Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted it was a disappointing night as the Blues were defeated 1-0 by Colchester United in the Carabao Cup, believing the game was changed by the error which led to the U’s goal.

Luke Hannant’s first ever goal for the Essex side won the tie with the Blues having created plenty of chances in the first half before labouring in the second as the U’s defended resolutely to hang on to their lead.

“It’s obviously a very disappointing night,” McKenna said. “I thought the performance in the first 30 minutes was really good, I felt we settled into the game really good for the number of changes that we made.

“I thought everyone got their flow very quickly and created more than enough chances in the first 30 minutes to have a lead.

“Obviously the complexion of the game changed on one moment and after that it made it a very difficult night. It gave Colchester something to hang on to, enabled to defend their box really deep for the rest of the game and they did that really well, and credit to them for that.

“We didn’t do enough to get the goal back. I thought we tried, I thought the effort levels were really good. We tried everything but we weren’t able to get the goal back.

“So all in all it makes for a really disappointing night, but it’s very early in the season, we have big games ahead, we have other priorities, there’s no doubt about that and it’s about moving on very quickly now towards that.”

Asked whether he was more disappointed by the goal which was conceded, Rekeem Harper passing the ball into his own penalty area too close to Hannant, or the failure to take opportunities at the other end.

“I think we have to take both on the chin,” McKenna reflected. “We should have been ahead, we had chances right through the course of the game but the longer you keep the game at 0-0 it builds more and more pressure on them, but when you given them such a cheap goal, it gives them something to hang on to and changes the mentality of the game.

“It puts more pressure on ourselves and gives them the encouragement to keep throwing their bodies on the line.

“I think we have to accept the responsibility with both and there are some tough lessons in there.

“But it’s early in the season, it was a very changed side, it was a young side, young players are going to make mistakes, we accept that and we stick together as a group and we move on.”

Quizzed on whether there were pluses to be taken from youngster Cameron Humphreys getting into good positions in the area on a number of occasions, although without taking those opportunities, McKenna said: “I don’t think it’s the night to talk about the positives, to be honest, because it’s a disappointing night.

“But I thought that the way that we settled into the game, the way that everyone knew their jobs, how close the identity was what we’re seeing with the players who were playing last Saturday, I thought was really, really clear and I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of how we did in the first 30 minutes.

“Again, the complexion of the game was changed in one moment and that’s a lesson for us, both in terms of our concentration in those moments but also how we respond to that and that wasn’t easy tonight, but we can certainly do better.”

The Northern Irishman added: “We would have liked to progress in the cup, but we have lots of games, I’m no worried about the games, we have lots of lots of games in August.

“There are going to be minutes there for everyone in the squad, it’s going to be important over the course of the season and I’m sure people are going to have minutes and be able to play their part and be needed to play their part when the time comes.

“It would have been nice to go through, certainly for the supporters, it would have been nice to go through and maybe get a couple of good ties but the reality is that it’s not our priority at the moment, we have other big priorities this season and that’s clear from the outset.

“It’s a disappointing night but we need to swallow that disappointment quickly as a group and move on to big games on Saturday on Tuesday.”

Photo: TWTD

AlanG296 added 14:57 - Aug 10 Some say we're playing the best football they've seen at Town. It's not Strictly Come Footballing with a jury holding up cards to adjudicate the game on who played the "best" football. Football is measured by goals and goals alone, and the sooner McKenna wakes up to it and stops trying to play man u football with third division players the better.
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Trojan added 15:55 - Aug 10 I remain convinced it will happen, and I am sure we will have more chance by playing good tactical football patterns along with maintaining good fitness levels. I also believe the goals will come from a greater number of individuals and I would not be surprised to see Morsy and Chaplin weigh in with 20 goals between them. I sincerely hope we knock MK Dons and Burton Albion for a few and with another 6 points on the board come Tuesday night, the premature doubters will be back in their boxes.

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ChestnutSe added 19:31 - Aug 10 Bumped into a Norwich City season ticket holder at Ipswich station after this game. He told me the ticket prices at Norwich for their Caraboa Cup game with Birmingham was £10 for adult, £5 for Senior and £1 for a child. He said there were loads of children at Carrow Rd. I noticed their attendance was about 19,000 vs our 11,000. We probably got about the same amount of ticket revenue but they will have made more at the food kiosks, shirt sales etc AND have got thousands of kids down to Carrow Rd for the first time. Fans for the future. I think we missed a trick with our pricing for this nothing cup game. Hope the club think about this different approach when the next pointless cup game comes along. As regards the game was really impressed with 18 yr old Humphrey's ability to get into the box Johnny Wark style, just needs the finish but hopefully that will come. Shame about the gifted goal but just one of those things, sadly we all make mistakes. Onwards and upwards. Also really pleased that Chambers and Skusey got applauded by their old fans

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SickParrot added 20:07 - Aug 10 I think KM made his first big mistake last night. He should have been aware that we have suffered a succession of embarrassing cup defeats in recent years and that making 10 changes was far too risky in those circumstances. He should have picked a much stronger team to give the fans a better chance of seeing a rare cup win but also to give most of his current first choice players another opportunity to gel together as a cohesive unit. However what is more worrying are the issues that have hindered us in all 3 games this season. The inability to convert all our possession into many very good scoring opportunities, our failure to convert most of the good chances that we do create, the inability to sustain KM's high tempo game for more than about 20 minutes and gifting our opponents a goal. I'm sure that KM is working on these issues but they must be corrected soon if we are to be promotion contenders. A win and a clean sheet on Saturday would be most reassuring.

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oldtimer3 added 07:26 - Aug 11 Yes the football I have watched Town play is much better. But I have only watched the first team not our almost full reserve team! Can't get my head around that! Professional club not playing at least 7 first teamers. Should allow fans to come and see the game free of charge or play the match behind closed doors. Ipswich Town please respect your loyal fans.
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hyperbrit added 14:26 - Aug 11 so now we're only conceding one stupid goal per match..a 100% improvement over last year? I'm getting really tired of these excuses but at least we don't have to play Liverpool who could probably beat us with their ground staff at Anfield.
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blueboy1981 added 00:10 - Aug 12 I have yet to see any indication that we are going to improve on last season - I am still not sure about McK and his Managerial experience may well be beginning to show. Coming in from Man Utd I think has clouded a few people's vision - it means NOTHING at Division 3 level and may well prove so. The Owners will expect progress on the Pitch and in Results this season, and so should we expect that. The pressure is on McKenna now, more so after such a feeble acceptance of defeat against Colchester. Post Match comments proved Naivety for sure - in saying what he has. Big Game on Saturday - no Win and the tide of euphoria will begin to turn.

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hyperbrit added 14:10 - Aug 12 Clearly based on results Town have lost their fabled winning mentality.Bit by bit year by year under Evans shameless misguidance the ITFC of old has become a distant memory Much the same has happened to Norwich ,which despite millions of parachute payment, bounces up and between the Premiership and Championship as though on a bungy cord. This is a job for a master sports psychologist if ever there was one and McK does not seem to recognize it as yet as he too fell under the spell of a Man. U without Sir Alex, It would not surprise me if quality strikers will be looking cautiously at Town now as something of a poison chalice. The solution begins with all of us admitting to how far the club has fallen from it's glory days and stop making lame excuses.

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