Town boss Paul Cook was left frustrated after the Blues once again turned a winning position into a 2-2 draw against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium.

Two goals from Sone Aluko gave Town a 2-0 lead before James Brophy in the 40th minute and Joe Ironside two minutes from the end claimed what in the end was a deserved point for the U’s from Town's fourth 2-2 draw this season.

“For 43 minutes I genuinely enjoyed us today, thought we were excellent, thoroughly deserved the lead,” Cook said.

“The goal before half-time changes the whole mood in the stadium whether you like it or not. It’s a soft, soft goal from our point of view and a great goal from Cambridge’s.

“Second half we have plenty of possession in really good areas. We get into some good penetrating areas but we don’t really create the chance to score again that probably would have put the game to bed.

“Cambridge were excellently honest all game, kept knocking on the door and you know when those corners come in late on and they’ve got some big guys going in there, there’s always that chance.

“And unfortunately we succumbed to it, which is so disappointing because it was a great day today, a good derby match, a great atmosphere and I enjoyed watching us.

“Unfortunately, we’ve just got that achilles heel in us that’s there for everyone to see. Goals for is not a problem, goals against is a big concern.”

He added: “Since I’ve been manager at Ipswich, I’ve learned that you’re never comfortable in a game, no matter what we’re doing you’re not comfortable.

“We’ve worked so hard this week in training, really hard and everything we’ve worked on we’ve done.

“And we’ve got to that 2-0 lead where we were on the front foot, we were aggressive, we won every individual battle on the pitch, everything we didn’t do at Accrington.

“At 2-0 you think to yourself that we’re going to kick into our fans in the second half, we’ve got to score again in front of them and they’ll go home so happy. And yet we’re sitting here 46, 47 minutes later with a different story.

“From my point of view it’s just learning all the time about players in the latter stages of a game - who’s going to be the one to win the big header and clear it, the goalkeeper to come and catch it, whatever it may be.

“Because every team will have moments and at 2-1 you’re not clear in any game.”

Asked what’s going wrong defensively, Cook responded: “Listen, 100 per cent, you will not get me digging players out or going after people, that is not my style.

“My style is to work very much harder on the training ground, keep going, to watch clips back, to show them the stages of a game.

“At 43 minutes away from home, a great derby match and the stadium was flat, apart from Ipswich fans who were jubilant.

“And we found a way to give a team a leg up, who had shown no signs of scoring. And that’s something you can’t do, it’s a no.

“Those last two minutes you see the game out, you kick into your supporters and you score again after half-time. At 3-0 then it becomes a celebration. But unfortunately for us we’re not at that stage in our development.”

Did he have any thoughts of making defensive substitutions to shore things up at 2-1? “When you sit here and your results go against you, sometimes for us it doesn’t matter what we do, it just doesn’t.

“We put Kyle Edwards, Celina and Wes Burns on. Our intent was to score again. Unfortunately for us, credit to Cambridge, not to us, we didn’t look like scoring.

“It’s easy to sit there and then say what you do. As a manager I’ve never believed in shutting up shop, it’s not my style. We travel as Ipswich Town and we should score again in the second half. Unfortunately for us we never.”

The big positive from a Town perspective was the performance from Aluko, who scored his first two goals for the club.

“Outstanding,” Cook enthused. “When he turned up at the start of the season, he probably wasn’t as fit as where we would have wanted him to be. I think he’s been training every day like it’s his last, screaming in training that he wants to play and I think our fans have seen a real glimpse of Sone Aluko today. I think it was a real positive for everyone.”

Cook explained that midfielder Lee Evans was absent as his wife has had a baby, while striker Joe Pigott’s father died having been suffering with cancer for some time.

“His missus was induced with a baby,” Cook said regarding Evans. “Joe Pigott’s father passed away this morning very, very sadly. All our thoughts are with Joe and obviously Lee for two completely different reasons.

“But I felt the team today should have won. We did enough in the game to win. I thought we travelled like a big club, I thought our support was great, I thought our attitude to the game was first class and unfortunately from a winning position we found a way to give it up and that’s something we have to go away and look at.”

Cambridge head coach Mark Bonner felt his side’s goal five minutes before the break was the game’s turning point.

“I thought we were excellent in the second half, and had a real good threat,” he told the Cambridge News.

“I think the turning point in the game for us is the goal before half-time. It just gave us a real confidence and belief that it can happen in the second half.

“We found the first 35 minutes of that game really difficult, against a team that played last week, and are sharp, confident and are finding a real rhythm in their game.

“They pressed us brilliantly and we got caught on the ball or passed to each other with too many mistakes.

“We were probably a little bit edgy and nervous in the atmosphere and didn’t really commit to a game where we made the pitch big to play or played with good quality direct, with too many backwards passes.

“The goal comes off of a move where we hit the front of the team. They did that really well. Joey [Ironside], Wes [Hoolahan] and Shilow [Tracey] do great and then Brophs [James Brophy] finishes it off, and that’s a real turning point for us.

“Our first 30-minute form has to improve because we’re making the games too hard for ourselves, but our record coming from behind and scoring late goals is outstanding, which is a great quality to have.

“Lots to improve and do, but in a packed stadium on a great day, to take a point is massive for us.”

Photo: TWTD

Taricco_Fan added 19:30 - Oct 16 Happening too often and against teams that will be in the bottom half of the table at the end of the season. Unless these defensive lapses can be addressed immediately then we're destined for another mid-table finish.
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Umros added 19:35 - Oct 16 ‘again'. You can accept it once or twice but this is a bit of a joke now, how many times do we need this to happen before we realise that inviting long ball/throw teams on when only leading by one goal is something we cannot cope with. Sorry but not impressed with goalkeeper - not commanding enough.
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ThaiBlue added 19:37 - Oct 16 Go now cook for everyones sake,full of crap
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del45 added 19:45 - Oct 16 Once again this manger has no ideas technically how to make changes as when required during the game ie when to defend what you have.
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blues1 added 19:47 - Oct 16 Steve Holmes. Yet another fan using last seasons stats to beat him overcthe head with. Pathetic. If u want to use stats then look st these. Only lost 1 game in the last 8 games.(9 if u count the cup game), top scorers in the division with 23 goals. And yes, while as u say 3 points from the relegation places, we are just 5 from the playoff places.
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grinch added 19:48 - Oct 16 To quote Mr Cook a few weeks ago....when Morsy is playing this will not happen I can promise you this....well it has and it isn't the first time. There are periods when we play good but we also have those Titus moments although Titus only did that for a very short time we do it for 20 mind at a timevand wonder why we don't win. It has to be tactics now and that is down to Mr Cook and his merry band of coaches back stops there really so sort it please time is running out for anything this season will the owners be happy with mid way finish ?? after all the backing they have done not to sure and we are now coming up to the difficult period of stronger teams hope it all clicks or we will be nearer the relegation zone than the playoffs I do hope that won't be the case come end of year

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blues1 added 19:56 - Oct 16 Matthewwylds. Another idiot calling for his head without any idea who we could replace him with. And dont spout the hsual names of Eddie howe, lampard, wilder. None of them are dropping down to lge1. And whoever comes in is gonna have a squad of players who only signed bcse of Cook being here. So do we rebuild from scratch again? Thrn 10 games down the line when we've say lnot won a game, presumably ud want the next man sacked as well. I firmly believe cook is the right man for the job. But at the same time I accept it can't be allowed to drift forever and it may have to be looked at not too far in the future. But I'll guarantee this, if he goes, unless there's a foreign manager out there somewhere whod manage at thisxlevel, we'd end up with a nobody managing the team. And then we'd be in big trouble.

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Linkboy13 added 19:59 - Oct 16 So pleased for Aluko today after being made a scrape goat for the defeat to Bolton dispite being our best player. As well as being technically great on the ball he's proved he's also a got a end product unlike some in our squad.
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SpiritOfJohn added 20:04 - Oct 16 Cook, you are the one who found a way to give up the win. You took off our best player after 69 minutes. You also kept Fraser on the pitch, when you could have brought on Harpet to bolster the midfield. Your post match comments often indicate that you are merely a spectator, enjoying the game until the opposition score. You are not a spectator, you are the manager, so start managing! Have a positive influence on the game - react to what is happening during the game and change tactics if necessary. I wonder what you said at half time today?

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TB42 added 20:04 - Oct 16 Mr. COOK , a simple suggestion, give Liam a call and ask for some advice. He appears to have worked it out!!!!!
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BlueBoots added 20:31 - Oct 16 35 comments on this interview at the time of writing, and as far as I can see I'll be the first to offer condolences to Joe Pigott on losing his father this morning. We've drawn a game of football today - some things are more important
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Pezzer added 20:34 - Oct 16 Paul, at 1-0 dont try and see the game out, but at 2-0 away from home at least shut up shop until half time.
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DaGremloid added 20:48 - Oct 16 BlueBoots - I don't think many of us were aware - I certainly didn't. Thanks for bringing it to our attention and yes, condolences and best wishes from me, and I'm sure many others.
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Leeco84 added 20:50 - Oct 16 This man is really getting on my nerves. He is as bad a manager as Hurst. There is a pattern and its plain to see. Anytime a team mixes it up or changes their approach Cook fails to deal with it. It is not the players one bit, it is down to tactics. Other teams react and Cook stays the same. I seen it a mile off and I'm no manager. I barely celebrate a goal now while I watch them on ifollow in N. Ireland because I know they are going to have a high chance of throwing it away. So to put it simply. Cook is not fit for the task. Change needed now. Poor choice of managers in the last 3 Paul's. Cook is Evans final F up.

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matthewwylds added 21:11 - Oct 16 Blues1 another prick you no blues1 we just keep going on and on until a bit down the line when you think we should make a change tw#t 👊💦
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matthewwylds added 21:11 - Oct 16 Blues1 mug 👊💦
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Batram98 added 21:29 - Oct 16 Bored of hearing the I don't out players, mate you ripped so many players when you come in, tell me had the new owners come in wtf would you have done cause you ripped players who had good playing careers at town and now you bring in players you wanted an they Don't deliver........na I'm saying if a player YOU wanted isn't delivering to your standard it is much easier to say so, sorry to say I am cook out at this point, tired of hearing about gelling a lot of clubs this level have a lot of players in and it is not as bad as this

1

bobble added 21:40 - Oct 16 wheres burley ?
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ScottCandage added 21:40 - Oct 16 PC is to "Work harder in training" as PL was to "We have to get better, we just have to."
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Dissboyitfc added 21:44 - Oct 16 “Cambridge were excellently honest all game, kept knocking on the door and you know when those corners come in late on and they've got some big guys going in there, there's always that chance. So bring on Toto, not more attacking players! “It's easy to sit there and then say what you do. As a manager I've never believed in shutting up shop, it's not my style. Being a one trick pony will be the end of your reign if this continues! He talks about working hard on the training field, but practice makes permanence not perfection, in the words of Einstein " insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" His stubbornness to make the right changes simply because he wants to do it his way, is a bit reminiscent of McCarty. I am not looking to changng the manager ,but i think he has to change his mentality when making substitutions as his game management is costing us a lot of points!

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Stato added 21:57 - Oct 16 Players, staff and owners all said promotion was the goal for this season but lots of our fans seem happy to look at the gap to the play off spots rather than the top 2. I just wish that collectively we were more ambitious.
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shakytown added 22:32 - Oct 16 Tactically clueless fool for a manager is the real problem. come on Gamechanger it's time to make a CHANGE.
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MrBigBoy added 23:05 - Oct 16 Dafuq
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Jesney_Havoc added 23:15 - Oct 16 We're going nowhere with Cook. The only debate is how long it takes to acknowledge it. All gong and no dinner.
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warwickblue added 00:36 - Oct 17 So, we were all told we had to forget last season. We were all told we had to give Cook ten games. Well, he's had fifteen and it's now time for him to go. His record is appalling but, more worryingly, he shows absolutely no hint of how to do anything about it.
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