Paul Lambert admits Ipswich were not good enough in draw with Northampton

Ipswich boss Paul Lambert admitted his team were “not good enough” to beat relegation-threatened Northampton but insisted the blame must be shared around.

Northampton had lost eight of their previous 12 games and failed to score in nine of them but dominated to the extent that James Norwood, a 71st-minute substitute, forced visiting keeper Jonathan Mitchell into his first save of a goalless draw.

Ipswich also had Flynn Downes sent off in stoppage time and Lambert said: “It was not good enough and it’s not been good enough for a number of weeks now.

“I’m not going to stand here and be the only one to blame. There are a few others there. I made that mistake in the past and I’ll never do it again.

“Collectively we’re having a hard time and tonight was not good enough.

“I could not criticise them and they are young and they will come through things. It’s a learning curve for them and they have to deal with the pressure but they’ll come through it.

“We have so many games and we are trying to do the balance but we never really tested their goalkeeper and I thought we should have had a penalty.

“You only make excuses when you don’t win or don’t get a result but it was not great.

“We are four points off the top six and it’s all well within the club’s possibilities to do it.

“We try our best and are we frustrated yes, and angry.”

Northampton remain in the relegation zone on goal difference but caretaker manager Jon Brady said his side should have beaten lacklustre Ipswich.

Ipswich keeper Tomas Holy was the busiest player on the pitch in the first half, making save after save from Sam Hoskins, Mark Marshall and Jack Sowerby, while Peter Kioso hit the post and Marshall pulled another shot wide.

Brady said: “I’m disappointed we didn’t get all three points.

“We had six shots on target in the first half to their none and we’re the away team.

“We played Jack (Sowerby) in the 10 role tonight and everything fell on his left foot. He got into some great positions and wanted to get it onto his right.

“At this level, if you take too many touches in the box, people get behind the ball.

“But this is a group of intelligent boys who will work hard for each other. We need to be a bit more decisive and clinical in the final third but it will come.

“Sometimes in professional sport you convince yourself it can’t get any worse and so the only way is forward.”