Boss Paul Lambert admitted his side was below par during their 1-1 draw away against the MK Dons but felt it was one of the best performances under his management from the perspective of showing resilience to hold on for the draw after being forced to play the final 22 minutes with 10 men.

Flynn Downes suffered a knee injury shortly after coming off the bench with the Blues having used all three of their subs.

The game at that stage was 1-1, Jon Nolan having put Town ahead on seven and Daniel Harvie having levelled for the Dons five minutes after half-time.

“I thought we were a bit below,” Lambert said. “I thought we started the game really well, we scored a really good goal.

“Freddie had a great chance to make it 2-0 and then I think we lost too much of the ball and the MK Dons came on, but they never really threatened until the one at the end of the first half, which I thought was a chance.

“Second half they put us under a lot of pressure but we still looked pretty dangerous on the counter.

“We lost Wardy [Stephen Ward, achilles injury], which was a blow and we lost Flynn, which was a blow.

“What I will say is that was right up with one of the best performances for different reasons, the resolve of the team, the desire was fantastic, guys throwing their bodies on the line. I’m really happy with them.”

He says it was a game they might have lost and his players were forced to dig in: “We did, and we showed incredible resilience. And again, we’re a big club, everybody wants to beat you. We’re still undefeated, we’re still in really good form, so I’m really pleased.”

Ward left the ground with a medical boot on his foot and Lambert says he's not sure the extent of his problem, or Downes's.

“I don’t know with Wardy, hopefully that’s just a precautionary thing," he said.

"It was my choice to take him off. I’m not sure he wanted to come off but I think an achilles is a dangerous injury if that goes.

“Flynn, we don’t know, that looks a little bit more serious but hopefully it’ll settle down and is OK. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Dons goalscorer Harvie might well have been red-carded in the first half when he kicked Blues skipper Luke Chambers off the ball.

“If it’s an off the ball incident and I think it was real good chance that that was what it was,” Lambert said when asked about the incident, which took place right in front of the dugouts and was spotted by the fourth official.

“I don’t know, I’d have to see it again but I’ve seen things in the Premier League, seen things in the Championship where people have been sent off. You can’t do things off the ball, that’s my argument on it.”

Reflecting on the point, he says it could prove to be a useful one in the context of the season with the Blues now sitting third behind new leaders Lincoln and Hull City, both still with 100 per cent records.

“It’s a great start, we’re playing really well, that was a really good performance for different reasons with 10 men for half an hour,” he added.

“And we still had counter-attack chances, I think Gwion [Edwards] should have pulled the trigger when he was going through, he did great, and I think he should have shot rather than tried to play Judgey in. Really happy with a lot of the stuff.”

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game against Gillingham in the EFL Trophy, he says he will play a very young side, even if that means being fined for breaking the competition’s selection rules.

“It will be,” he said when asked if it would be a young team facing the Gills. “If it’s good enough for Jurgen Klopp to put out a young team when he’s got Premier League games and Champions League games, albeit it’s not the same level of competition, it’s certainly good enough for us.

“We’ll take the hit, whatever comes our way, but I have to look after the first team.”

He says he’ll not include players such as Kayden Jackson who are returning from injury.

“We play too many games, we have to play 50-odd games in a 35-week season,” he continued.

“I won’t do it because I put them at risk. It’s a crazy decision to have this tournament, a crazy decision. We run the risk of more injuries, allied to [James] Norwood’s one as well. I’ll make that choice.”

Regarding new loan signing Keanan Bennetts, he said: “He’ll be dynamic, we need to get him fit to see where he is. Hopefully he’ll be dynamic down that side. Give the kid a chance when he gets in and find his feet and see how he does.”

Lambert says Tuesday’s game will come too soon for the on-loan Borussia Mönchengladbach man.

“I think he needs a week or so with everybody here to find his feet,” he said. “The most important thing is the first team.”

Regarding further business, Lambert is not anticipating any further signings, although players could still move out.

“I really don’t know. One or two guys maybe will go, I don’t know but I don’t think we’ll get anybody else in,” he added.

Youngsters going out to gain experience? “Yes, we have to go out and see what happens between now and [the deadline].”

The international window closes on Monday and domestically shuts on Friday 16th October.

Photo: TWTD

ChrisFelix added 09:13 - Oct 4 I ask why was Kenlock the only defender on the bench. Where was the Arsenal bloke & Woolfden. Also clear to me that midfield wasnt working & needed changing at half time
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MonkeyAlan added 09:17 - Oct 4 Back to the same standard as last season. Pretty toothless. And we havent even played anyone decent yet. Lambert talking nonsense as usual. No good moaning about extra games in silly cup competitions. If we hadn't got relegated without a whimper we wouldn't need worry about these daft competitions. Evans, O Neil, Lambert hang your heads in shame.
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Jonaldo added 09:21 - Oct 4 Haha, one bad performance and the doom mongers are back. I thought MK Dons played quite well second half and won't finish in the bottom half from what I saw. Toto was man of the match again for me, cutting out everything lobbed into the box and imposing himself physically at the back. Off day for Bishop and Sears who never really got into the game. Take the draw and try to dominate the ball more in the next game.

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Linkboy13 added 11:46 - Oct 4 The midfield last season was too lightweight what's changed this season, getting very worried about what's going to happen when we play the likes of Hull, Peterborough etc. The only thing that's changed we've got a target man who looks like he can hold the ball up ,which will make Jackson a much more potent force.
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dangerous30 added 12:51 - Oct 4 Monkeyalan was moaning so much yesterday I think half the server blocked him. Yes in your options we have not played anyone decent yet but we have played are fixtures against the teams who are in the same league. We don't have any right in just turning up and expect the 3 points we have too fight for them and I think last season we would of lost that game yesterday. hopefully it will remind the players that we have a fight on are hands to get out of this division.hope you all have a Good week.

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JDAndCoke added 13:52 - Oct 4 Never going to play scintillating football every game. Some games will be turned into a scrap and to dig in and not lose can only be positive. Agree entirely with Sindre. Lambert makes changes too early, people moan that it's too quick. Too late and people moan that the changes were required sooner. We all lauded the changes at Bristol Rovers and things just didn't go our way today. Take the point, keep the faith and move on

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cat added 20:37 - Oct 4 Nice one North Vet. Good humour fella. Unfortunately a sense of humour and the (what I'd call) characters on here seem to get frowned upon nowadays and most have disappeared at the expense of the back slapping everything's fine with the club (boring fecks lol) Keep the faith Bluearmy, don't agree with everything you say but at least you bring entertainment to the site :-)
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Northstandveteran added 21:25 - Oct 4 If you didn't have a sense of humour having been an Ipswich fan all your life you'd be in serious trouble cat! Totally agree about your BA81 comment. I was on the chat room yesterday and there was talk of him being removed! I did comment on there that free speech is an important part of living in a democracy. Stick with your beliefs and views Bluearmy.
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cat added 22:01 - Oct 4 Yeah spot on Vet. Somewhere along the line it's been lost that this is a ‘football‘ forum.
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Northstandveteran added 22:17 - Oct 4 I see the scousers are breaking the rules again. You're only allowed to let in 6!
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Razor added 10:37 - Oct 5 What game was Lambert watching----they started best and our goal against the run of play. Difference was Freddie (back pass) Sears missed his golden chance and from roughly the same position their guy found the back of the net. Dont like Lamberts comments about the new guy----dont they train at BMG and surely he must virtually come match ready? Saturday definitely a backwards step and my early season bounce has now gone.

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