Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted it was a disappointing night as the Blues were defeated 1-0 by Colchester United in the Carabao Cup, believing the game was changed by the error which led to the U’s goal.

Luke Hannant’s first ever goal for the Essex side won the tie with the Blues having created plenty of chances in the first half before labouring in the second as the U’s defended resolutely to hang on to their lead.

“It’s obviously a very disappointing night,” McKenna said. “I thought the performance in the first 30 minutes was really good, I felt we settled into the game really good for the number of changes that we made.

“I thought everyone got their flow very quickly and created more than enough chances in the first 30 minutes to have a lead.

“Obviously the complexion of the game changed on one moment and after that it made it a very difficult night. It gave Colchester something to hang on to, enabled to defend their box really deep for the rest of the game and they did that really well, and credit to them for that.

“We didn’t do enough to get the goal back. I thought we tried, I thought the effort levels were really good. We tried everything but we weren’t able to get the goal back.

“So all in all it makes for a really disappointing night, but it’s very early in the season, we have big games ahead, we have other priorities, there’s no doubt about that and it’s about moving on very quickly now towards that.”

Asked whether he was more disappointed by the goal which was conceded, Rekeem Harper passing the ball into his own penalty area too close to Hannant, or the failure to take opportunities at the other end.

“I think we have to take both on the chin,” McKenna reflected. “We should have been ahead, we had chances right through the course of the game but the longer you keep the game at 0-0 it builds more and more pressure on them, but when you given them such a cheap goal, it gives them something to hang on to and changes the mentality of the game.

“It puts more pressure on ourselves and gives them the encouragement to keep throwing their bodies on the line.

“I think we have to accept the responsibility with both and there are some tough lessons in there.

“But it’s early in the season, it was a very changed side, it was a young side, young players are going to make mistakes, we accept that and we stick together as a group and we move on.”

Quizzed on whether there were pluses to be taken from youngster Cameron Humphreys getting into good positions in the area on a number of occasions, although without taking those opportunities, McKenna said: “I don’t think it’s the night to talk about the positives, to be honest, because it’s a disappointing night.

“But I thought that the way that we settled into the game, the way that everyone knew their jobs, how close the identity was what we’re seeing with the players who were playing last Saturday, I thought was really, really clear and I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of how we did in the first 30 minutes.

“Again, the complexion of the game was changed in one moment and that’s a lesson for us, both in terms of our concentration in those moments but also how we respond to that and that wasn’t easy tonight, but we can certainly do better.”

The Northern Irishman added: “We would have liked to progress in the cup, but we have lots of games, I’m no worried about the games, we have lots of lots of games in August.

“There are going to be minutes there for everyone in the squad, it’s going to be important over the course of the season and I’m sure people are going to have minutes and be able to play their part and be needed to play their part when the time comes.

“It would have been nice to go through, certainly for the supporters, it would have been nice to go through and maybe get a couple of good ties but the reality is that it’s not our priority at the moment, we have other big priorities this season and that’s clear from the outset.

“It’s a disappointing night but we need to swallow that disappointment quickly as a group and move on to big games on Saturday on Tuesday.”

Photo: TWTD

RobsonWark added 22:47 - Aug 9 Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted it was a disappointing night as the Blues were defeated 1-0 by Colchester United in the Carabao Cup. No sheet Sherlock!!
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TonyHumesIpswich added 22:47 - Aug 9 Fed up of being embarrassed in the cup competitions. Know it's not a huge financial loss from first round to second round but it's not acceptable. As fans we've had decades of humiliation in the cups, enough is enough.
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pg888 added 22:47 - Aug 9 “but the reality is that it's not our priority at the moment, we have other big priorities this season and that's clear from the outset” No it was not clear from the outset. You have spent the last few days spouting the cup is important and you wanted to progress…. Shambles doesn't quite cover it
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BromleyBloo added 22:50 - Aug 9 Whatever……………………!?!
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tractorrollson added 22:51 - Aug 9 Same ol rubbish from KM, cup gone then
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Woolfenthen added 22:53 - Aug 9 so as it wasn't a priority, please let us know that before we shell out our cash for what turns out to be a complete and utter waste of time watching a side muddled together who couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo. Seeing as I was misled into thinking we may want to progress and give us the fans some little joy can I please ask for a refund.
16

ChrisR added 22:54 - Aug 9 McKenna Honeymoon over. Hardly had a shot, same old story, lots of possession but nothing incisive, hopeless finishing. Will never go up with these useless forwards. And what ever use is Jackson? Invisible all game!,
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AlanG296 added 22:54 - Aug 9 Trouble is McKenna if the goalscoring record since your new manager bounce period continues we won't get anywhere near those priorities.
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muhrensleftfoot added 22:58 - Aug 9 Disgraceful. McK should apologise for this, yet another cup humiliation. It's been plain to see that we just don't score enough goals. We could have played for another hour and still not scored. It's been going on for years
6

chopra777 added 23:00 - Aug 9 Sorry McKenna you did not mention your late subs. I hope you can motive the team this weekend. Try two up front and four across the middle. The clock is ticking.
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Flamencaman added 23:06 - Aug 9 Oh well time to concentrate on the league only 45 games to go, disappointed beyond belief
5

RobsonWark added 23:06 - Aug 9 What a disgraceful comment from KMcK to all the supporters who paid to watch the game tonight... "It would have been nice to go through, certainly for the supporters, it would have been nice to go through and maybe get a couple of good ties but the reality is that it's not our priority at the moment, we have other big priorities this season and that's clear from the outset" THE CLUB SHOULD REFUND ALL THE SUPPORTERS WHO SPENT THEIR MONEY TURNING UP TO SUPPORT THE TEAM TONIGHT!!!.

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FrankMarshall added 23:08 - Aug 9 We did have shots but mostly from positions where we were highly unlikely to score. Haven't seen the possession and shots info yet but I'm sure it would be quite high. It's almost like we were playing to get the high stats not the goal! Colchester only had a few shots but nearly all of them were potential goals.
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MickMillsTash added 23:19 - Aug 9 Humprhies should score Harper messes up Good 20 minutes but we do not score in our spell and you felt it was going to be similar night to the ones we have seen over the years vs Northampton, Newport, Crawley, Stevenage - Barrow, Lincoln etc Im not certain how we score goals Get the ball wide- crossing not good enough, limited threat in the box Get the ball in behind- no runners Play through them- we're not good enough Play on the break- we have 70% possession It's Hard when we play against 10 defenders every week but I'm not sensing improvement or ideas.I would like to see us move the ball much quicker. Beat MK Dions and the world will look a better place but will we?

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gippeswyk added 23:21 - Aug 9 “We didn't do enough to get the goal back. I thought we tried, I thought the effort levels were really good. We tried everything but we weren't able to get the goal back." Lots of contradiction and waffle. Same old story for too many years now.
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OliveR16 added 23:25 - Aug 9 'the reality is that it's not our priority at the moment' - unbelievable So it was more important for the players who hadn't played to run round aimlessly than to win?
2

steve_holmes27 added 23:38 - Aug 9 The basis of our success in the past was finding talent, developing it, then letting it play in the first team. Instead we now buy players with no quality AND no potential. Is it any wonder we go backwards? Invest in the scouts, invest in the youth development, then keep them at the club and attract more....by getting them into the first team! The reality is that this approach is our only sustainable way back. Yes promotion might not happen this season or next, but it won't anyway as we have shown by buying players over the last 20 years and going backwards. But we can and will still attract and retain young talent if we genuinely show there is a chance for them to make it here. The door has been and is closed to young players making it into the first team and, frankly, we therefore deserve to be where we are. KMcK shows no sign of any interest in youth development and opportunity. I fear for his future, and ours, unless this changes.

3

planetblue_2011 added 23:55 - Aug 9 Well done Col Utd they had a game plan and it payed off!! We didn't have a game plan from start to finish. I just can't work Ipswich Town out but keep playing like that and we are not going anywhere fast!!
1

Taricco_Fan added 00:04 - Aug 10 Col U's plan to play a deep line, stay compact and keep us in front of them worked a treat. Gifting them a goal was game over at that point. No Plan B to go direct with no target man to bully them and get on the end of crosses. Just kept trying to play through them on the floor and I felt we still wouldn't have scored had the game lasted another 90 minutes. Only highlight was Leigh. He looks a decent player.

3

RobsonWark added 00:10 - Aug 10 There is a cost of living crisis and KMcK and the club treat the fans like this!!! They should have said we are not in it to win it and the fans could have saved their money!!!!
8

BurleysGloryDays added 00:31 - Aug 10 Fans on here pretending they go to see Ipswich out of some sort of charity. You're frustrated because we lost in a crap and pointless cup. Get over it. Refunds? Who do you think you are? Stop going if you can't afford it. Common sense. Your moany anger at the best manager the club has had in over a decade, possibly 20 odd years is bonkers. And it's also detrimental to the whole club's spirit and optimism. Obviously the club are working on a striker. Obviously we're playing the best football I've probably ever seen at Ipswich. Obviously as our class shows through and we start going through gears better and better players will join, in good time. (Have Newcastle bought Messi?!) Obviously there is a plan in place. And obviously you morons are too dense to know how blessed we are right now. Go darken some other corners!

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pg888 added 00:44 - Aug 10 The best manager in 20 years is a massive stretch for someone who has proved absolutely nothing!
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reva added 01:08 - Aug 10 So we're the best team in the league according to some of the pundits - ok so it's on the C cup but Exeter the new boys to Div 1 - 7 goals / Bolton reborn 5 goals - so why are we struggling?? same system as Cook?? Why can't we change formations to allow strikers to play (but then where are they?) so many questions which don't have answers. We certainly need a striker - if it's so hard to get one why not bring back Boone - or why not field the backroom staff - there's enough of them to make a team. Answers on a postage stamp

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PMK added 01:19 - Aug 10 He's proved one thing. By doing exactly what McCarthy, Hurst, lambert and cook did will get you nowhere in the cups. I mean ffs if you want to mess around with the side do it in the papa johns or what ever it's called. It's also worth mentioning that he finished even further away from the playoffs in terms of points than where cook left us. Lambert got sacked for leaving us 3 points off the play offs with no money what so ever. Not a dig at McKenna but surely he'd have been aware at how awful we've been in cups and at least made an effort to try and out that right rather than spouting the same garbage we've heard over and over again. Poor form imo.

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PortmanTerrorist added 06:17 - Aug 10 Result is of course disappointing, the performance worse, but whatever your view this is is KMK first mis-step....both in his estimation of his second string who have proved they are just that, and the words he chose before and after the game. Supporters have a right to feel a bit cheated. Young manager and if this is his level of mistake then he will go far given the positives on his tenure to this point. Time will tell but hopefully this was a blip for ITFC and KMK. Words/Teams will need to be chosen carefully before further cup matches that is for sure.

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