Town boss Kieran McKenna didn’t have too many complaints that the Blues’ 1-1 draw with League One leaders Plymouth Argyle ended level, even if the Northern Irishman was disappointed that his side hadn't gone on to win the game having gone a goal in front via Wes Burns.

Bali Mamba’s wickedly deflected injury-time equaliser claimed a point for the Pilgrims, who remain seven points ahead of the Blues having played a game more than Town and second-placed Sheffield Wednesday, who are four points in front of McKenna’s men.

Asked whether what had been an entertaining game between two well-matched sides, was a great advert for League One football, McKenna said that wasn’t his main concern.

“I’m not too interested in advertising anything at the moment,” he said. “It was a fantastic advert for the football club in terms of the support and the passion of the people of Ipswich to get behind the team, to get behind the club.

“We’re so grateful for that, it was one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen in an English football ground, I don’t think there will have been many better atmospheres anywhere today.

“And it made for a really intense game, two good teams going toe-to-toe and a really intense game and, of course, we’re disappointed that we didn’t go and win it from being in the position that we were so late in the game.

“But we will learn from the experience. It was such a big game even for our experienced players, but certainly for our less experienced ones to play in. Probably the biggest crowd, the best atmosphere that maybe the large majority on the pitch have played under and they’ll learn and be stronger for that.

“We’re disappointed at the moment but there’s a long way to go in the season and if we manage our emotions correctly then we’ll be stronger for the experience today.”"

Was a draw the right result? “I don’t think we can have too many complaints, to be fair. Both teams had chances and both teams will feel like they deserved to get something out of the game.

“At 1-0 up, I don’t think Plymouth did a lot for the equaliser, if I’m honest. It wasn’t like we were defending a barrage of shots and crosses and chances and pressure, they had maybe only one shot in the 20, 25 minutes that we had the lead.

“And it takes a big deflection and loops up into the top corner. In that way, I think we can say that there was some fortune to the goal, but the only thing I’m interested in is the bits that we can do better, and we can definitely do better in defending that situation.

“We wanted to win the game. In reality it was also important not to lose it because that would have been a huge boost for a difficult opponent.

“We have to take the point and we have to look forward and move onto the next game.”

Town have conceded late levellers in a number of games this season and have dropped 15 points from winning positions. Quizzed on why he believes that’s the case, McKenna said: “We’ll keep reflecting on it. We’ve done it different ways. We’ve tried to be really aggressive on the front foot at times when we’ve been defending a lead or when we are in the ascendency and we’ve conceded late goals.

“Today, we were defending more on shape. It wasn’t easy to get as much pressure high up the pitch as we wanted to in that phase whenever Plymouth changed shape, but at the same time we were there, we were defending our box and you have to be able to do that in elements of the game.

“I think it’s rarely one thing, it’s a combination of things. We need to be able to defend our box better late in the game and do the elements that we need to - stay out of the box, squeeze the line higher when we’re defending the box.

“We had a couple of chances to build counter-attacks from poor crosses that they attempted into the box and we were a bit tense and we hacked our clearances and that allowed the pressure to come again. We can do that better.

“And then we can defend the situation better when they play a really clever ball into our box. Our blocking could be better, the way we get down the line of shots, the way that we get to the ball so that we don’t get unlucky with deflections.

“There are details there that we can improve. But there’s also an element of fortune to the goal. I don’t think you can hide away from that, but that’s not something that we can control, so we’ll work very hard next week on the bits that we can control.”

Regarding the seven-point gap to the Pilgrims with the Blues having a game in hand, he added: “All to play for, lots of football. It’s a really tough division this year as it was last year, some good teams. I think everyone has seen our quality and what we can do as a team.

“Plymouth showed their quality as well. Both clubs have strong teams, both clubs had strong benches, they had really good substitutes to bring on as well and there’s a lot of football to be played between now and May 6th.

“We’ll keep fighting. I’ve got every faith in the players and the attitude and they way they’ll work on it.

“I loved the atmosphere in the stadium, the positivity, the energy, that’s exactly everything we can need and ask for, and we need to stay in that manner.

“If we keep pushing in that way, we’ll be strong and stronger as a football club and the players will get stronger and stronger for that.

“Twenty games to go, hopefully lots more big games and atmospheres like there was at Portman Road and we’ll keep pushing and I’m really confident that if we give the same energy as a football club that we did today, we’re going to get to where we want to get to in the end.”

Centre-half Luke Woolfenden showed composure to lay the ball off to Wes Burns for the Welshman’s goal but McKenna highlighted the 24-year-old’s defensive display.

“I’ve not seen it back yet,” he said of the goal. “I thought he was excellent the whole game, to be fair. Plymouth were really direct, I think they paid respect to our pressure. I thought their centre-halves just looked to go in behind every time and they’ve got two good forwards at that, [Ryan] Hardie and [Niall] Ennis are a threat in behind and are a handful.

“We tried to be brave and get pressure on the ball but they were trying to smash it in behind every time and doing it very well, so it was a big challenge for Woolfenden and Burge today and they stood up to it well.

“On the flipside, they were really brave in terms of how they defended us. They marked us man to man in huge spaces and we had big opportunities and spaces to attack as well.

“Both teams defended in a brave manner and both sets of defenders deserve some credit for how they managed to keep it down to one goal for the opposition.”"
Regarding the Burns goal, he added: “A good strike. We know he’s a good finisher and he hits it well in the box. That’s a couple of goals for him now lately and he’s got to keep pushing for the team.”

The Blues boss was pleased with the impact new loan addition George Hirst made from the bench in the second half.

“I though he gave us really good energy and threat,” he said. “I thought Freddie [Ladapo] did really well as well, to be fair, I thought it was a real battle between him and [Dan] Scarr and he gave us a good platform to play off.

“George came on with fresh legs and gave us another threat as well, so it was good to have him going out on the pitch and it gives us a really good player for the second half of the year.”

McKenna explained why fellow new signing Nathan Broadhead was left out of the 18 following his £1.5 million move from Everton early in the week.

“He’s got some tightness in his leg muscles,” he said. “He’s a really important investment for us. Of course, we an immediate impact from him and George [Hirst] and the other players that we’ve brought in, but he’s also a short, medium and long-term investment for the club, so we need to ensure that we protect him in the right way.

“He’s had a really bit week, travelled from North Wales a couple of times, new bed, all of those situations, so it’s not uncommon for him to have some tightness.

“We have to make sure that we manage him in the right way so we can build his robustness and get him on the pitch feeling really, really good because we know if we can do that then we’ve got a really good player on our hands, so we have to make sure that we do that with the right timing and not looking at it in too short-sighted a manner.”

Photo: TWTD

nevergoblue added 23:45 - Jan 14 I fully believe that we can be in the top two at the end of the season. We turned over Rotherham, who thrashed Blackburn. We have the best squad in League 1, but I appreciate that the best team may not win this league. Its about grinding out points not playing the best football. However, I think we started well, have had a dip, but will finish strongly if we learn a lesson or two. COYB.

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warfarinman69 added 00:37 - Jan 15 Well, I am disappointed! Not with McKenna, but with defenders not doing their job. Clean sheets are becoming too rare. Burgess made 2 silly mistakes within 20 seconds for their goal (excluding the deflection- no deflection and it was straight at Walton). He gave an impossible ball to Morsey and then allowed the man to run across him onto his (Burgess) weak side. I was taught not to do that in non-league! Allowing a left footed player to come inside - why? McKenna is, as always, right - we must do better, but to do better defensively do we need better players?

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Bazza8564 added 08:07 - Jan 15 Anybody saying this wasn't a fair result clearly pissed or wasn't at the game. Plymouth are a very good side. Yes i'm very disappointed not to have held on but talking about KM getting the sack OMG people are so fickle. How long did it take Klopp at Liverpool, Ferguson at Man U, Robson here? We can't sign premier league players yet, the cap means we have to work our way out if this league and we have 20 games to go. The majority of our home games are easier bay SW but we have some tough away games including Derby Barnsley and Bolton. It won't be easy but won our game in hand on PA it's 4 points, 4 points out of 60. Didn't expect Broadhead to play, signed Monday, he's moved himself down here and how many training sessions has he had? I heard this nonsense with David in August, now he's a star. Chaplins form dipped and now he's the top player in the division. Some people thing it's a right to be in the higher divisions, deluded!

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Billericay12 added 08:29 - Jan 15 Because we were 1-0 up a draw feels like a loss but we shouldn't be too disappointed with a draw against the top team in the division. It was a 50/50 game and we competed well, maybe even shaded it. The stats suggest this. I was excited yesterday before the game, loved the atmosphere and enjoyed the game until they equalised ! How many of us can say that about the previous 10 years or more pre McKenna ? The club is on the up and we are building for the future. Unfortunately we are not the only ambitious club in the division. Be positive, back the club, the team and believe in the dream.

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Len_Brennan added 08:32 - Jan 15 We are 7 points behind Plymouth with a game in hand, just like Derby are 7 points behind us with a game in hand, so the idea that this is still just a battle of any 2 from the top 3 should be viewed with that in mind. Bolton are not without a chance either at 7 points behind with the same amount of games played. We've dropped 15 points from our last 10 league games; meanwhile Sheffield Wed have dropped just 6 points & Derby Co have dropped 10, so the extended form table is not good for us. Plymouth themselves have dropped 13, but over the last 6 games they won 4 & only drew away to Bolton & ourselves, so appear back on track; the table reflects that. I'm saying all this to point out that thinking we are the best team in the league, have the best manager, the best keeper etc will not get us promoted & we can get carried away by feelgood factors, thus missing the bigger picture. For me it has always been essential that we finish in the top 2 & go up automatically, rather than be caught in the playoffs with perhaps Derby, Bolton & Wycombe or an improving Peterborough. Thinking we are the best team, & having pundits saying it, will not guarantee that we come through out of that lot. Think about how deflated you were at 5pm yesterday & multiple that by a thousand to realise how we all will feel in May if we are facing another season in League 1; then wonder how our owners & their shareholders will feel. Saying these things does not make me or others moaners or Norwich supporters (like so cal), it's just an honest assessment (opinion) of the situation we are in & the need for the manager to address a weakness that has been there all season. Wonder goals late on & inspired goalkeeping performances happen of course, but when they keep happening to you & keep costing you points, you have to step back & ask why, what could we be doing to prevent it. Again I would ask, was anyone surprised that the equaliser came, had you come to expect it? I was disappointed with the Broadhead situation, & even moreso with the reasons given (he sounds particularly fragile), but hopefully it was just a one off yesterday & he'll get a run of games now, as he is undoubtedly a serious threat at this level. Also I thought Hirst showed some real promise of what is to come. We will need both of them to fire if we are to go on a run now & prove that we are indeed the best team in the league, because Plymouth & Sheffield Wed are not going to just drop away.

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Essexnblue added 08:55 - Jan 15 I travelled back on the train with some Plymouth fans and the truth is they can see that we are a good team when our own supporters cannot. All of them voiced that we are the best team that we have played home and away this season and they are also convinced that they will fall away into the play offs. They have huge concerns about the quality and size of there squad which includes 6 loanees and just 21 players as financial constraints have stopped any more signings. Interesting that all of them were happy to see Whittaker go back to Swansea and called him a luxury player who played when he wanted. Personally, I think we should take the point, dust ourselves down and go and beat Oxford next week. COYB

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Fitts4 added 09:01 - Jan 15 We have need that striker all season …. I'm sorry to say that ladepo looks like he's running with a trailer ! Hurst come on looked good put himself about which I liked !! Plus how can we never see a game out ! Once that board comes out we panic and we really don't know what to do. We seem to go into we can't defend mode. I think wolfie and Burgess have been brilliant this year ! But I think we need to concentrate and see games out ! We should be top absolutey romping this league !

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ChrisFelix added 09:30 - Jan 15 I think that Hirst would have put away at least one of the chances Ladapo missed. When he came on he looked a different class if not a little isolated. Not many I never feel we can see a game out but if you play in your own half there is always a chance of a goal being conceded For Town to make up lost ground we have simply got to improve, including a first ever league win at Oxford

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Nomore4 added 10:35 - Jan 15 Simple fact is if promotion isn't achieved this season then KMcK will be sacked. The owners will not accept 3 seasons in Div 3 under new ownership and huge investment. They have a time frame. We are running out of time.
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Nomore4 added 10:41 - Jan 15 We have to play Oxford, Morcambe and Cambridge next. Before each game KMcK will tell us what a very good team the opposition are. Do Plymouth and Wed fans get this flannel also???
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Cheshire_Blue added 12:02 - Jan 15 Late goals have cost us a few points and we need to learn how to see games out. We need to learn the 'dark arts' we so often come up against. Lay on the ground claiming injury, waste time at throw ins, goal kicks, free kicks etc. We are too keen to get the ball back in play when sitting on a slender lead. Not good to watch but effective in the 93rd minute!
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SickParrot added 14:59 - Jan 15 McKenna is no fool, so he must surely be aware that our results since October make us a mid table team. We have been unlucky with injuries but we have also had three major flaws throughout his tenure. 1. We don't convert our normal domination of the ball into enough really good scoring opportunities. 2. We don't take enough of the good opportunities we do create. 3. All our central defenders are error prone. We may play really good football and receive many plaudits but nobody is scared of playing us. That's because they have all worked out how to play against us. We're too predictable and too fragile at present. The signing of Hirst gives us the opportunity to be more direct in our approach when our preferred possession game is stifled and I am confident that (fitness permitting) Broadhead will improve our efficiency in the final third. However, it would appear that we still need a more creative midfield player, and another commanding centre back to talk the the other defenders through the game, if we're to turn all these draws into wins. Calls for McKenna's head whilst we're still third in the league are rediculous but if he doesn't address our obvious issues by the start of next season the owners may begin to lose confidence in him.

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hyperbrit added 15:01 - Jan 15 "Town have conceded late levellers in a number of games this season and have dropped 15 points from winning positions."......his own words say it all!!
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OldFart71 added 16:35 - Jan 15 The proof of a good manager is not when everything in the garden is rosy. It's when situations arise that means the team are not performing as it should be. But then the current average spell we are going through has been for a few weeks now. As for McKenna we must realise it is his first managerial position and whilst he is very fortunate to have the Gamechanger millions behind him it still requires that the money is spent in a way that improves the team. I just hope that his decisions aren't falling between two stools as in that he wants a team that presses forward and scores goals, but then he wants it to defend. The art I feel is one that can do both, which we currently aren't capable of and a solution needs to be sorted as to why.

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Cakeman added 16:49 - Jan 15 Irrespective of the result I find it staggering that after many months our new regime has not sorted out many basic on-field problems. Our numerous off-field sports scientists, analysts, fitness coaches plus numerous others have been employed but still we buy players who are not fit, concede similar type goals in latter stages and have a lack of understanding on how to close a game out. We score a lot of goals although for the amount of possession we have our scoring ratio is not great yet we also ship a lot of water. I am yet to be convinced all is right for us to really progress. I do not apportion criticism to the likes of Mark Ashton who from what I see works extremely hard to bring in the players that he has been asked to bring in. Our manager has done well but I feel he is only happy recruiting the younger players who just maybe is the age group he is comfortable with dealing with. I have a long standing view that we shall not get out of this division unless we have a few more experienced heads in there. Only time will tell but I'm sure our owners will not just let this club drift along unless we are promoted soon. Unpopular as it may sound we could easily see a new management set up if things don't work out by this Summer

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 16:57 - Jan 15 SoCalledTownFan, does what it says on the tin
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hyperbrit added 12:31 - Jan 16 Pension funds require a reasonably prompt return on their investment or risk becoming insolvent. Cook had no idea how to manage the players that he brought in and it is beginning to look like McKenna has similar problems. Missing goals at one end and leaking them at the other is not a recipe for promotion as has been pointed out,but sadly the problem with not being able to close down a game has now reached the "voodoo" stage (like England and penalty shootouts) and the players now have to deal with the fans "here we go again"energy which ,in spite of the best intentions, is unavoidable now.Both Ladapo and Walton are crumbling under the pressure of a tight race of there own making.Walton's confidence has never recovered from the debacle at Charlton and Ladapo's missing sitters is still a constant problem. Help is badly needed at both ends and may be solved initially by the new strikers,but a change in goal must also be added to the mix ASAP.

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