoffs. But sometimes great things can come from bad mistakes. So fingers crossed we pick it up a bit on Tues night! COYB!

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camblue added 00:11 - Oct 17 Is it just me or is anyone else sick to the back teeth of opposing teams blatant time wasting and the officials doing nothing about it.
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blue_floyd added 01:28 - Oct 17 I'm sure we would get more goals if Keane didn't insist on playing 4-5-1 at home. We looked like the away team in the first half. That system may work on our travels, but I think we should be more positive at Portman Road and have a go at teams. 2 up top next home game, please.
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dubzyluvschips added 01:34 - Oct 17 I think Keane will persist with 1 up front, with Colback playing between the midfield and striker.
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big_gaz67 added 07:46 - Oct 17 If we are going to play two up front is has to be Wickham as the lone striker not Scotland. This is no insult it Scotland's superior finishes but Wickham is better at chasing lost causes and linking up with the hopefully overlapping midfield. Though McAuley, for an international defender, was an embarrassment today. The way he allowed the shot to happen that hit the bar and worse the way he took the attacker out to full back (good) but then allowed himself to be beaten on the nearside and then didn't pull out of the challenge when the attacker was going nowhere was Sunday morning style footy.

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Suffolk_n_Good added 08:40 - Oct 17 As others have already said, we have been needing more firepower for 2/3 seasons, & still we wait!! Colback is a good signing, but we're not that badly off for midfielders to be honest, its up front where we need signings, 2 preferably!! Scotland good signing, Wickham not 100%, Priskin a waste of space, Murray untried. THAT IS ITFC's STRIKEFORCE!! & KEANE WONDERS WHY WE LACK GOALS!!

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Umros added 08:40 - Oct 17 So do us fans Keane although we have been banging on about strikers for 5-6 years so maybe, just maybe you need to add another poacher for Scotland to play off instead of being negative and flooding the midfield against and average Championship side. Priskin not up to it and Wickham despite rave reviews and making a nuisance of himself occassionally, hasn't actually scored which no matter how brilliant potential he is at the end of the day its not what you want from a striker..............

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N4_Blue added 09:09 - Oct 17 Very disappointing result but have a feeling that could be the pattern for the season. Get a good result one day and poor result the next. We are struggling with this system at home (looks good away from home albeit a bit negative) - the Leeds result was helped by a pretty poor Leeds team. I have said this before but I think Priskin is a confidence player and he needs a run of games. Give him 10 games on the bounce and if he doesn't deliver after that then fine, get rid but he was like this with Watford - only when they started playing him regualrly and he felt he was believed in did he start scoring. Scotland needs a regular partner to hit it off with and I really believe Priskin could still do it. Wickham is still young and I think it will do him good to be a regular sub and come on as our impact player. I still believe play offs is well is perfectly achievable. I have always said that we need to give Keane two years - if we have not made the play offs at the end of the second year then I think Keane will know that he has failed and will walk before being pushed,

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foster added 10:01 - Oct 17 should have played 2 up front at home
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hogster1970 added 10:04 - Oct 17 well i still think this, at the start of the season 4 5 1 worked for us as the teams we were playing were still finding there feet and we plyed better and scored a few goals and won, or at least drawed, now the system aint working as teams are starting to gel and our sytem aint woking as well, you need wide men not only to feed the striker but to score goals lik mackie does. but they aint doing that, not enough. so for me were should start every game from now one with 4 4 2 with any combo upront of the 3 we have. to me scotland needs the height of whickam or priskin to assist him, to me when whickam came on the first 10 mins or so although it looked he didnt do much but he drew defenders towards him giving some space for scotland and other players. but they need feeding with quality balls and thats are main problem, to me peters and edwards linked well yesturday but the final ball was always poor. aswell for a change in the second half we had players with achers of space and no one fed them the ball instead opting to pass to players which was under pressure. also thought for the 2nd time this year our back 3 not including peters were very chittery weres in the past they looked solid. for me keane made a major mistake for taking of peters and townsend and going 3 strikers up front, we were playing well up untill then all be it giving a stupid penalty. for me i would have taken scotland of as i still dont think he can put in a full 90m yet. that would have kept the flowing game sort of going. priskin to me needs to play more with a 2 upfront sytem i thought when he did get the ball he played well and a nice hold up and lay off for scotland shot which the keeper done well to save. oh well hope they play better against watford and defo against notts as im going and hope he puts out a half decnt team in the cup as im going to that to lol

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halliday05 added 10:05 - Oct 17 why not 2 up front we are playing for a draw and we lost.
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hogster1970 added 10:05 - Oct 17 also think leadbitter should be dropped for a while just so he can get some corner taking practice, and some of the phone ins on suffolk made me laugh when beats ect recon townsend and liver more were hopeless hmmm well i disgree
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jpbrooks1 added 10:11 - Oct 17 Its already been said about 1 up front at home (is it even good away?). However, I must disagree with the anti Priskin brigade. His movement is first class, and he takes defenders away from the other strikers with ease. Give him a few starts & I'm sure he'll prove his worth.
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Skip73 added 10:12 - Oct 17 As I said yesterday I had to work so couldn't make the game but from what I've heard and the brief 'highlights' I've seen we were poor. We can't keep playing like that and hope to go up, we could and probably should have been 3 down by halftime, and as many others have said on here, playing 1 up front at home is giving the imputus to the opponents. Still, I'll keep the faith -everybody has an off day, and lets hope thats all it is, and at least the scum didn't win.

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kerryblue added 11:02 - Oct 17 Why play one up front?We have got very little out of any games using this tactic,time to use 2 strikers Roy the past few games should have shown you that.
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NSL added 11:06 - Oct 17 Yesterday proved we desperately need another striker. Scotland is actually a quality forward but needs someone alongside him all the time. Wickham will be a fantastic player but not quite ready yet and Priskin is just not up to it. We are now inundated with midfielders but cannot see any of them winning us a match. I thought Edwards was useless yesterday and the tactics smacked of Keane doing everything just to play 'his' signings. We had a good setttled side during September but with the signings of Livermore and Colback, don't get me wrong they are good players, this will lead to Keane tinkering with the team every week and we'll end up mid-table before you know it.

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DeanoBlue added 11:33 - Oct 17 didn't look as solid as normal first half playing 451 which is what that system is all about? should of stuck with 442 second half it was all town apart from the odd counter attack. but why did townsend and edwards get in good crossing positions only to cut inside or hit the first man when they did cross? strikers need good service so with all the midfielders we have surely one of them can create somthing. scotland created his own chances yesterday apart from when priskin laid it off to him. give priskin and scotland a run of games.

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Johnny_Boy added 11:59 - Oct 17 Stop playing 1 striker upfront on their own and sign a a forward that is an improvement on the goal-shy Priskin.
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BerkshireBlue added 12:05 - Oct 17 4-1-4-1 is ok when things need to be kept tight when playing away with the hope of stealing a goal or two on the break but at home? 4-5-1 that changes to 4-3-3 when we attack is subtly different but it appears we don't have the players to seamlessless switch to this formation. I agree that Priskin should be given a couple of games with Scotland - especially at home!

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poggie added 12:38 - Oct 17 It was a rubbish game ... especially the first half ... what on earth was that, as it certainly wasn't football? Playing one up front at home is boring, as well as ridiculous. The fans deserve so much better than that ...particularly after what we put up with last season. We didn't start the season in this negative fashion, so where on earth has it come from? Anyway, it really needs to stop NOW. Or the fans will stop bothering to come to games ... we want to be ENTERTAINED!! Or at least, not bored out of our brains for 90 minutes!!

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Mark added 12:49 - Oct 17 NSL raises a valid point about tinkering as we now have Hyam, Leadbitter, Norris, Livermore, Colback, Hourihane, Healy, Quinn and Clarke all competing for the two/three central midfield positions. When we have such a need for a striker and a right-back, it is rather strange that our last three loan signings have been a centre-back and two central midfielders. Okay, we signed Scotland but then we let Counago, Lisbie, D.Healy, D.Murphy and Walters go. Five out, one in!

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Wickets added 12:55 - Oct 17 Can anyone remember after such a poor game, did we win the toss, am i mistaken or did Coventry kick off? did we choose to change ends?
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alfromcol added 13:29 - Oct 17 Changing ends seems to be the norm now. As a supporter in the South Stand I am all in favour, provided we can score goals. I have supported RK in the past, but his team set up defies belief. The last 3 home games he has started with 1 up front, if supporters can see the error of this surely a paid Manager can?? He more or less admits to the error in the post match interview and then starts the next home game in the same way.

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