Boss Paul Lambert was frustrated by his side’s failure to stop crosses from coming into their penalty area after losing 3-2 at home to Bristol City. Lambert was pleased with his team’s overall display - and two-goal striker Freddie Sears and midfielder Cole Skuse in particular - but was again left bemoaning “basic errors” at the back.

“I thought we were controlling the game, thought we played really well,” Lambert said. “Freddie Sears is playing unbelievable football at the minute.

“I think his [first] goal was exceptional, the move was exceptional leading up to it. We controlled the game.

“And then the first [Bristol City] goal is an honest mistake from Bart, he’s tried to stop it from going in, that happens.

“But the next two goals were really poor. We’ve got to stop crosses, you can’t play the game of football if you can’t do that basic, stopping crosses into your box and we never dealt with that.”

Reflecting on his team scoring goals at one end but also conceding at the other, he added: “It’s four games we’ve been here and we’ve taken the lead in three. Whether the lads are not used to taking the lead, I don’t know. As I say, I’m not long in the door.

“But I’m really happy with the way we’re playing football and the way we look a threat but again the basics of the game, if you can’t stop crosses coming into your box you’re always going to have confusion in your box.

“We’ve got to do better at stopping crosses. Football-wise, I can’t fault the lads, the way they’re trying to it and trying to play.

“I wish Skuse was 27, I really do, because I think the way he’s playing football at the minute, left and right foot, playing two-touch, he looks absolutely brilliant. He’s 33 years of age.

“But you have to do the basics of the game, there’s no other way to put it. It’s black and white - stop crosses coming into your box, you’ll be fine.”

He admitted it was a missed opportunity with results elsewhere yesterday going in the Blues’ favour.

“Yes, and because of the way we’ve been playing as well,” he continued. “We’re playing really well. I can only see with my own eyes for four games and the lads are doing everything I’m asking, playing the game, we’re working on everything in training, trying to get as much information to them as we can.

“But again, the basics of the game. It doesn’t matter how much training you do, the basics of the game, you have to stop crosses coming into your box, especially in this division when there are a lot of crosses going into the box. You have to stop them.”

Lambert has got his team playing positively and with confidence but the continued wait for a win won’t help him to maintain that.

“That’s my job and I’ll do it absolutely no problem whatsoever,” he insisted. “That’s the way I am as a person. If you don’t have energy and you don’t have passion, you’re never successful.

“There are no secrets in football. I’ll always have it, I won’t get downbeat, I’ve never been downbeat in my whole football career. I tend not to be downbeat here.

“We’ve a great crowd behind us, you can feel it. We need a little bit of help, as I said before, but the energy levels will never drop.”

Lambert is confident Town can bounce back from yet another body blow: “Absolutely, the overall picture when it dies down, we’re playing well. But we can’t doing what we’re doing and scoring, you have to stop the basic errors. If you stop the basic errors then you’re halfway there.

“Football-wise and creating things, I can’t ask any more than that but the actual defending, especially tonight, I thought was really sloppy.

“We lost a poor goal at Reading, the equaliser, Preston was a set play, West Brom we got caught at the back post, allowed the cross to come in and got caught at the back post.

“We’ve lost poor goals, I think, at critical moments, in critical games and tonight was another example of that.”

Robins boss Lee Johnson, whose side are up to 14th, was pleased to get the win after four successive defeats.

“It’s a big relief, it gets that monkey off the back," he admitted. "It’s a difficult place to come. You can see Paul Lambert has got this Ipswich side going, working their socks off for each other.

“He’s got people working hard for each other and they’ve got a threat. A difficult game, I’m very, very pleased to come out with three points.

“I thought in the first 10 or 15 minutes we were excellent. We kept them in and then I think their shape got the better of ours a little bit.

“Skuse is a good player, I know he’s my mate but he’s also a very good player, he’s evasive, he builds the attack, he’s an experienced player, he sort of slips your markers if you know what I mean and their three-v-two in the middle just got the better of us really on too many occasions and then I thought we looked a bit nervous after that.

“At half-time, it wasn’t a biblical speech or anything, it was the classic, ‘Come on boys, I’d rather get beaten five and go for it’.

“I thought Lloyd Kelly epitomised that with his attacking intent down the left and Famara Diedhiou gave us a physical platform for all the busy little bees and I’m delighted he scored because he’s probably the biggest confidence player we’ve got.”

He added: “I thought we showed unbelievable spirit. I’m telling you, they will get out of trouble. They are a decent side. They need a couple of January additions but they know that. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of quality in that team."

Photo: TWTD

RoyalAscotBlue added 17:07 - Nov 29 Interesting how different people see different things. I personally thought Pennington was at fault for the 2nd and 3rd goal. Lost his man on both occasions. I didn't think Chambers had a bad game. He can defend quite well. It's just his ability on the ball which is seriously lacking, and that's why he was so poor as a fullback. Not our biggest problem at the back at all at the moment though. Knudsen also has very little quality on the ball. I've never rated him. With him and Chambers constantly giving the ball back to the opposition it's no wonder we find it so hard. Spence is just too inconsistent. The day we sent Berra back up north was the day our defensive problems really began. Priority number one, for me, in January is a really good left sided centre half. I'm with others on here in that I'd like to see Kenlock and Emmanuel given a chance at fullback. I thought that PL might bring the best out of Skuse and it looks like he has. Last night, and at Reading, Skuse was excellent. Sears is also obviously enjoying working under PL. Downes has a big future ahead of him. I do not know what people see in Chalobah... and I have a terrible feeling we have signed a deal to play him, regardless of form etc etc.

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happybeingblue added 17:47 - Nov 29 you cannot play football out from the back with these defenders its as simple as that...bart looks shot at the mo,skuse played well,downes didnt offer anything tbh hope hes not going to be another hyam and play the 3 yard pass,central midfielders need to demand the ball, roberts up front reminded me of naylor back in the day good at bumping into defenders but that was all i saw,sears and skuse were good the rest just grafters really ,you can see why mk dons got shot of spence he switches off all the time,schoolboy defending,knudsen gives the ball away, we need 2 new fullbacks asap

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oldelsworthyfan added 19:13 - Nov 29 Sorry Kenlock, slip of the pen - I meant Knudson!
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ricardo55555 added 20:40 - Nov 29 I think Paul Lambert has got the system right but a few players just are not good enough, Drop Roberts for Jackson or Harrison Drop Chalobah and play Downs and Bishop/Dozzel in front of Skuse at the midfield 3 Drop Spence (I think he just really lacks any quality) and play Donacien at RB Drop Pennington (2nd and 3rd goal was truly awful awful marking) and I would play Nsialia in stead

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Cakeman added 21:29 - Nov 29 Spit on Raycrawfordswig, the current and past managers have said the same thing. The players we have will continue to make costly mistakes because they are just not good enough. I actually cannot think of many of our players who are Championship standard. I am sorry to say I think we are yet to reach our bottom point. At that point we can rebuild but that will not be before next summer. On the meantime let us play the youngsters.

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runningout added 21:42 - Nov 29 Nothing drastic will change. Although that's what we need sooner rather later.. Got my full backing in the meantime Onwards
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blueboy1981 added 22:54 - Nov 29 In fairness - could we really expect Bart to continue saving us week after week, game after game, like he has been so often over the past three seasons ........ ?? He's played way above what should have been expected of him in past seasons - I guess it had to come to an end at some point. Miracles saves can't be produced forever - just that he himself set the bar so high by doing so, therefore it becomes expected as the norm'.

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