Town boss Paul Lambert felt his side got the rewards for keeping going as they came from behind to beat Shrewsbury 2-1 at Portman Road with Jack Lankester netting the winner in the seventh minute of injury time.

The Blues had gone behind to Oliver Norburn’s fourth-minute penalty before Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s own goal levelled prior to Lankester’s late, late header.

“A hard game, it becomes even harder when a team just sits everybody behind the ball,” Lambert said when asked his assessment of the match.

“But all credit to the guys, we kept on knocking and knocking and knocking and got the rewards.

“There was a lot of time-wasting out there, but all credit to them, they kept going, kept going. Shrewsbury gave us a lot of respect, put everybody behind the ball, they got a goal which gave them something to hang on to.

“But all credit to the guys, they kept on going. They had a lot of the ball and sometimes, I can remember playing in games like that myself, and when you have so much of the ball it becomes tough, but you just keep working on it and keep grinding them down, and that’s what they did.”

Asked whether he believed his team weren’t at their best, Lambert said: “Aye but I spoke at Sunderland, we were excellent. At Lincoln, we were really good, but we won today and we lost those two games when we played really well, so you take it.”

But he conceded that the team weren’t up to the levels of previous matches: “Because of the standard we’ve set, absolutely, because we’ve played that well.

“But a sign of a really good side is when you win and you’ve got to overcome obstacles. Shrewsbury came and sat everybody behind the ball, made it difficult. It was five at the back at times, then they went to four, they got the goal, it gave them something to hang on to.

“Credit to the guys, they kept on going and going and going. I’ve been involved in a million games where that happens, the thing is you have to come out with a win.”

The Blues boss agreed that a sign of a decent side is winning even when not playing particularly well.

“That’s exactly it, but we still deserved to win the game in my opinion,” he insisted. “We didn’t deserve to lose that game because we had so much of the ball.

“They tried to hurt us on the counter a little bit and we should have scored a couple at least anyway. I’m happy how the guys are doing.”

Regarding Lankester’s winning goal, he added: “Really good, a kid that’s not played much football in the last couple of years due to his back injury.

“He scored against Sunderland in the last league game we had and should have scored another one up there.

“But it was a good goal. All credit to them because it’s never easy when a team comes and parks everybody behind the ball.”

Quizzed on whether he felt Town had to win today against the third-bottom Shrews with the games against new leaders Hull City and fifth-placed Charlton up next, Lambert responded: “No, I didn’t wake up this morning and think to myself ‘I need to win a game of football’.

“It’s not one game of football that’s going to decide anything, it’s over the course of the 46 games. I enjoy my life.”

Prior to the game Lambert had said two players had picked up knocks in training and those turned out to be Gwion Edwards and Oli Hawkins, while James Wilson has also suffered an injury.

“Gwion won’t be ready [for Tuesday’s game agains Hull]. Oli, we’ll see how he is, he’s doing OK. James Wilson won’t be available. But that’s due to everything that’s going on.

“James hurt his knee in training on Tuesday, Gwion as well, he hurt his hamstring on Tuesday. Those two will be out definitely.

“Gwion’s done really well but you have to get your head round it that if somebody gets injured, you can’t dwell on it, that’s the way things are working at the minute.

“Oli’s had a little bit of a problem with his knee, but he’s OK. His groin was a little bit of a problem, but that’s cleared up. He’s a lot better, so hopefully he’ll be available for Tuesday.”

And during the game Town lost two more midfielders, Jon Nolan and Teddy Bishop to injuries with both seemingly out of Tuesday’s match.

“That’s football, that’s what happens, we’ll have to wait and see how they are tomorrow,” Lambert said.

“It’s Jon’s groin. As I’ve said before, you’re going to get all this stuff. They’re playing game after game in a short space of time, that’s what’s going happen.

“Bish’s problem is his ankle, it looked like somebody stood on the back of his foot. It looks a bad one. We'll wait and see on him too.”

Better news was that Aaron Drinan, who has been out since the Wigan game in September with a thigh problem, was involved in a workout on the pitch prior to the match. However, Lambert says no one should get too carried away about the Irish U21 international’s return.

“He’s only trained twice, Thursday and Friday and then trained a bit today,” he said. “He’s been out for a number of weeks, so we can’t say to Aaron ‘Come back in’. Aaron’s come from nowhere at the start of the season, no one expected him.

“I don’t want everybody to think that’s going to be the answer. It’s not. The kid’s come in and done really well but people shouldn’t get too carried away, he’s still a kid.”

Asked whether his team need to step up their level from today’s display against the high-flying Tigers on Tuesday, Lambert said: “Aye, great observation that. I wish you were more positive when we do well.

“If you want to go down that road, where are we in the league? We won the game, it’s difficult when a team parks everybody behind the ball. Maybe Hull will come and give us a game, which will be good but tough game.

“They’ve just been relegated, they’re a good side, a tough side, strong side. Charlton’s the same, tough games. But we won a game of football.”

Does he expect other teams to learn a lesson from Shrewsbury and stick everybody behind the ball?

“They might do, but I can’t prepare anyone’s team for them,” he said. “I have to concentrate on one team. The guys have been absolutely brilliant for me since they’ve come back, really good.

“I’m really pleased with how they’re playing with the ball, really happy with how they’re having a lot of the ball, a lot of probing, a lot of endeavour, everything I’m asking them to do.

“At times we won’t play well, at times we’ll lose, but as long as we keep doing those same things I’m happy.”

Questioned on whether he was happy with Brett McGavin’s performance, the 20-year-old having come in for his second league start for the suspended Andre Dozzell, Lambert said: “He must be a favourite of yours because you wax lyrical about him all the time! My standard is maybe a little bit different to yours.

“I think there are good things there, I think there are some things he’s got to get 100 times better with.

“But the kid came in and played a good game. He’s got big shoes to fill to come in, but he’s got a really good range of passing, I think he’s better than he showed today. But that’s what we’ve got in that position behind Dozzell, apart from Cole Skuse who isn’t going to be available for another couple of months. I need a passer in there and, as I said yesterday, Brett’s as close to Dozzell as we’ve got.”

Town have gone from having so many midfielders that half of them are watching games from the stands to the point where it seems likely McGavin, Emyr Huws, Alan Judge and Jack Lankester are the only senior players available for Tuesday. But Lambert says that’s not entirely a surprise to him.

”I said at the time that in this situation where games are coming thick and fast, you need [plenty of] players,” he said.

“The number of injuries that people are getting are more than you’ve seen before. That’s football, that’s part and parcel of the game.”

Shrews manager Sam Ricketts felt his team should have been awarded more penalties than just the early one converned by Norburn.

“We had stonewall penalties dismissed and we were only awarded one," he told his club's official website.

“Ninety-eight per cent of the game was very good but the goals we gave away were very, very poor.

“You can’t give goals away like that, they were poor. I’d also like to see their winning goal to check for offside because I think it was.

“I don’t think an away team has scored a goal here in the league. We got that goal and should have scored more.

“We had some very good opportunities to score and I think Ipswich were very lucky to win the game today.

“The goals came from individual errors today and you can’t legislate for that. No player means to make mistakes but both goals are easily avoidable.

“The performances deserved more. We looked solid and looked dangerous on the break. There was so much good but we’ve undone ourselves with two mistakes.”

Photo: TWTD

westernblue added 23:06 - Nov 21 So Shrewsbury got everybody behind the ball did they? Well, given our tortuous build-up - mainly through Nsiala and McGuinness (yes, really) - that's fairly easy to do. We were second best out there for much of the match. Sears, Lankester, Jackson, Judge - all played out of position. As for McGavin - according to the manager taking such exception to the interviewer's mild attempt at positivity, apparently some things he's got to improve on 100 times. Odd that. At least until he - hardly surprising - tired, he seemed to be our best player on the field. It looks like he's getting the Woolfenden treatment. Classic Lambert. All this, and we have nothing to offer but an inflexible 4-3-3, with square pegs in round holes. As a manager Lambert is up there with Jewell and Hurst. But at least they were concerned, seeing things for what they were, whereas Lambert's comments seem detached from reality. Sad times indeed.

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peaky69 added 23:52 - Nov 21 To the majority of posters on here - blah, blah, blah, blah - you are a bunch of sodding sooks. Make me sick with your negative dross. Cannot believe you can be such pessimistic (gee I want to swear here). Please just stop, stop and support. Just STOP!!!
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eddiespearitt03 added 04:03 - Nov 22 1) We only won the game because of TWO defensive mistakes from Shrewsbury. 2) We did not look like scoring all day and it was only by bringing certain players off that contributed to better luck on the pitch. Lambert is clearly struggling with a simple post match interview. Just like the previous manager. It feels like there is a bad run just around the corner and i do hope i,m wrong with that assumption. The performances are very patchy and we scraped through a few games this season. Someone tell me why players are getting injured in training so often.

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SpruceMoose added 05:16 - Nov 22 I'm sick of this stupid tit being our manager. Get in the bin ffs.
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thundercat added 07:19 - Nov 22 Where was the energy and skill, once again it seems as if the players were not interested if they are excellent footballers they would be in the Championship or Prem League. I like listening to Mick Mills on Radio Suffolk he tells it as it is and seems to have a better grasp of what need doing than Lambert
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Dissboyitfc added 08:12 - Nov 22 Legendofthepheonix whilst its true that you can play well and loose, and you can certainly say also that its a sign of a good team winning and not playing well, but it doesnt mean you are a good team if you play crap and win!!! We are now playing in the third tier of english football and i simply cannot see any signs of us having improved under Lambert, we are going nowhere with him in charge! Lambert is all smoke and mirrors! We certainly have had managers that play with style and take teams to the sword, Remember Burley also the football was a joy to watch under Magilton! I dont get all the injuries, how did we get by in sir Bobbies time? He had a first team squad smaller than our injury list! And to help any other posters who are confused as to why some of us aren't happy, no signs of improvement, Lamberts team selections are baffling why are we playing loan players over our own? Lamberts record at town is the worst of any manager in the last 50 years( not referring to managers that only had a few games, i refer to managers that had at least half a season) and in a lower league than any other manager. Why are some of you happy? that confuses us fans who expect, want and deserve better! And finally Lambert saying he doesnt wake up and think i have to win a game of football, well he needs too! Does that rub off on the players?

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slaughteredskipper added 08:37 - Nov 22 There are aspects of these posts that I agree with. I watched the game v Shrewsbury yesterday and was incredibly frustrated by such a lacklustre display BUT had we had a decent referee in 2 of other games where we were definitely cheated out of 4 points at least we would be sitting top! Being an Ipswich fan requires an enormous amount of patience and maybe, just maybe that patience will be rewarded this season.

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Help added 08:49 - Nov 22 Compare ITFC performance today to that of Newcastle today, then look at the managers of both clubs and what to you see. The similarities are all to much for my liking. Similar footballing style, no idea how to go forward with pace or ability. To often sideways and backwards. Ugly football or points that seems to be our choice.
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Saxonblue74 added 09:17 - Nov 22 I'm no PL sympathiser but I do find myself agreeing with most of his interview. We were cheated out of point in our last 2 outings, today we won ugly . It happens! We're now 3rd in the table with a game in hand over 2nd place and a chance to be top by Tuesday night. No wonder the bloke got a little "spikey"! Anyone would think we're in a relegation scrap! With regard to some of the posters referring to him as the worst manager in our history, have you considered that maybe he inherited the worst squad we've had for generations?! I've said it before and I'll say it again, currently we're ITFC the average lge1 team, not ITFC champions of Europe! We scraped a win with a poor show, be happy and hope for better Tuesday!

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ChrisR added 10:19 - Nov 22 He looks and sounds worn out . Hard to imagine him coming up with any new ideas , and harder to imagine him as a motivator or leader. Needs to cheer up a little in interviews , the odd smile or laugh could alleviate all the misery he projects. And sub titles !
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:26 - Nov 22 well Dolphin finally admitted / confirmed he is just a troll canary winding people up on here ''we deserved to win'' ffs we did NOT, WE GOT VERY LUCKY.
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Bert added 10:35 - Nov 22 I'm inclined to agree with Saxonblue74 in that most of what Lambert has said is about right. Yes, he was spikey but yes we are third in this wretched league with our best players either out or just beginning to get match time. We all know that Lambert has rose tinted glasses but he is not the worse manager in our illustrious history but neither is he anywhere near the best. We all hope that the next two games will see a much improved performance, two up front and some invention from midfield.

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shadoof1016 added 11:08 - Nov 22 I sadly watched this debacle and truly Ipswich were very very poor. Why oh why is Wolfenden not playing and the most exciting player in the the club Dobra not in the squad. We are so slow in build up and I have said fir umpteen seasons with no pace we are going nowhere. I just hope we can improve in the next two games but am not convinced. Great to see Josh Emmanuel doing well at Hull.......always said he should have been our right back.....and look who we have there.....sorry until Chambers and Skuse has depart the dressing room will not improve and that is from a good source. Please COYB. Enjoy this forum but never comment until now.......just so frustrated with PL.

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BrandestonBlue added 14:00 - Nov 22 For those that disagree that we deserved to win I would like to know what criteria you use to come to that view ? According to the BBC Sport website We had twice as much possession - more shots - more shots on target, more corners and crucially more goals !!
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norfolkbluey added 17:18 - Nov 22 Saxon blue your comments are realistic and spot on. PL is struggling with the amount of injuries he has so picking a winning side must be a much harder job than having a team full of your best performers. There has to be a problem with the training methods at the club. This is nothing new at Ipswich since the PL setup arrived. We have had several appalling refereeing decisions which has cost us dearly recently and therein lies a problem which we have little control over. Training methods on the other hand we do have control over and they should be reassessed to avoid problems with injury. As a side there still appears to be little awareness of how others move going forward. Where are the goal scorers? The forwards don't appear on the score sheet very often. Why? These squeaky wins are great but where are the convincing wins? With the players in depth at this beloved club even with the injuries we shouldn't be struggling to beat those at the bottom of our league. Let's stop bleating about ME. We have a good squad, in depth but training methods which allow injuries to occur regularly is a problem to overcome. Solve that and the inevitable match injuries PL can cope with. The lads did well yesterday especially Jack in keeping going. COYB You can do this and no play off positions either. Top two!!!

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budgieplucker added 18:40 - Nov 22 @help, note your point and the criticism that Newcastle got from the pundits against Chelsea, slating them for purposeless slow football to often going backWards oee RE side wards and not being brave enough to play forward.. We can take it forward 50 yards and then turn around run back 10-15 yards and play it back to the goalkeeper!!! The only real time Shrewsbury defence panicked yesterday was early in the second half if a ball over the top which Kayden Jackson used his strength to race onto - if you play Jackson you need to play to his strengths. When Lambert came in we did play some good football in the Championship against some the top sides WBA, Bristol City matches come to mind and we carved out many draws but just lacked the killer punch to finish matches and had a soft underbelly. In fairness to Lambert we did lack experience and cutting edge which was difficult for him to rectify during that season. I do think Lambert by and large is a good manager but think he is doing himself no favours describing Our play in some of those matches as brilliant, you don't need to be a professional to call that out as nonsense. His comments about Brett McGavin yesterday were completely uncalled for, that's not how you motivate a grounded modest young man - he never criticise his senior players in public but seems to have a pint at Woolfie and now Brett. Sure don't go over the top but give credit where credit is due. As a manger I wouldn't publicly have said Alan Judge was bloody awful again for the umpteenth time - but then Alan Judge will always get favoured. He is one of the most overrated footballers I have seen at this club. I don't believe 4-3-3 has to be played with two wingers hugging the touch line, look at Mane, Sallah and Firminho who nobody could describe as wingers but all have excellent movement and interchangeability pulling defences all over the place. I therefore, don't see why Edwards, Norwood and Jackson can not operate as a front 3, Jackson even admits he is comfortable and can play anywhere across the front 3. Long term I remain very optimistic about our club having followed and watched many of the under 23 matches prior to this season and we do produce some good young footballers and the foundations outside the first team for producing young players is sound. In my view Bishop, Downes, Woolfenden, Nydam, Dozzell can all hold their own as good Championship players with the potential for playing in the Priemership at some stage in the future. Lankester and Dobra have the potential to follow. However we have to get out of this wretched league 1 and to be honest I don't think you can play yourself out of this league in a game of trying to dominate possession. Plus unless we can and hit a top two spot and build a commanding points lead I just don't think we have the guts to turn it on through a play-off competition. We go missing and lack that extra grit and determination and ability to raise our tempo during games against the top clubs in this league. Our performance in cup matches tells us that we can be turned over easily. Going back to 4-3-3, I think to much emphasis is put on formations, good players win you games and you need some players who can run and carry the ball (not necessarily wingers) I read an interesting article a couple of years ago about Guardiola who appears to often changes his formations When selecting his teams but actually the article pointed out that his teams train as two blocks of 5, 5 defensive minded players and 5 attacking minded players each block moves together and make sure there are no gaps developing between the front 5 and the back 5, There can be several derivatives of how they line up when they kick off but the formations are forever changing and moving throughout the match. There was a time during the time when we were looking for Mick's replacement I said I definitely didn't want Danny Cowley as he was far too much a pragmatic manager who like Mick looked to implement tactics to win games rather than develop a consistent style of play that was attractive. I hate to say after seeing what a good job he did to keep Huddersfield up we may just have to go this way if Lambo fails to take us up this season.

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Nobbysnuts added 19:19 - Nov 22 For gods sake paul.. play two up front!!!!! Everyone can see one up front does not work. The opposition back four have it to easy against our weak one up front policy. If Norwood and Jackson are not fit and ready by now then something is clearly wrong. Take the game to Hull and give their back four something to think about!!!!!
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IpswichToon added 20:04 - Nov 22 We're missing many players, been cheated out of results in 2 games against opposition that may well be promotion contenders, yet we are one good result away from being top of the table. Sure we looked poor against Crewe, but we weren't second best yesterday, we we just as poor as them. But prior to that we've looked brilliant at home! Get KVY, Edwards and Downes back fit, and I think we'll be beating any team in this league.

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 20:14 - Nov 22 Bizarre team set up, hexagonal pegs in triangular holes, no fan would have played that perm in those positions Hopefully Lambert is on drugs, otherwise these decisions rational to him.
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coolcat added 23:18 - Nov 22 Agree with Saxonblue74 about what PL said. There's also been some appalling officiating in the last couple of matches, where we deserved at least a point. At least this time we had a half decent ref, just a poor performance. But a win's a win no matter how you get it, plus 3rd with a game in hand. We also have better home form than we did at this point last season. Up until our abrupt end in March this year we had more away wins. Also we won a match after an international break which is rare for us. Every match is different. Let's see what Tuesday brings.

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Razor added 10:44 - Nov 23 I am more than happy to accept our luck and move on-----crikey it was time we had some!! Tomorrow I dont want to see Freddie or Nsiala anywhere near the pitch----its got to be Woolfie and Wilson (if fit) at the back. Bennetts should play as at leat he tries to go FORWARD (Know what that is Lamby) and Dobra should also come in to the mix-----we can wn this game with the right attitude and selection----but then I look at oir manager, perhaps not.

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