Town manager Joe Royle felt his side had played better and lost matches but was happy with the 3-0 win on a tricky Portman Road surface against Preston North End.

Royle said: "We have played better and lost - but the result was everything.

"The pitch was a bit sticky, but we kept trying to play football. There was one skirmish in our six-yard box - but otherwise we were relatively unchallenged.

"It was good time to play Preston when they had five players suspended and others injured."

Royle felt that his 66th minute introduction of Darren Bent would have been viewed as bad news by the visitors: "It must have been Preston's worst nightmare when I was able to bring on someone as quick as him from off the bench when they were getting tired.

"Darren took his two goals well from chances that were harder than the ones he missed at Burnley the previous week. The boy is being rewarded for hours on the training ground even after you tell him to go home."

Bent and Darren Ambrose, who Royle has taken to referring to as 'The Twins', often have to be dragged away from the training ground. The pair combined well for the second and third Town goals.

Ambrose had replaced Jim Magilton who Royle again felt had an excellent game in the centre of midfield: "He is very influential for us. He has not trained much because of a calf strain and had to pass a fitness test. I took him off so he could do no further damage on a heavy pitch.

"Craig Brown matched our system - but to have so many players unavailable is hard for anyone."

Brown himself conceded his side were beaten by the better team on the day, although he thought 3-0 was a bit rough on his lads: "The result flattered Ipswich, but they probably shaded the match.

"All credit to them, but they played us at the right time and got the breaks.

"Our confidence is not low. Players know when they're playing reasonably well and not getting the luck. We are going to come through this bad spell.

"If we had enjoyed reasonable luck early in the season we could have afforded a run like this. In at least five matches early on we were criminally treated.

"We have a young group of players, and when they come through this they will be all the better for it. We have a lot of quality in the club and know we can do a great deal better."

Brown was unhappy at the freekick which led to the Blues going ahead: "The freekick decision for Ipswich's opening goal disappointed me because I thought the challenge by Eric Skora on Pablo Couñago was 50-50.

"It looked a poor goal from our point of view because no one should have the chance of a clear header.

"It was disappointing to concede two goals from set-pieces."

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