Town manager Joe Royle conceded that his side had been lucky to have gained a point from their 1-1 draw against Preston at Deepdale. North End boss Billy Davies felt his side had been robbed.

Royle said: "We have nicked a point - there is no doubt about it - and I'm delighted really to take seven points from three games where we have been no way near to our best.

"They were excellent, they swarmed all over us and they didn't let us settle. Their front two [David Nugent and Richard Cresswell] gave us all kinds of problems.

"We just weren't there. I don't know why, but we do have these performances every now and again, but I won't criticise them. We have lost five in about 35, so they are not playing that badly."

Davies was pleased with his side's display and felt it worthy of more than a draw: "We were robbed - there is no doubt about it. We were robbed of the three points and performance-wise, we were excellent.

"I thought we were definitely denied a stonewall penalty and I could not ask any more from the players. I said to them at the end of the game that, although we were all disappointed, these things happen.

"We were up against an excellent team tonight - a side that is going to the Premiership, in my opinion - and we made them look very ordinary at times. We deserved three points and showed that we are capable of mixing it with the best and they are the best, there's no doubt about it."

Davies was interested to see a replay of the incident in which Ian Westlake clasked with keeper Gavin Ward: "Gavin has a very bad facial injury and is in a bad way. I'd like to see the television replay, but I thought it looked like a late challenge. It was disappointing but that's football and we just have to get on with it."

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls