Blues boss Paul Hurst was again left bemoaning defensive mistakes after Town fell to a 2-0 defeat at Hull City as they continue to wait for their first win under his management. Jarrod Bowen netted in the third minute for the Tigers, then sub Jackson Irvine sealed the victory for the home side a minute from time.

“We didn’t start the game well enough, not just the goal, just overall and gave Hull probably a shot of confidence that we’d spoken about not doing and trying to build some pressure,” Hurst said.

“A big contribution from ourselves in terms of the goal but we didn’t win enough headers, we didn’t win enough second balls probably until the last 10 minutes of the first half.

“Then I thought we had a good spell and I thought we started the second half brightly but ultimately we didn’t get a goal when we were on top again, something we’d spoken about.

“And then in the end we gave away, I don’t want to take anything away from the Hull lads, but both goals were very avoidable and while I’m not saying we would have got that equaliser, the second goal just kills it altogether, a terrible decision on our part.

“So overall, we’ve been punished again for mistakes. We’ve relied on Dean to make a couple of good saves.

“We’ve had situations and again we can talk about how many saves the keeper makes, I fully accept that, but they were situations where they should be making saves and we haven’t shown enough quality to force them into action.”

While most of the goals Town have conceded this season have come from set pieces, Hull caused the Blues more problems from open play, certainly after the break with Bowen a particular threat.

“At times, second half perhaps when it got a bit more stretched,” Hurst reflected. “We changed formation in an attempt to try and get that equaliser so maybe you leave yourselves a little bit more vulnerable.

“But I didn’t think there was much in the game, to be honest. In the first half there was the goal and the next best opportunity that they had initially, both came from our mistakes.

“If you keep making mistakes, the higher up you go, they’re going to take them more often than not.

“They did take one of them and that made the task a lot more difficult than it needed to be and then didn’t get on the end of things. Balls in the box, we’re not quite there. We have a great ball in and should get an attempt at goal and it ends up us not even getting a shot at goal. That’s making life extremely difficult for yourselves.”

Having played Jon Walters behind Kayden Jackson against Norwich Hurst reverted to only one striker with the Irish international taking that role.

“We just felt that looking at how they played that would suit us best today,” the Blues manager explained. “And Jon, giving him that opportunity to play as the out-and-out striker, I think he did that pretty well at times.

“When we went to two up front [in the second half], maybe we were pushing forward a bit more anyway, but that was when more of the issues occurred in terms of getting caught.

“The second goal was a terrible mistake, as we spoke about, but where the lad actually picks the ball up initially from the first header that we lose, if we’ve got three [midfielders] in there he’s probably not going to get the time that he did.

“We can debate that all day long but the way that you play ultimately, if you play well enough you could play whatever system you want. I genuinely don’t believe the system is the problem.

“Keeping the ball out of our own net is certainly one of them and not being ruthless enough or having maybe a enough desire to get on the end of something is a bigger problem to me, that I see rather than actually how we set up in the first place.”

Hurst admits that the longer the wait for a win goes on the more it can become a mental block.

“I would say so, I’m sure everyone is concerned with the situation that we’re in and the run of form that we’re on, or run of results certainly,” he added.

“I think that was probably, certainly that first half an hour, the poorest we’ve been. I think we’ve been in every game. We still had plenty of time to get in it [after conceding early on] and that’s what we spoke about.

“The goal did look as though it knocked any confidence and it took us time to recover from that. Thankfully we weren’t any further behind and probably didn’t give up that many chances in that first period, I would suggest.

“But it’s going to be like a weight on your shoulders, there’s no getting away from that. I’ve said from the start, I’m not going to pretend, of course it is, and until that result does come, that’s always going to be there.”

Town, bottom of the table, now face an important week with Brentford visiting Portman Road on Tuesday and Bolton next Saturday.

“Yes, and a nice easy one against Brentford to start,” he reflected. “Second in the table and I’d say arguably most people would suggest one of the best footballing teams in the league, if not the best, playing a system with one up front that’s very fluid. They score goals, keep clean sheets, so it couldn’t be a much bigger test for us.

“But it’s one that we’ve got to try and rise to and that’s what it’s about. I can only say how I know I will approach it in the next few days in terms of having a desire to get that victory and in the end my players.

“I’m not trying to say ‘us and them’ or anything like that, we’re all in this together, but the big advantage that the players have is going out there on the pitch and actually being able to try and do something about it. In some ways that’s easier than the task I’ve got at the minute.”

Hull manager Nigel Adkins was thoroughly delighted with the afternoon, his side having ended a run of three successive Championship defeats at the KCOM Stadium from the start of the season.

“Three points, clean sheet, first home victory of the season, dogged performance, well done to the players and well done to the supporters,” he said.

“The last home game we played some really good football, today was a little bit different. We started the game really well in respect of scoring a goal from Jarrod Bowen and for me the game was totally stop-start in the first half, there were so many freekicks, there was no flow to the game whatsoever.

“We got in at half-time 1-0 up, we’ve created some good chances in the second half, the goalkeeper’s made two really good saves from Jarrod Bowen and it was that dogged performance.

“We lost Dan Batty with a knee injury in the first half, Kev Stewart coming on for him.

"Towards the end, the second goal we’ve scored, good play from the ball in to Chris Martin, great centre-forward play to put the ball down to Evandro who has threaded a beautiful pass through for Jackson Irvine, who has shown that desire and tenacity to outmuscle the defender and go through and score a really good goal to finish the game off.”

Photo: TWTD

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 20:51 - Sep 15 I'm really sorry it's not working out for PH because I think he's likable, straightforward, and desperately wants to succeed. But we look like a doomed side already. Even when we've played well in (small) patches over the seven matches, we haven't ever really looked like scoring. We carry max. 3% goal threat, and that's being generous (one shot on target and a couple of half chances per game if we're lucky). I don't know what the answer is or whether we can turn it around, but it's looking grim at the moment. Still willing to support PH, though, as I don't see what other options we have realistically.

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dukey44 added 20:55 - Sep 15 Sorry but doesn't he say that every game? The goal could have been avoided? Isn't that actually every goal is avoidable any way?
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dukey44 added 20:57 - Sep 15 Another snip it is I'm on holiday and have just shared tea with someone that knows our manager very well!!!! Very interesting conversation I've had tonight about our new manager!!!!!
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JimInGreensboro added 21:01 - Sep 15 We had one shot on goal and the manager cites defence as the problem. Hmmm...
6

DurhamTownFan added 21:14 - Sep 15 Dukey: come on then, what have you learned..?
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martin587 added 21:27 - Sep 15 Such a long journey for me and absolutely nothing to show for it.I have never criticised my team but today was NOT good.The defence was lost with very little understanding to which both goals were defendable but once again stupid errors were made. The midfield lacks very little drive and vision,and playing one up front just does not work.I felt sorry for Walters.When he did win a ball there was nobody to pass to. We've had two weeks to get the system working and nothing worked today.I appreciate it's still early days and the team needs time to adjust but today we went backwards and it's worrying. We must get this right quickly and get a win from these next two games to get any confidence back into the team. I would like to see us play 4-4-2,whether it happens remains to be seen but one things for sure I do not want to see another performance like today.!

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ElginCityBlue added 22:10 - Sep 15 I agree that he does look out of his depth, but we've seen how he has worked in lower leagues successfully. Maybe we need to get someone in as a director of football in to mentor him at this level. I think George Burley would fit this bill and it would help bring confidence back to the squad.
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Brockleyblue added 22:17 - Sep 15 I reckon Paul Hurst has 10 games in which to show some sign of being able to get the team to rise up the table. After the 10th of those games (against fellow strugglers Reading), comes the next international break. That would seem to be an obvious time for the club to get in a replacement (almost certainly a much more experienced manager). That timing would allow the new fella to have a couple weeks working with the the team on the training ground (which hopefully would be more productive than the last two weeks has been...). It would also give a new boss five or six weeks in which to have a good look at the squad prior to the next transfer window opening. I hope it doesn't all come to that, but if we don't start to see some wins/much better performances soon then I would be surprised to see PH still in charge by the time of the West Brom game on 24 Nov.

6

evansblue added 22:33 - Sep 15 These comments are embarrassing - call yourself supporters. It's September and he's had 7 league games and one transfer window yet you are writing him off. Shameful
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blueboy1981 added 22:40 - Sep 15 ........ after a two week break especially (what did they do ? ) - to concede such pathetic goals is indefensible. Local Sunday League players would have been embarrassed at such capitulation - problem is without scoring (and that just isn't going to happen ) these kind of lapses become so, so crucial.
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Cakeman added 22:43 - Sep 15 Well said evansblue. Now is not the time to hammer our manager. It was always going to be tough with so many inexperienced players plus Paul Hurst cutting his teeth at this level. We may have to get worse before we get better again. Five years of dross cannot be changed quickly. It could be we do end up in div 1. Negative comments whilst understandable with the disappointing start we have had are not helping at all.

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blueboy1981 added 22:48 - Sep 15 ....... gives me no pleasure whatsoever to say this - but, Paul Hurst has shown in many ways already that he is well and truly out of his depth. The longer we wait for a win, the lower the confidence of achieving one will drop - there is such a lack of experience wherever you look at the present set up. IT IS SHOWING WHOLESALE - and cannot be dismissed.
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Monkey_Blue added 22:50 - Sep 15 All teams make mistakes that cost goals, but it does t cost good teams games. It's like bad luck. Teams that win games hit the post, have poor decisions go against them, but you don't hear about it as they won anyway. Hurst has to look at himself. He's brought a lot of players in who aren't good enough to play at this level.... he's perhaps not tactically smart enough at this level. He's not the messiah, he's a very average manager.

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Lathers added 22:59 - Sep 15 EvansBlue and Cakeman - you're talking nonsense! 7 games is plenty of time to access how a team and manager is performing, and we've not seen anything to be positive about. PH admitted he wanted to put his stamp on things and he's f***ed up, pure and simple. Too many changes and too many experienced heads leaving at the same time. Evans is a clueless idiot and after wasting money with Keane and Jewell, he then didn't support McCarthy when we had half a chance of promotion, and now he's delusional thinking PH is going to do anything other than get us relegated with his transfer policy. FFS, this club is now in even more of a mess than it was in the Summer! Give PH the Brentford and Bolton games to get a minimum of 4 points or get rid. And then seriously Marcus, sell up. Please.

5

Dog added 00:47 - Sep 16 Completely agree with Blueboy. The lack of experience is frightening. The only two people with experience are Evans and Klug. Klug gets decent players ready to play senior football and they are ignored by consecutive managers. Evans - 10 years owning a club and he is still pillaging it for funds. WE ARE GETTING RELEGATED. It is as simple as that. I honestly think that Mm spoilt him by keeping champiinship status on a shoestring budget and he thought, well what could be achieved if we sell off the assets and replace with league 1 players. Well you get dross like saturday. No creativity whatsoever. I can see us doing a coventry and portsmouth because this team and these tactics would struggle in league 1. Play both strikers in 3-5-2 formation. Put Walters just behind. Drop Graham. Play youth - ie kenlock, dozzell and downes and bring bart back. Put defenders on both posts at corners and press them the whole game!!. Night

3

aas1010 added 01:05 - Sep 16 Looks like I'm going to be right . Said didn't like hurst from day one and some slagged me off for it !
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clint_eastwood added 02:52 - Sep 16 Bryan Klug managed pretty well in our final two games last season.
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bobble added 07:15 - Sep 16 i wonder how many games the owner will let him not win for ?
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Facefacts added 08:12 - Sep 16 Ffs stop saying Mick was not given money in Jan 2015. There's no evidence he could be bothered to identify new signings and put together a reasoned request. He was 'happy with what I've got'. Yet people still blame Evans for this.
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Northstandveteran added 08:30 - Sep 16 @cakeman Another sensible post while all around go into meltdown. Agreed evansblue.
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blue75 added 09:23 - Sep 16 Very disappointing how much Ipswich fans have change once upon a time we'd have never reacted like this calling for a manager to be sacked!! Yes we're struggling anyone who thought the transition from McCarthy to Hurst would be easy is very deluded. Now is a time when the players will need the fans behind them, the next 2 home games have got to produce our 1st win hopefully 2nd as well. After all we are unbeaten at home, I've only seen the Villa & Naaridge games we weren't destroyed against those big spending teams in fact we could've won both games. Do we really want to sack Hurst and go backwards to Allerdyce that great manager of that Bolton team we all loved in the 90's!! Tuesday night everyone needs to be behind the team lift the players another level!! COYB

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cat added 09:33 - Sep 16 Completely agree with the likes of Evansblue, Cakeman, Northstandveteran and any other say positive poster on here. Berating à manager after a couple of years is acceptable, after 2 minutes is not and it ain't my style. Posters calling for PH to get sacked, good ole George to come back or even our beloved Dino is nothing short of embarassing and is counter productive. We knew this was going to be a tough season, time to step up guys, we've been heading down that slippery slope for 3 seasons now, get behind the manager, support the team, grow a pair and put that ‘panic button' away you bunch of ‘MELTS'

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roytheboy added 09:42 - Sep 16 This is unacceptable Mr Evans and must be addressed with urgency.
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SpiritOfJohn added 10:03 - Sep 16 My main concern is that Hurst bought 2 forwards who did well last season, albeit at a lower level, but is refusing to play either of them. Walters is a good player but he needs help.
1

Sourdough added 10:04 - Sep 16 24 different players used so far by Hurst.
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