Town manager Paul Jewell felt a 1-1 draw was the least his side deserved from their opening Championship game against Blackburn at Portman Road. Jason Lowe’s late own goal equalised Colin Kazim-Richards’s debut goal for the visitors before the break.

Jewell said: “I think the least we deserved was a draw, not because we were brilliant on the ball, but through our endeavour.

“We passed the ball a little bit slowly, a bit like we did on Tuesday [in the first half]. But they made it difficult for us. After we conceded a bad goal from a set play, they sat in there, but you can’t fault our lads for their effort.

“I don’t think there were too many negatives today,” he continued. “I thought we were going to have to extend the programme to fit in their squad.

“They are a quality team and they made it difficult for us. They’re going to be right up there, there’s no doubt about it in my mind.”

The Blues boss was always confident his side would have the stamina to keep battling until the end, despite the heat: “We had to keep going and I said at half-time that if we keep going we’ll finish strongly because we’re certainly a fit team, and we finished the game the stronger.

“We’ve got a really young and athletic [midfield], Lee Martin’s athletic, Carlos and Cressy are, so I didn’t think we would wilt, but it was really hot out there.

“We didn’t play great but we got something out of the game when maybe in the past we wouldn’t have done.”

Jewell was delighted with the impression Jason Scotland made from the bench: “He’s got that touch of quality.

“He might be able to finish too many 90-minute games but he’s certainly been an impact player for us, coming off the bench or playing for some part of the game because he’s got that touch of quality and makes us play a little bit.

“The conditions today were so difficult with the heat and [I’m pleased] to come from a goal behind. I can’t tell you how hot it is out there.”

The negative was yet another set piece goal conceded with Jewell increasingly exasperated: “What can you do? Other than go out there and head it away myself I don’t know what else I can do.

“It doesn’t matter how good or bad the opposition is, or how good you are between the two boxes, if you don’t defend set plays or don’t make the most of your set plays, like we did in the last minute, it can cost you the game.”

Overall, the Liverpudlian was content with the first afternoon of the Championship season: “I’m satisfied as we got something out of the game. You’re never happy. We want to play better, we want to win games but this league is as competitive as it’s ever going to be.

“We go to Watford on Tuesday, that’s going to be another big test and, as Blackburn will know and the other teams that have come down will find out, you don’t get an easy game in the Championship.”

In terms of adding players before the trip to Vicarage Road, Jewell said: “We might have Jay Emmanuel-Thomas back!” he joked.

“The only time I’m not trying to get a new player is when the game’s on. We’re trying to improve the squad, everyone knows that, it’s about being patient all summer and getting the right ones that will take us forward.

“We’ve got a good group at the minute, we’ve got a small squad, we need to improve that as we go along as we’re going to have injuries and everything else. We need to improve it, no doubt about that.”

As for the bid he made on Thursday, believed to be for Derby striker Steve Davies, he says it has been turned down: “That’s been rejected.”

Blackburn boss Steve Kean thought his team might have won: “We’re a bit disappointed, to be totally honest. We feel that we controlled the game for the first hour and got our noses in front.

“There was a big turning point in the game. If Colin Kazim-Richards’s chip drops into the net, we’re probably going away with three points.

“Having said that, the Ipswich side, who I saw in midweek playing against Bristol Rovers, they’re well organised, have lots of good players and there won’t be many teams who come here and get three points. I must give credit to Ipswich, they were excellent.”

Photo: Action Images

ipswich61 added 21:04 - Aug 18 im happy with the point,especialy against blackburn who are one of the fav to go up
0

Stato added 21:05 - Aug 18 Agree Lowestoft Blue, Smith didn't put a foot wrong.
0

Lowestoft_Blue added 21:11 - Aug 18 Someone said it was his fault for there goal, I couldn't see as I was row b in SBR lower?
0

Pip50 added 21:22 - Aug 18 Blah blah blah all these comments are head in the sand. We labored at home for a point. Top goal scorer is oggy we have a wafer thin inexperienced squad. Blackburn will be mid table, hopefully with so will we or we are in trouble. Our football financial model is shot.....nothing but gloom ahead.
0

suffolkpunchdrunk added 21:37 - Aug 18 Who cares, it's always a great result when the budgies get stuffed!
0

ClassyCranson added 21:42 - Aug 18 A good point and plenty of positives to take from the game. Hyam man of the match for me. Hopefully he will be given a good run in the team this season. Two tough away league games coming up but I think we can going into those games with a lot of confidence.
0

casanovacrow added 21:43 - Aug 18 What game was Steve Kean watching?
0

gibbo added 21:45 - Aug 18 Thought we were far the better team, just a shame we have not got somebody to put the ball in the net
0

suffolkpunchdrunk added 21:55 - Aug 18 We are in 15th place and only 1 point and goal difference keeps us out of the bottom three - too early to start worrying?
0

Lukeybluey added 22:01 - Aug 18 the amount of times i said "great tackle Luke Hyam". He certainly put in a few crunchers! I always think we seem a bit more solid in midfield when he's playing. Luongo was impressive, constantly passing. Blackburn reminded me of just another route one team. Just hoof the ball up there and hope one of their strikers gets it. I think they might find it a little difficult in this league. On a whole town impressed me, and the atomosphere in the ground was electric. Good call on the band! COYB's!

0

bigolconnor added 22:29 - Aug 18 Some of the people on here are f'ing stupid. Good performance guys. Early days. Keep up the good work. Chin up Jet.
0

choprawontcome added 22:45 - Aug 18 Good start boys, now lets take this to the watford game and get rid of the dreadful run we've had there in the past few seasons. Jet will come good just not his day today,COYB....oh and ps got off to a flyer in the prediction league too,,,come on mr ham i want to see what position im in :)
0

NoelTheDub added 23:12 - Aug 18 we must play 442 'what does scotland have to do to start a game hes flying at the moment let him loose we need to go in front in games not put him on when were 1 0 down
0

harlingblue added 23:52 - Aug 18 Drury and Scotland came off the bench to transform the game IMO. We played most of the game with 10 men, as JET had one of his REAL off days. Hyam was excellent, Luongo was comfortable on the ball, but needs to learn to hit the killer pass and overall we were the better side. Blackburn looked a very ordinary, perhaps because we are getting better?
0

hello66 added 08:32 - Aug 19 Hot day.....JET had a bad day at the office.....we held our own today we did not get over run and we passed the ball around at times really well, its good to see Loach balls to out players have thought about them and delivered quickly this can move the game quickly to our advantage. A lot of young legs, I get a feeling we are getting a team together its been a long wait. Like the drums got the crown going a couple of time?????? What do think?

0

bluearmy4life added 08:44 - Aug 19 What game was Steve Kean watching? I don't think Blackburn were that great in my opinion. We looked brighter in spells of the game, and apart from conceding the poor free header from Richards we didn't do too much wrong. Very pleased with a point on the opening day lets go to Watford and get 3 points or worst case a point!! COYB
0

pumppedlar added 09:07 - Aug 19 Great to see us passing the ball about on the floor mainly. Luke Hyam was my MOM with his strong tackling and simple lay offs. His ball to Scotty for the equaliser was class as well. We need to extend his contract now, not wait until January. If our CE is reading this - Hyam was the blond lad wearing number 19.
0

Cattee11 added 09:35 - Aug 19 Ipswich looked promising. Slicker passing, and none of the sunday league hit and hope. If we can just get rid of conceding with almost every set play then we could be a good side.
0

AbujaBlue added 10:14 - Aug 19 "Controlled the game for an hour"? Okay Steve Keen.....
0

hogster1970 added 10:29 - Aug 19 overall thought we played well, loved loached when ball in hand giving it to our back four and played out from there, to me hyam or martin mom, though carson done well in the end and defo more effective on the right, how ever we need to feed balls to the wingers with forward passes for them to run on to then i feel we will make more penatration, lanado i thought played well how ever he needs to be looking for forward passes more rather than just side ways taps and run with the ball, he had on occasions players with bags of space to pass to but to often just went the easy route, drury i though was more effective as that his game, when on the ball he twists and run to find space and all ways looking for the attacking pass, but over all good base display to build on, just a pity of the set peice though

0

Kesgraveblue57 added 11:12 - Aug 19 Very early days good point I'm not sure of the pairing of Smith and Chambers both at times were guilty of ball watching it cost us the goal, but as I said early days it should get better
0

bruce88 added 11:25 - Aug 19 Glad those drums are just a one off ! DRUMS OUT DRUMS OUT ! Gotta play 4-4-2 at home with Scotland in this sort of form. before Scotland came on there was nothing to pass to in the final third. Liked the way we played when Scotland was on the pitch, threatening !
0

Keaneish added 11:33 - Aug 19 Hyam was outstanding, JET was abysmal. Thought we were quite flat today but happy with a point.
0

linesyrules added 11:41 - Aug 19 Really..................... honestly people.................. you think that was a good preformance?! All we did all game was pass the ball sideways............. brilliant,,,,,,, chopra was lonely all match and quite frankly a point was a bonus, never looked like winning the match and JET looked like a sunday league player.
0

Dog added 11:50 - Aug 19 Bluey123 out!!!. Someone asked where he was - the answer is he is still crying because his beloved Norwich got hammered yesterday. A good point from yesterday's game. Now let's build on it and try and get some signing's in to boost the bench as that looks very poor compared to others.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls