Kieran McKenna frustrated with way Ipswich saw out first win in four

Posted Sunday, November 12, 2023 by PA

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had mixed reactions to his team’s 3-2 victory over Swansea which took them level on points with Championship leaders Leicester.

Town, who came into the game on a three-match winless run in all competitions, fell behind to Jay Fulton’s seventh-minute header.

Jack Taylor, Conor Chaplin and George Hirst all scored to put Ipswich in command, but Swansea pulled one back through Jamal Lowe despite having Liam Cullen sent off.

And McKenna was annoyed by how his side ended the game.

“It shouldn’t have been 3-2,” the Ipswich boss said.

“There’s bits of frustration in there but there’s lots of good things about the game and the way that we played, the way that we overcame adversity and played some really good football and could have had any number of goals really.

“We should have been out of sight and I didn’t really like how we played the last 15 minutes against the 10 men.

“I didn’t like our concentration level. I didn’t like our humility.

“We dropped our concentration levels. It’s not just the frustration in the staff room it’s frustration in the dressing room that we didn’t maintain our standards for the last 15 minutes of that game.

“Sometimes something goes against you. There’s a lesson in there, but on the other hand massive credit to the group, massive credit to the response, massive credit to how we played throughout the first half, the way we came out in the second half, the way we chased down and built pressure for the third goal. There was some outstanding things in there.”

Swansea boss Michael Duff was frustrated his side travelled home with nothing to show for their efforts.

Duffy said: “We’ve been beaten by a 35-yard screamer, conceded from a throw in, conceded a penalty from a corner and a man sent off from a throw in. Three set plays ultimately.

“We kept the ball really well, started the game on the front foot, shot ourselves in the foot in a mad 15 minutes, got back in it and then we went down to 10 men.

“I thought we were excellent. I think that there’s 30,000 people biting their nails when nine minutes goes up (for added time). We’ve got 10 men and they’re time wasting tells you everything.

“I’m really pleased with the character and some of the quality but ultimately frustrated that we have come away with nothing.”