Kieran McKenna thrilled with Ipswich’s come-from-behind win over Bristol City

Posted Wednesday, March 06, 2024 by PA

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was thrilled with his side’s come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Bristol City which kept the Tractor Boys in second place in the Championship.

He said it was a “difficult game” against a “well-organised” team, with the second half opening up with the substitutes making a massive difference.

Meanwhile, Bristol City’s head coach Liam Manning was disappointed not to come away with a point, saying that the goals they conceded were “soft” and when you “switch off you get punished”.

An 89th-minute goal from Leif Davis ensured Ipswich retained second place and kept pace with league leaders Leicester.

All five goals came in a frantic second half, with the Robins taking the lead through Anis Mehmeti only for substitute Ali Al-Hamadi to equalise.

Tommy Conway put City back in front but Conor Chaplin drew the teams level with a header from a free-kick before Davis sealed the three points for Town with his first goal of the season.

Al-Hamadi had a penalty saved by City’s goalkeeper Max O’Leary but he was unable to stop Ipswich posting their sixth victory on the trot.

McKenna said: “It was a brilliant way to win a football match. A night and an end to a match and an atmosphere we have to enjoy and some quality that was shown in the second half that we have to be very, very proud of.

“Another really good night for the football club.

“It was a difficult game, we knew that it was going to be.

“They (City) are very good at blocking off areas you want to get to, they are athletic, disciplined and well-organised and they are a hard team to play against and they carry a threat on the counter and they showed that tonight and against other teams in the division and shown that against a couple of Premier League teams in the FA Cup.

“It was a difficult game.”

Manning said his immediate reaction was that his side had to “come away with something”.

He said: “I thought the game plan worked in terms of frustrating them and controlling space where we wanted for 90 per cent of the game.

“We did a terrific job to go ahead and then what you get is key bits of momentum in the game, we had a couple of half-chances. If you go two (in front) it changes the emotional state of the lads and obviously they make the four changes and it shifts back and that cost us in the end.

“We get emotional and we get caught up in the game a little bit and we end up switching off and not doing what we need to do and when you’re playing against a strong side like them with their attacking threats you switch off and you get punished.”

He added that there were so many positives for him from the game but to “come away with nothing is a frustrating thing”.