Boss Kieran McKenna said it was a “disappointed, frustrated dressing room” following the Blues’ 0-0 home draw with Cheltenham Town, but felt the first-half display was his team’s best at Portman Road since he took charge.

The goalless draw, Town’s second in three games, saw the Blues remain ninth still four points off the play-offs.

“It’s a disappointed, frustrated dressing room,” McKenna said. “It can happen over the course of a season where you play [well], certainly in the first half I thought it was a very good performance.

“We put on a really good pressure and created enough chances to go in 1-0 or 2-0 in front at the interval.

“But it doesn’t happen and then the frustration grows and you end up not getting the three points that you wanted and probably deserved.

“It can happen over the course of the season but obviously in the position we’re in everything is amplified a bit, the need to win our home games is amplified and one point is rarely going to be enough for us.

“We’re disappointed, it’s two points dropped and we have to recover quickly and make sure we’re ready for Morecambe and we’ll have to catch those points up later on down the line.”

Having dominated the first half, the Blues weren’t quite so in control in the second and appeared to run out of ideas towards the end.

“I thought the first half was comfortably our best performance in a home game in my time here by a fair way,” McKenna continued.

“We didn’t quite manage to match that in the second half, probably different factors really.

“I think mentally getting in at half-time at 0-0 was a big boost to them after how the game had went. That was a massive mental boost for them to get in at 0-0.

“To be fair, they improved in the second half. I thought there was fatigue in some our play in a few key positions, to be fair. I thought we looked tired, the players have worked every so hard.

“It’s obviously a quick turnaround but it’s the same for all teams, so no excuse. But I thought there was some fatigue in some positions where we rely on really high energy.

“And they managed to break the game up really well, they stopped the game well, there were injuries, there were stoppages, there wasn’t much flow in the game.

“In the first half we managed to keep the ball in play for almost the whole half, there were very few stoppages, we were able to find a rhythm and keep the ball and play and not give them any breaks.

‘Second half, they managed to break the game up better, make it a bit more scrappy and probably as the half went on we got sucked into that more and more and in the last 15 or 20 minutes probably went away from what we were doing well in terms of how we were dominating and creating chances in the first half.

“We’ll learn from this as a group. There are certainly things from the first half that you can see are improving in our game and I think normally we would expect to be at least a goal to the good off of that.

“But we weren’t and we’ll look at the play when we were trying to chase the goal at the end and that’s something we can definitely improve on.”

McKenna made attacking changes with Joe Pigott coming on as a second out-and-out striker alongside Macauley Bonne in the latter stages.

“I said after MK that draws aren’t something we’re really interested in,” he said. “With the position that we’re in, the situation is amplified from how it would be over the course of a full season, so we need to go for three points.

“We thought having an extra goalscorer on the pitch, an extra attacker close to Macauley would give us a chance.

“To be fair, we had a couple of chances, Joe had a couple of big touches and moments in the box that we weren’t able to take.

“Even in the second half performance, to be fair, I think we probably on another day could have had a goal. We had a couple of good opportunities that we didn’t manage to take.

“In terms of the decisions we tried to be positive and tried to chase the game. Obviously that opened us up a little bit and they had a couple of moments as well and on a really, really bad day you could end up losing the game.

“We didn’t lose, it’s another clean sheet, things to improve and we move on to the next game.”

The clean sheet was the big positive for the Blues, a fifth in a row equalling a club record previously achieved in 2019, 2013 and 1997.

“It doesn’t feel like it at the moment, to be honest, it’s not much consolation because we wanted three points. I’d rather have won 4-3, so it doesn’t feel like much consolation at the moment,” the Northern Irishman reflected.

“Looking at it from a logical point of view, it does an improvement in our game. Anyone who watched the first half could see a team that’s improving and playing at a really, really high level.

“It’s hard for teams to get chances against us when we play as well as we did in the first half with the ball. That’s helping with our clean sheet record, it gives us a chance to win the game.

“Usually on the balance of chances we would have scored a goal tonight, but we didn’t manage to so it ends up with a 0-0 and we don’t take too much satisfaction from that at the minute.”

Photo: TWTD

Terrystowel added 23:23 - Feb 22 We have to take some risks now. Clean sheets alone aren't going to get us promoted. Why is our first thought to play sideways or backwards when we have a set play?
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ipswichboi added 23:27 - Feb 22 Agree with KMcK, that was the best first half performance that I've seen for a long time, such a shame that we couldn't capitalise, but their GK made a great save. Cheltenham were only going to get better in the second, but we still seemed on top. Don't panic, if you can't win, don't lose. CoYB
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Lathers added 23:36 - Feb 22 14 goals scored in his 11 games in charge and 7 of them came in 2 games. Doesn't matter how many clean sheets we keep, those goal scoring stats won't get us promoted. Keep rotating the strikers and none of them will get red hot and right now the only thing the side is missing is a striker bang in form like Bonne was early season.
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churchmans added 23:37 - Feb 22 2 pts dropped and we cant seem to win 3 games on the trot! Roll on saturday and we can start again! Draw or lose then i feel playoffs will be lost
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MickMillsTash added 23:43 - Feb 22 Set pieces need some polish A few front post Bonne headers earlier in the season gave goals but tonight not good enough. Good First half played with a lot of confidence but we needed to score. Cheltenham nowhere near us but teams in this league are well organised and they tightened up in the second and we lost our way Substitutions confused matters. Burns Thompson and Carroll looked the passengers in the second half. Still a long way to go

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 23:48 - Feb 22 Spot on analysis fro McK again. I loved that first half and in the 2nd we were still the better team by far. We created a lot but didn't get a break which is often what you need. This defensive record alongside the goal threat will get us where we need to be but it's just a matter of if we can get there this season. It's not gone and still all to play for plus bang in form so COYB

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Lathers added 23:56 - Feb 22 @Fat Boy Dim - defensive record alongside the ‘goal threat'? What goal threat have I been missing each of the last 11 games I've watched? For a team that has soooo much possession each game, we do not carry a goal threat which is why we've only scored 14 goals in the last 11 games! We were lucky to beat Gills 1-0 and had we not we'd have drawn 3 of the last 4 games 0-0.

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stormypetrel added 00:30 - Feb 23 Thompson limited, can't beat a player, too defensive, Carroll too safe, too narrow and too slow. Sorry Kayden you can't make a ball stick…and sorry Kieran, I think you got it wrong with not keeping Piggott up front with Kayden…that works …but it was an entertaining game…there was good football upto the 70th minute…then we lost the plot…even Woolfenden got flustered…disappointed, frustrated but I did enjoy the game…hopefully we learn even more as a team and so does the manager…every game you can see progress…oh and Wes when you put the ball into the upper tier of SBR during the warm up I said to my daughter that I hoped you put a pair of shooting boots on for the game….!

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PhilR added 00:44 - Feb 23 Great to see our players so comfortable on the ball, what I would have given for that over the last few years. When we dominate possession so much we often end up facing 8, 9 or 10 players behind the ball, so scoring is a challenge. We have been very good at pressing and winning balls back, so my sense is we would benefit from a bit more risk taking in the final third. Too often we go back and sideways instead of taking on defenders, and gradually it gives defenders too much confidence. We played a free kick, in a good position on the left wing for a cross, backwards tonight. Our best opportunity came from Celina taking a couple of players on and putting in a quality cross. It is crying out for some quality balls in from the byline, and effective play at corners. But there is so much to like in the way the team is playing, we are getting there.

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 06:04 - Feb 23 Lathers- you can't say we haven't created chances in the last two games. It was 0-0 but it's not one of those Lambert/Hurst/McCarthy 0-0's where we did nothing but fanny around playing sideways and backwards. You can complain about lack of goals but not lack of chances. If our form over the last 11 games had been from the start of the season, we'd be sitting a point or so from the top with a goal difference of about +30.

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Len_Brennan added 06:05 - Feb 23 Hugely disappointing not to win that game & psychologically a blow going into massively important 'winnable' away matches now. Talk of being only 4 points off the playoffs might be mathematically accurate, but at this stage we have to take games in hand into account to give the true reflection of our position & prospects of a top 6 finish. Rotherham & Wigan are gone and should be automatically promoted. MK Dons are strong & are beyond us also. This leaves 3 places up for grabs. Personally, I can't see us finishing above Sheffield Wednesday; they are 3 points ahead, with 2 games in hand & crucially have gotten their act together. That leaves us with 2 spots. Sunderland & Wycombe have been falling away; we need them to keep dropping points at that kind of rate. Both are strong enough squads to put it right but if we keep our run of points going we 'should' get past them. Which leaves Oxford & Plymouth; I don't think either are going to have a great run to the end & both have been dropping points lately (although Oxford managed to do what we couldn't, & score a crucial late winner last night). Oxford are 7 points ahead of us with the same number of games to play; Plymouth are 4 points ahead, but with 2 games in hand. Chances are that they will win one of them, so let's put them 7 points clear also, with 12 games to play, for this exercise. So that's it, in (kind of) real terms we need to make up 7 points in 12 games in order to reach the playoffs, and we have 2 shots at it. We cannot afford to drop more points like we did tonight, if we are going to make it though. I am not expecting Portsmouth or Bolton to have a better finish to the season than us & overhaul us, which of course is also possible.

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Len_Brennan added 06:41 - Feb 23 Our recent defensive record has been outstanding. After years of looking shakey & regularly giving away soft goals, it is a great comfort knowing that we have a defence & keeper who know what they are doing. But we are also defending from the front in how we play & perhaps this is having an affect on our goal threat? We have 4 strikers (Bonne, Norwood, Pigott & Jackson), all of whom are coveted at League 1 level. We also have Chaplin & Aluko, who have both, successfully, played in the Championship as strikers. We then have Simpson who has certainly proven himself as a decent League 2 striker. So we are not lacking in goalscorers at this level, in fact has there ever been a League 1 side blessed with such an array of striking options? So what is causing our poor return of goals, given the quality of our forwards (and wing/midfielders). After the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, we only scored 1 against poor Gillingham & Doncaster sides, and despite being the better team against MK Dons, they created the better scoring chances. So last night's 0-0 was coming, and maybe the 3 we scored against Burton was the anomaly, thanks to scoring so early. Many on here have correctly pointed to our very poor return from corners & set pieces; this was always a strong avenue to goal for past Ipswich sides, directly or from second phase balls. We have to be a greater threat from set plays. I was encouraged that KMK threw on an extra striker tonight rather than just changing them around; he recognises that the risk of conceding in order to get a winner is worth it at this stage of the season. He may have to further sacrifice some of our defensive solidity in pursuit of goals over the coming weeks.

7

johnwarksshorts added 08:19 - Feb 23 When did we last score from a set piece? Its now looking like a huge task to get into playoffs but I believe in McK. Next 2 away games have to return 6 points, but can we do it with our goal scoring record at this moment. COYB!
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ArnieM added 08:36 - Feb 23 Whilst our style of play was pleasing and easy on the eye in that first half. Part of me can't help but feel that Cheltenham's game plan was to simply sit back and let us play in front of them. The majority of our play was around the middle of the pitch or in our half, and when we did get it in their box we scorned time and again simple chances. Second half they pushed further up and actually made a game of it… we then struggled as the second half went on. Of this had been us playing the Cheltenham game plan say away at Wigan or Rotherham to secure a point, we'd all be happy today saying “ job well done”. That's how they feel, and and I can't disagree we played well, but how much of that was down to them allowing us that possession and just sitting back and keeping men behind the ball?

0

ChrisFelix added 09:13 - Feb 23 If we had scored a couple of goals in the first half which our performance deserved game over. But after a nil all, it was clear that Jackson was isolated & needed a partner. With all the misses & balls into the stands I wonder if the pitch had an effect
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terryf added 09:14 - Feb 23 We played some really great stuff in the first half, but in the second we got sucked into Cheltenham's game plan and our play became static at times. If Burns had placed his shot with the goal at his mercy rather than blast it he would have scored and Cheltenham would have been forced to come out. Second half they were happy to sit back with their two banks of four. Evans was a big miss last night and although Carroll was OK he's a little too lightweight at times for me. Jackson's close control was poor and he found nothing was sticking to him up front and Thompson seemed to be struggling. First half Celina was on fire but like many others faded second half. Woolfenden was was my best player although he was frustrating in injury time trying to play out from the back when it needed launching into their box, particularly as by then we had two strikers up front.

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bobble added 09:38 - Feb 23 great play cheltenham...
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TimmyH added 10:37 - Feb 23 We're going to have to come with a plan B to break down sides that sit deeper as clearly shown by last nights 2nd half we weren't good enough...as for dead ball situations and corners we're awful.
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oldelsworthyfan added 10:56 - Feb 23 The first thing McKenna had to do, was sort out the defence and he's done that. Remember it took Ramsey two seasons to get us out of Division 3 South, so let's not put undue pressure on our team now. I believe we can still make the playoffs - realistically without having to win every single game.
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Bazza8564 added 16:19 - Feb 23 Win saturday and last night is history, win again and then you face two home games against opposition youve already beaten this season. Its absolutely there for the taking, ive been reading threads on here for about 30 minutes now and you would have thought we hadnt won since Xmas. It was one missed step, there will be more, but we have to get over ourselves at times guys, this losing mentality breeds nothing but bad things. 23 points from 11 games for KM and we've lost our positivity? Come on guys we can still do this

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jas0999 added 18:56 - Feb 23 No getting away from it, good performance but a very disappointing result. We need a striker in the summer. One that can score goals and fit in with KMs system.
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