Kieran McKenna proud as Ipswich respond to double penalty setback

Posted Sunday, October 02, 2022 by PA

Kieran McKenna was proud of Ipswich’s effort to beat Portsmouth 3-2 after they twice took the lead only to be pegged back by penalties.

Wes Burns’ winning goal came a minute later after Colby Bishop’s second equaliser and McKenna hailed what he felt was a deserved Sky Bet League One win.

He said: “It was a really good game and I’m proud of the performance and proud of the players and staff around the team.

“We thoroughly deserved the three points, complete domination of the first half and it was good to get the win, a good three points.

“I was really pleased how we responded, we spoke a lot about it over the last couple of weeks about game management and about our resilience in difficult moments and I thought we did that really very well today.

“I thought we managed after 3-2 very, very well and I was proud of our response to the goals.

“Of course you’re going to have setbacks but that happens, and to have two penalties against us is quite bizarre, but that’s when you have to dig deep in your performance and your spirit and we managed to do that.”

The victory in a pulsating clash came after a first-half goal by former Pompey striker Marcus Harness was cancelled out by Bishop.

Ipswich substitute Freddie Ladapo scored within a minute of his introduction and though Bishop levelled again, Burns headed home a minute later to earn the Suffolk side the win.

Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley said: “The overriding emotion is disappointment. We come away scoring two goals and you hope to come away with something.

“I thought it was a very competitive game. I felt both sets of supporters, for 30,000 people to be here for a tier three game, this doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world so I think it’s a great advert for English football and the football pyramid.

“We are disappointed of course. I felt at 1-1 in the second half we had good control and we were in a good place and their second goal comes from nowhere.

“It’s 2-1 and you are suffering but we have a never-say-die attitude and we find the equaliser and then we feel like we have the momentum. The third goal, we got the block and it goes over Josh Griffiths’ head and goes in the goal and we have to feel the pain tonight.”