Luongo: Inevitable We Were Going to Concede at Some Point Tuesday, 11th Apr 2023 06:00 by Kallum Brisset Massimo Luongo says it was inevitable Ipswich Town would concede at some point after their clean sheet run ended with a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham Town. Alfie May’s equaliser six minutes from time ended a run of 949 minutes without conceding and brought to a close the Blues’ eight-game winning run as Town dropped a place to third in the League One table. Conor Chaplin’s 22nd goal of the season looked to have set the Blues on their way to a ninth straight win and tenth straight clean sheet before May ended both streaks. On the end of both runs, Luongo said: “I’ll be honest, as soon as it went in, I did think of that. I thought ‘ah, there it goes but hey ho’. “That’s football and you concede. We knew we were going to concede at one point, it’s inevitable. “I think the bubble burst a little bit, but by the time we got in and the manager spoke, everyone focuses on Saturday. It shows big characters to go and do what we've just done, and I think we've got that in this dressing room. “We’re still there and I still think it builds momentum. We’re still scoring and I think we're still looking solid defending our box. So great things to take into the next game and we've done that in the past seven or eight games and we'll keep doing that. “It's just one of them games, it's a tough place to come. We knew that this game was probably the hardest game so far and if we can rise above the obstacles - the pitch, the wind and the arena - then I think we could push to another level. We missed an opportunity but we can keep going.” Weather conditions certainly played their part, with gusty winds blowing around Whaddon Road making it difficult for both sides to read the flight of aerial balls. “It was just odd,” Luongo said on the conditions. “We went into half-time almost like ‘okay, that’s the game plan’. We knew that was their game plan. They turned us around, looked to go with the wind and try and nick a goal. “We executed the first-half plan not to concede and get the wind in the second half. If we can go in with a goal, that would be brilliant, but we didn't so we went in thinking ‘alright, let's go second half, we've got the momentum, we've got the wind, we'll have the ball a lot and we could punish them’. “Then you make it easy, we got the goal and I thought that levelled it out and it did open the game up and we could have got a few more. But we didn't take our chances and a little mistake at the back and that's football.”  Luongo has started the last seven matches and has established himself as the midfield partner for captain Sam Morsy and says he has been enjoying his run in the side. “Yeah, it’s tough,” he said on the intensity of the schedule. “Especially as I’ve not played a lot this season and then I've come into it and it’s been gung-ho as soon as I set foot on the pitch. “It’s one of them where you lose a game or you draw like today, you can put it right in four or five days. I think that's the beauty of this league. “But in turn, when you're winning, you can keep the momentum going and before you know it, we were [winning] eight games and [it feels like] it’s only been two weeks. “It’s good, I think you can build momentum but, in turn, you also have the chance to put things right.” The 30-year-old added: “Putting the performance in and going back to what we’re good at, running and working hard. Then the football comes and then once we get all that right, and if we got big and good characters, we'll do that. “You'll see what we've been doing for the past however long and we'll play good stuff and create opportunities and. Mentally you’ve got to get this aside and you’ve got to apply yourself in the same way that we have done in the past.” The midfielder also highlighted the importance of experienced players helping the younger members of the squad keep on top of the mentality installed by the coaching staff. The January arrival said: “I think that definitely helps. Me knowing that I've spoken to someone or I'm pulling them through the game gives me a bit of comfort as well, so I do it for myself. We’ve got plenty of them in that dressing room. “In training, it hasn't and it won't, but if it ever boils up or people seem a bit tense, we've got the manager who is really good on that and really quick to identify and he’ll kick it out straightaway.” When put to him that Monday’s result was the first time Town had failed to win with him in the starting XI since he rejoined the club, Luongo said: “It is what it is, I’ve just been doing my job. I've enjoyed it, it’s so hard to come into a team that have been doing well all season and, from the manager’s point of view, you’ve got to drop someone who hasn’t done anything wrong. “But this is what successful teams are, they have big squads and I just had to wait for my opportunity. “Unfortunately, Evo [Lee Evans] got injured and I got the opportunity but that’s the way it goes. If he didn’t get injured, he’d probably still be in the same position and I may never have played, which is fine as long as we’re winning or we’re doing well.” Luongo was keen to stress the squad are not looking any further ahead than Saturday’s game with Charlton Athletic at Portman Road, but did acknowledge the promotion race is an exciting prospect for supporters to enjoy. The former Australian international said: “I'm not looking that far, I just want to win the next game. The more you look, the more it stresses you out. You’re trying to figure out ‘we’ve got one game, they’ve got one’. “I'm not doing that, I'm just looking at one game at a time. I'm just looking to get to Wednesday when we go to training. I’ll just have a day off, not think about football and get to Wednesday, then I'll get to Thursday, Friday, then play the game. “It’s exciting, isn't it, for the neutral. This is why you play football, isn't it? I'd rather be in our position than mid-table and the season’s pretty much done and you’re just going through the motions. “It's a big opportunity, I think we've got enough characters in there to be there or thereabouts.” Luongo’s former side Sheffield Wednesday are two points clear of the Blues, who hold a game in hand on the Owls, with Luongo still in contact with much of the Wednesday squad and whether there had been any banter regarding the run-in. He said: “I see it on Instagram a lot, but I just let them do their thing. I don’t want to interrupt people so I just keep it to myself and just watch them from afar. I have to keep quiet, I’m always the quiet one on the side and I’ll just observe and see what happens.”
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