Dara O’Shea believes Ipswich Town’s style of play will bring them the results they are striving for – but admits the number of mistakes they are making has to be reduced.

The Republic of Ireland international defender’s comments came in the wake of a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Everton where they gifted the Toffees both of their first-half goals before being unable to undo the damage in front of another packed-out Portman Road.

It left the Suffolk side facing up to now going eight games into the Premier League season without a win, although their four draws have kept Kieran McKenna’s newly-promoted outfit outside of the relegation zone for now.

O’Shea, who joined Town for a reported £12 million transfer fee from relegated Burnley, felt it could have been a different story against the Merseyside outfit if either Jack Clarke’s early chance had been converted or the penalty that was initially given ahead of the half-hour mark on the same player had not been overturned.

“Obviously the scoreline has not been left how we'd want it to be,” he said of what was a fourth defeat of the campaign and a second from four played on Suffolk soil.

“If we score a chance early on or we get that penalty decision, it's a different game.

“Going behind against these, they're going to sit back and make it difficult and that's the way the game went.”

Town ended the game with 55 per cent of the possession and two more shots than Everton’s 11, though the quality of those was significantly different with the Toffees’ eight on target far outweighing the Blues’ two, the first of which did not arrive until the final 10 minutes.

O’Shea said: “We created a few chances, we'd like to create more against a side like this, but it wasn't to be today.”

Sean Dyche’s sides are known for their direct style and both their goals came from balls into the box which Town failed to properly deal with, which disappointed O’Shea.

He acknowledged: “Yes, we knew that was going to happen with them. We've done our work on them and that's obviously what they're good at; getting balls into the box is one of their main attributes as a team.

“Obviously we need to defend them well, we need to keep the balls out and just clear our box at times.

“I think we're getting the first contact and we're winning it. We just need to clear it then and get it up the pitch so they can't score.

“But on the opposite side, we created a few chances from set pieces as well.”

The game was a real contrast to the high octane displays the home crowd had witnessed in the previous games, against Liverpool, Fulham and Aston Villa.

Quizzed about why there was such a noticeable difference this time around, O’Shea said: “Obviously it's what we'd like to do every game, have that energetic performance, take it to them. Sometimes it doesn't happen for whatever reason.

“We've got to have a look back on that ourselves. Did we play the way we wanted to play? All in all, probably not.

“There were areas we could definitely improve on, but yes, we need to obviously create that atmosphere here at home and push it and bring it to the teams.”

With the winless start continuing after eight games have now elapsed, the former Burnley defender was asked if it was still the team and manager’s mantra of focusing on the performance that will ultimately see them get what they need from games.

He replied: “I think as a performance and as we're playing, we're playing the way we want to play. We're just maybe making mistakes when it comes to the goals and that's where we're getting punished.

“I think we've still got to keep doing what we're doing on the ball; still trying to play that style of football because it's working, that's definitely not the case as to why we're losing. We're conceding poor goals at times and obviously that's the case.”

It was the first time Town fans will have seen O’Shea in a right-back role for their side as he shifted across to replace Ben Johnson who himself had come in for the West Ham game in Axel Tuanzebe’s injury (thumb) absence.

And while it is a role he said he is comfortable playing, he admitted it is not where he sees himself operating on a regular basis.

“I obviously played there twice for Ireland in the international break and then I started my career at West Brom at right-back, break in there,” he said. “I'm comfortable with the position; I know how to play it.

“Obviously, centre-back is my preferred position and that's where I see myself as in the future but I'm happy to play anywhere for the team, especially with a few injuries and stuff I've got to step up and I need to do as best as I can in that position.”

A trip to Brentford follows next after a full week on the training pitch with O’Shea admitting it will be another tough challenge but one they will hopefully be able to rise to.

“We'll go again Monday,” he said, “we'll look back at this game and then we'll put that game to bed and then we'll start focusing on Brentford.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good week training and then on the road down to London for that game.

“It's going to be a tough game. Obviously, they've done well. I know they didn't win today, but they've been playing really well as of late. I'm looking forward to that.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Woolfenthen added 20:44 - Oct 19 Is it a coincidence Burnley were the same??
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cressi added 20:51 - Oct 19 We buy 2 players from Burnley great are they any better than what was here for 30 million I'm not sure.
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Linkboy13 added 20:55 - Oct 19 Rick O'shea is showing the sort of form that got Burnley relegated.
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Bluecasp added 21:25 - Oct 19 Don't rate him at all. That mistake in the second half where he sliced his clearence was awful and I can't see any qualities that make him premier league quality so far. Not surprised Burnley went down so easily last season.
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churchmans added 21:25 - Oct 19 Is o'shea better than what we already got? I don't think he is better or worse than burgess or wolfendun! And I can't disagree with the comments before mine! If we keep collapsing at the back like this we are going straight down to the championship! I so don't want to be in that leauge for so long again
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ITFCSG added 21:50 - Oct 19 Talking c0ck, he's one of the problems as well. ITFC's style of play doesn't need to wait until the 80th minute to have a shot on target at home. Our very own Harry Clarke came on and showed him how to play at RB. Burnley must be laughing all the way to the bank when they offloaded him and Muric to us. £12 million quid you're having a laugh.
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del45 added 00:16 - Oct 20 Same old story from some players when we lose but never correct it after 8 games. Very poor today all round midfield not in the game.
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Suffolkboy added 09:04 - Oct 20 Doom mongers reign again , it seems . Is there any objective focus on the good ? COYB
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tractorboybig added 09:06 - Oct 20 We are poor and other than delay we dont look like a goal in us
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SpiritOfJohn added 10:04 - Oct 20 Burns fluffed his clearance but O'Shea should have headed the ball behind for a corner. Basic defending. Instead he headed back into the danger area. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
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jonnysuave added 11:11 - Oct 20 We are where we are at. The players we bought in aren't going to go away so knee jerk negativity will do absolutely nothing to help turn the issues around. The clues to having a more solid performance are around. We are going to miss two of our better players without a doubt but Taylor adding some pace and being hungry could help protect the defenders we have a little better. Hutchinson is not at his best behind Delap but showed potential when moved to the right where he had the chance to have a little more space. Try Szmodics behind Delap so there's another goal threat. My point being Keiran can only get the best out of what he has got, destroying players on here and elsewhere is as counter productive as it gets. Anyone else getting a realy annoying ad for a mixing bowl come up constantly?

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algarvefan added 09:27 - Oct 21 We have come a long way in the past couple of years, that's a fact and we have done it playing exciting and attacking football, the we're going to score one more than you mentality. Now we have hit reality road. I watched Liverpool v Chelsea yesterday and saw the gulf in quality between their players and ours. In my opinion we will only save ourselves by hard work as a team on the pitch, we might start by playing the team that finished the game Saturday, more of the players who got us to the promised land. Clarke H, Chaplin, Taylor made a difference when they came on and I'd give Broadhead a game, a player with silky PL skills. Knocking individuals or the team will help nobody, in particular knocking the boss won't help. It's still early days and I believe we can and will turn this around.

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Linkboy13 added 15:15 - Oct 21 Im afraid our recruitment has been very poor as proved against mediocre Premier league teams West ham and Everton. Delap has been one of the positives a step up on Hirst who is a decent championship player but not a massive goal scorer. Smzodic's apart from scoring against Manchester city has looked out of his depth like most of our signings championship level. If we don't improve on Saturday's poor showing we are going to suffer some very heavy defeats. Im sorry happy clappers but if we don't get some better quality players in along with Southampton we are probably doomed.

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