Town boss Paul Cook felt Blues fans could see signs that his side is growing despite requiring a last-gasp Conor Chaplin equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Chaplin, one of the 19 summer signings, tapped home after stand-in skipper Macauley Bonne had robbed Sheffield Wednesday keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell having hidden behind the on-loan Burnley man as he looked to kick out of his area.

“I was delighted, I’ve got to tell you that, if I’d been sitting here after losing 1-0 it would have been a really bitter pill to swallow,” Cook said.

“I thought it was an excellent football match, I thought it was a great occasion, a fantastic crowd in, both sets of supporters played their part in a fantastic atmosphere and the game was always on a knife-edge.

“You felt that tension in the game, you felt it on the sidelines. Sheff Wed have got some excellent players, Ipswich have got some excellent players and I think for me, I’m probably biased, but I thought we probably deserved to win, and I know I might be a little bit biased with that.”

He added: “You’ve seen now, it’s eight league games we’ve played, coming from behind at home to get a point against a very strong team, the character, I’ve questioned certain aspects of our squad at the minute, and I think our supporters can see signs that we are growing, we are getting stronger and that’s there for everyone to see.”

Regarding Town’s goal, Cook said: “He nearly missed it, I believe, Conor. He was telling me he’s scuffed it. I’d have never spoken to him again in my life if he’d missed, I can tell you that!

“I’m made up for Conor, he’s had Covid, he’s come in, he’s not fit, he’s had a couple of starts, he did his hamstring and he’s desperate to get going.

“And for players, they want to have relationships with the supporters, and those moments make them.

“Conor has now made that little moment with those Ipswich fans and the celebrations you saw there were great and it was great to be around Portman Road to see the emotion of a happy Portman Road rather than what we’ve seen over the last few weeks.”

"Regarding Bonne’s role and that of Scott Fraser, he added: “Macauley’s a constant threat, it’s what he does. As a manager there, you’re looking at subs we can make, and it’s hard because you don’t want to take Macauley off. He’s our goal threat and as it proved in the game, he was the goal threat.

“Scott’s a good player, again Scott was one that I was looking to take off. But you’re loathe to take your good players off because we have got so many of them, but we’re also wanting to bring freshness on and give everyone a chance.

“They’re just decisions as a manager you have to make and I’m sure tonight it looks a good one, next week it’ll probably not look so great.”

"Cook was most pleased that the Blues gave up few chances to the Owls having conceded five times in their last home match against Bolton.

“Yeah, I think by the time they left the game with Bolton, everyone would want to play us, that’s how I looked at us,” he said. “‘The gaps are there, if you run through those gaps you’ll score goals’.

“You don’t see us running back to our own goal a lot now out of uncomfortable positional play. The lads have worked very hard on the training ground and they deserve a pat on the back for that.”"

Did he feel Town needed to take something from the game to build on last week’s first win of the season at Lincoln? “You’ve just got to keep going. We’ll get beaten at home when we probably least expect it, we’ll win away when we might be under par, but it’s football and I’ve seen it for long enough.

“For me, team performances are huge. We didn’t give up a lot of chances in the game today, we don’t look open at the minute, we look quite solid and within that we know we’ve got goals in the team, so long may it continue.”

He added: “I’m pleased with us, genuinely. I’ll sit in front of you sometimes and you can see the tension in my body or my body language, I enjoyed the game today. As a manager on the sidelines today I enjoyed watching our team play.

“I saw late on when we made some mistakes, Matt Penney made a couple of mistakes. Matt was excellent today, for 80 minutes of the game he was absolutely superb. And that’s where the fitness and the repetition and what you do is important.

“I’m pleased with the point, Sheff Wed are a fantastic football club in a great league and I thought it was a great advert for League One.”

Asked the reasons why he handed Bonne the captaincy, he said: “I just felt because of Macauley and the way he is, Samy Morsy is going to be available on Tuesday night, Lee Evans has got a hamstring injury and he’s out, so the reality is we’re looking at it again on Monday.

“I just thought it was the least Macauley deserves, he’s an absolute pleasure to be around, he’s just a fantastic young man, he’s a credit to himself and our football club while he’s with us.

“I don’t think Lee’s [going to be out] particularly long, it was just disappointing. But I’ve got to say I thought Idris was excellent, I really did and I’m so pleased for Idris because he had a Papa John’s Trophy game playing out of position to accommodate other players, he’s worked so hard behind the scenes and he got an opportunity today and I felt he took his opportunity really, really well, so well done Idris.

“Again, you see the effect Rekeem [Harper] has when he runs forward in the last minute of the game, he has a big, big chance and I just felt that I want Rekeem to be looking at possibly different positions on the pitch for us, and I felt with the emergence of Samy on Tuesday possibly that Idris deserved that chance, he’s waited so patiently and long. If he hadn’t have got the chance today, the reality is he mightn’t have got one.

“Now he’s had a big one and he’s showed everyone at the club that he can play for this team. Well done Idris.”

Is Morsy champing at the bit to finally make his league debut for the club following his suspension hangover from his time with Middlesbrough.

“I think Samy’s always champing,” Cook continued. “He’s a really good lad, he’s captained all my clubs I’ve been at with him, so I know Samy inside out, he knows us inside out, he’s a competitor, he’s a winner and he’ll want to win desperately for Ipswich Town Football Club.

“We’ll look at that situation tomorrow, I think all the lads that have been involved today deserve a big pat on the back, I think it was a great spectacle at Portman Road, it was a really good football match and I think the supporters from both teams can go home quite content.”

Cook revealed that winger Kyle Edwards is set to be available for Tuesday’s game after his injury, as is Toto Nsiala, who has been out with a hamstring problem.

Asked why he waited until the 75th minute to make his subs, Cook said: “I thought we were playing well, I was enjoying us. Did we really look like scoring? Possibly that could be questioned, I would suggest that would be fair. Did we look very comfortable in the game where you felt we would get a big chance? That’s how I felt.

“And as a manager I think you learn to be patient but also when you’ve got Joe Pigott, Conor Chaplin, those type of lads on the bench, you’re always itching to get them on because you know their energy levels will be right on and the desire to score, and that was great for Conor.”

He added: “I thought it was a good game, a genuinely good football match, probably both teams will be happy with a point I suppose because both teams are going to get stronger without a shadow of a doubt. There were some good players on the pitch, for both teams.”

Wednesday manager Darren Moore wasn't too hard on keeper Peacock-Farrell for his error.

“What’s happened has happened but we are 100 per cent behind him,” he said

“He has been absolutely terrific in everything that he has been doing, there have been one or two things that he thought he would have done better at but he can only learn from them.

“If you analyse his game he has been absolutely superb, he’s been absolutely tops.”

He added: “We talk about the first half and Macauley Bonne has gone straight through and he has saved us. The positives far outweigh the negatives and he has been absolutely terrific.

“The crowd is noisy and deafening. It’s happened and it won’t be the last [time], he’s a top, top goalkeeper who I firmly believe will play in the Premier League and play regularly in the Premier League, that’s how I highly rate this young man.”

Photo: TWTD

multiplescoregasms added 21:47 - Sep 25 I really want him to succeed, but even I am finding it hard to accept we are in a better position then this time last season because I don't think we are. Yes, at times we are playing some really good stuff, but it's a small comfort when you look at our league position, and how we still can't win games. Let's see how Tuesday goes, and without sounding totally negative, we could go bottom. Yes, bottom of Division 3.

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OzzyBlue added 22:12 - Sep 25 Completely agree with “bluewarrior”. Spot on.
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BurleysGloryDays added 22:36 - Sep 25 I sort of hate TWTD. I do keep coming back so my own bad. So many fans on here are moany losers. Should've been 5-1 today and on another day it will be. Ignore the morons Cooky, keep growing and COYB
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shakytown added 22:46 - Sep 25 4231 is rubbish Cook plain and simple. Players cant play it and the opposition just take over midfield every game then waltz through at will.
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Wooly74 added 23:10 - Sep 25 Personally I saw a game that in the most part we dominated and could have been out of sight if we had finished our chances. People need to get off the back of the current set up and realise that Rome wasn't built in a day
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martin587 added 07:03 - Sep 26 Cat..absolutely spot on.The signs are there and it will come this coming Tuesday I hope.Would much prefer 4-4-2 but there you go.The football is entertaining and the crowd were magnificent once again.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:14 - Sep 26 A somewhat rose-tinted appraisal from Cook. It wasn't bad, but we didn't dominate or run the game as we should begin to be doing if our troops are as good as they are cracked up to be. Sort out the midfield and we may then become the force we are all hoping to be in this league.
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stormypetrel added 07:48 - Sep 26 Like others have said….Cat, Bluewarrior etc …there were plenty of positives. I enjoyed the game..I can see progression…there are areas to improve …and yes the subs should have come on at 65 mins …yes there is a disconnect in the midfield linking play…great hopes and expectations for Morsy…though the improvement is there for all to see…if one wants to see….and Cook got a great reception from the fans when he came out….looking forward to Tuesday night….and the Uppa Town banner looked excellent!!

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peewee added 08:11 - Sep 26 I'm sorry but having faith in a results driven game is madness. Still think it's coming down to stubbornly won't change the formation. Ashton came out high5ing fans on the win but where is he to insure fans that there keeping an eye on the club at harder times?
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GB1 added 08:38 - Sep 26 So I'm with the belief the majority of TWTD postees actually want us to fail so they can be big hard keyboard warriors and be able to say stuff they would shy away from face to face. If they actually met PC they'd be all happy & smiley (not all, but most). Anyway, that aside, I have another belief that these same supporters expect us to win every single game which is just a nonsense, and when we do win a game they expect us to all of a sudden be top 6. I think they forget after our dire start, yes I can admit that, we've been shocking, but it's going to take a number of weeks to elevate ourselves, not 2 bloody games!!! We've had a shocker, way too many mistakes individually and as a defensive unit, but we've now gone 2 games with 4pts, only conceded once, looked a more solid unit and this is without Morsy. It's building blocks! Are we close to the top? No Are we close to being a major force? Not yet Should we be doing better? Absolutely Are we on the turn? I believe so (no one can predict the future) Will PC succeed? No one knows, anyone who says they do are just to closed minded! Do we have supporters who want us to fail just so they can post crap on here? 💯 I for one am happy to ride this season of hope, yes we still have much hope, the past few seasons hope has been a scarcity. We have 38 games left to play, not be a manic depressive just because we can't be in the top 6 after another game. I want top 2, I still very much believe it's there to be taken and will no doubt be jumped on by those ‘warriors' because they can. The ‘warriors' may well turn out to be right, I don't deny that, but what a way to live life

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ChrisFelix added 09:06 - Sep 26 Thought we were unlucky not to win this game. For all the critics of Paul Cook I don't think injuries have helped his playing a settled team. Yesterday he was missing 4 first choice players. In saying this I was disappointed with Celina & feel we are a better team with Pigot on the pitch.
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trncbluearmy added 09:22 - Sep 26 Good game,Cook is correct Had the chances to win comfortably today ITFC are very close to being a very good team as opposed to a very good bunch of individuals.
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Gforce added 10:59 - Sep 26 GB1.......Excellent post,well said.
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Nobbysnuts added 14:16 - Sep 26 No they can't...what a Croc of sh#te....you talk absolute b#llocks...we moved back into the relegation places you idiot... sick to death of this fraud. Just go.
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Eddie1985 added 14:22 - Sep 26 GB1 come on get real... U say if people doubt cook we are keyboard warriors who would be happy to see us lose and expect us to win every game!! Not quite but a reasonable percentage would be nice, not someone to come in dismantle our old squad in brutal fashion and then blame gelling. Last season he blamed the players not being good enough but they were way ahead of where he is currently. Be realistic his record here stinks. He has got rid of butcher and some decent players as well as the poorer ones who needed to go, he's been given a the backing he needs, all the tools to do the job and we are waiting our chance. We have an opportunity to get up and become strong again now yet we seem closer to a relagation battle. You just don't have time in football any more, the Americans will want to get us up and make us worth more money then sell us on for a profit, as much as they are using us we need to use them to move onwards and upwards as soon as possible, cooks had so many games and has seemed to make us worse

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sally added 15:01 - Sep 26 I am bewildered by the few positive comment's being voiced. I was there yesterday and a large parts of our play were woeful and inept. We are in the relegation zone of Division 3 old money with no home wins. I hope I'm wrong but I fear this will be our season batting relegation, unless there is dramatic change. Already time is running out. Almost 20 % of the season has gone!

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SickParrot added 15:18 - Sep 26 I accept that with so many new players it too soon to expect the team to have hit top form and to be in the top six but we should be doing much better than we are. PC can also rightly say that individual errors have been costly and that we've been unlucky with injuries, but that still doesn't excuse our results this season. We are in the bottom four of the league and have just one win from 10 games including cup ties. To make matters worse, seven of those games were at Portman Rd, but we're still looking for our first home win! No more excuses Mr Cook, time is running out. I believe that we must now beat Doncaster and get at least a draw at Accrington for PC to deserve to keep his job.

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ringwoodblue added 15:53 - Sep 26 GB1 - I don't say anything on here that I wouldn't say in person to Cook or the players. I try to see the big picture, the long game and all that but there's no escaping our league position is appalling and the gap to Sunderland and Wigan is already very large. If we don't go up this season, we risk losing some of the players who have just signed especially if Cook isn't the manager anymore and players like Bonne and Celina certainly won't be here next season if we don't get promotion so time is something I'm afraid we don't have.

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Monkey_Blue added 17:40 - Sep 26 SickParrot. I'm yet to see a team that is in poor form have claims of individual errors costing points. If individuals are making errors there are two reasons, poor players or poor tactics. The better teams overcome individual errors and also don't point to lack of “luck”. To be clear without injury time goals we'd have lost two of our home games and neither were games you could have said we dominated. If you don't want to look at last season, 4 wins in 16 then it's one win in 10 this season. If Cook had a better record last season he wouldn't sound so much like a broken one with his BS and excuses this season. In bank terms he was already overdrawn before this season kicked off.

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Monkey_Blue added 17:42 - Sep 26 I'm also not convinced we have worse injury issues than most clubs… but we supposedly have far better quality and given we have 28 first team players for greater numbers than most in this league. The difference between reasons and excuses is reasons have evidence in their favour
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dirtydingusmagee added 18:12 - Sep 26 i can see things growing, the gap between us and top clubs, and doubts we will finish above mid table [possibly worse].
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WimborneBlue added 20:58 - Sep 26 I agree with the comments that there is sometimes too much negativity from us fans, but... I can tell you the majority.of the fans at the game were getting really frustrated with the lack of quality, particularly in the midfield and the lack of movement, creativity and ideas in the middle of the park. Had Macauley and Conor not rescued a point for us at the death, the boos would have rang out. I'm sure PC is a great manager but his comments are spin at best and mind games with the fans at worst.

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dirtydingusmagee added 10:32 - Sep 27 totally agree with Ringwoodblue, if we dont go up this season we stand a good chance of losing players and having to rebuild again, These players came here supposedly to get the club promoted and not be in a relegation struggle .The fans are behind the players but there is a split in that some can only see how things might/could be, and those that see how things really are ,and the one bit of concrete evidence is , we are NOT doing very well, and the excuses need to stop. Results are what counts, and the tables dont lie .

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Razor added 10:48 - Sep 27 This is a moron speaking who has watched the club for over 50 years-----Cook is deluded and thats why we must part company as soon as possible---Why play Celina down the middle to be gobbled up by massive centre halves, why take so long to make substitutions---we looke a better team in the last 10 mts and should have won the game if Harper had passed the ball instead of shooting tamely at the keeper----he is no Jonny Wark!!! Tomorrow night crucial---no win and that really should be it.

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