Skipper Sam Morsy admitted that the players feel they’ve let the fans down after the Blues’ shock FA Cup defeat to sixth-tier Maidstone United at Portman Road.

Town were beaten 2-1 after third-round hero Sam Corne slotted the ball home with composure in the second half, to send the Vanarama National League South outfit through to the last 16 of the competition for the first time.

The visitors from Kent had sent their 4,472 travelling fans into raptures in the first half as Lamar Reynolds gave George Elokobi’s side the lead with an audacious dink over Christian Walton.

The Blues came out with intent in the second 45 and equalised with a well-taken finish from Jeremy Sarmiento, who netted his second goal of the week.

But soon after, the Stones broke and found the winner in the 66th minute and as much as they pushed, the Blues could not find a leveller to spoil Maidstone’s party.

“I don’t think you can ever be angry because we had 98 minutes to give everything. It’s more that you feel deflated after and you feel disappointed. You feel like you’ve let the fans down and there’s just a real disappointment, to be honest,” said Morsy.

“It’s definitely not the result we wanted today. I think on the game, we got a lot of things right, we had a lot of shots, the keeper’s made some great saves, we’ve hit the woodwork a couple of times and there were lots of good things to like about us today.

“Unfortunately, on the breaks we didn’t manage it quite good enough. I don’t remember them breaking too many times but it seemed like they scored two goals from it. That’s something we have to get better with.

“If you have 38 shots, the woodwork hit a couple of times and if you can only score one goal from it, then you probably put the game in the balance, and that’s what we did. We should have scored more today.

“I think we had five or six really clear-cut chances which we should have done better with. But, fair play to the keeper, he’s made some brilliant saves. It’s bitterly disappointing, it’s a great day for them but it hurts, we have to bounce back and be better.”

While he admitted the fans might not like to hear it, Morsy admitted that there were positives to take from the defeat and was proud of his side’s application throughout the contest.

“It’s a disaster of a day but you can never question the desire and the application of the players, which for me is the biggest positive. I’d rather lose how we lost today than lose not fancying the game,” he said.

“We haven’t had many bad moments here and the losses teach you so much more than the wins will ever teach you. So, we have to bounce back, we have to be better individually and collectively.

“We have to look at why we couldn’t score and maybe you look back and just go ‘it was a freak game’ because we had enough chances to score six or seven goals.

“The day belongs to them, it’s an incredible achievement for them. I’ve been on the other side where you’ve knocked out Premier League teams and it’s an amazing feeling. They’ll always remember it so fair play to them.”

Town will have to put the shock result behind them ahead of their return to Sky Bet Championship action when they travel to Preston North End next Saturday (3pm).

Morsy said: “We understand the importance of every league game. We’ll prepare for it again, on Monday everyone will come in fresh and raring to go and raring to get better.

“Like I said, every setback is an opportunity to get better and that’s what we’ve always done.”

Photo: TWTD

pablo123 added 16:34 - Jan 27 Well you effing did
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KMcBlue added 16:35 - Jan 27 correct...
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pointofblue added 16:37 - Jan 27 "...but you can never question the desire and the application of the players..." Hmm.
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davidsc1971 added 16:41 - Jan 27 No sh*t Sherlock
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itfchorry added 16:45 - Jan 27 The Team have been nothing but outstanding this season and has done us proud- Can’t believe what some posters uploaded at times - COYB Congratulations to Maidstone-
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cressi added 16:51 - Jan 27 To be fair it was embarrassing facing fellow fans of other clubs makes u feel like hiding under a rock
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blue86 added 16:52 - Jan 27 Yes we were bad, yes it was Maidstone, yes I'm annoyed etc. But....... Sam you haven't let the fans down, it happens in the F.A Cup, that's why the FA Cup has that magic about it ya know? Congratulations to Maidstone, hope they get a good draw. We just need to dust ourselves down and crack on. Only concern I have at the moment is what's going on in this transfer window?

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runaround added 16:55 - Jan 27 Unfortunately Sam the players did let down the fans today. 38 chances created against a team in the sixth tier as a top championship team you just have to score more than one goal. Nothing to do about it now apart from own it and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again ! Seemed the players were trying too hard to score the perfect goal today too much intricate passing instead of getting half a yard and having a shot. 18 massive matches left and good results are needed straight away to get confidence back

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ITFCSG added 16:55 - Jan 27 Desire and application of the players? Broadhead was invisible today. Taylor might as well not have played and Axel I wondered how he managed to feature in the Champions League when the amateurs from the sixth tier can do better. Pathetic.
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trncbluearmy added 16:55 - Jan 27 You did, especially Aluko and Taylor Bloody embarrassment
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Facefacts added 16:55 - Jan 27 Why o why 'rest' the best goalkeeper/sweeper in the league? In the country. We're not ruthless enough. Just let them have two shots and score both. Meaningless interview. Yet some idiots on this site have been saying they want Walton back in the team, did you not see Charlton 4 - 4 and Fulham games? Walton looks like he'll never play at a good level again, needs a move away which I said after Fulham but too late for that now. McKenna will never make a top manager unless he gets a ruthless streak..

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LimerickTractorBoy added 17:09 - Jan 27 A shocking, dispiriting, embarrasing, disappointing result, and more BUT the league is all that eally matters and thus far our team has been magnificent in that. Leeds have to make the long midweek treak to Plymouth for a replay, hope Southampton draw with Watford tomorrow. Shocking today but surely we are in dreamland overall this season.
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Wooly74 added 17:15 - Jan 27 There’s some plastic fans on here, FFS get a grip, many of you clearly don’t go and watch your team very often by the look of your comments.
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prebbs007 added 17:17 - Jan 27 That’s coz you have Sammy. The team let the fans down, the club down and themselves down. This is the biggest disaster in FA Cup history and you should all be embarrassed.
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SickParrot added 17:17 - Jan 27 Yes, with the exception of Hutchinson and Siermento, you did let us down today. I know we've had a great season so far but it's a very embarrasing defeat, on national TV, that will go down in FA Cup history. Please don't let us down like this again.
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trncbluearmy added 17:24 - Jan 27 seems to me there are some on here that find losing to a semi amateur team acceptable Well done Maidstone, but Ipswich some of those performances today were completely unacceptable for a full time professional football club
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TimmyH added 17:27 - Jan 27 Sammy very rarely lets the fans down...a consistent player, it's some of the others which worries me currently.
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del45 added 17:32 - Jan 27 Sam sorry rubbish interview tell the truth you were all rubbish today and let the fans down embarrassing what do expect with 10 changes given no respect to lower teams
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bluejacko added 17:33 - Jan 27 No crap Sherlock YOU DID
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Saxonblue74 added 17:36 - Jan 27 No need for an apology. Perhaps we should have fielded our strongest XI and risk putting a couple more out injured? We were not great, but did more than enough in a freakish FA cup game. Still, there are always positives, today's being the new plethora of potential replacements for KMK should he ever move on. Not that anyone would have him now hey?!
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ITFCson added 17:43 - Jan 27 Some of the comments are bizarre. It’s a freak result, that’s all. We actually played quite well at times. I think maybe for some this triggered results of recent years vs lower league opposition and default to thinking the players were awful and lacked desire. As our captain said this was not the case. We hit the woodwork 3 times. We missed 2 sitters (Aluko and Edmondson) had numerous other chances. We had a good shout for pen turned down. Their 2nd goal should have been pulled back for a foul. Another day an identical performance yields a 5-2 victory and all the bed wetters who don’t understand football come on here and praise the team for a job well done.

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RobsonWark added 17:46 - Jan 27 Well done Maidstone Town. I hope you get a draw away to Man United in next round - big payday and amazing day for players and fans. Today is a prime example of why I will never buy a ticket for a cup match at Portman Road. 10 changes. 10 individuals on the pitch who have never played with each other week in week out will never be a team.
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LimerickTractorBoy added 17:50 - Jan 27 Dont think anyone finds this result acceptable trncbluearmy??? Maybe some are putting this one terrible result in context with the unbelievable season we are having, we are also in the middle of a striker crisis and recruiting one is proving extremely difficult.
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PortmanTerrorist added 17:58 - Jan 27 This is not Lincoln where our performance was shocking. Here we did most things right but being a bit disjointed showed, a couple of players were miles off it (sadly time up Sone), add some poor finishing and you open the door to the disastrous result we got. Hope all get a grip, we secure a decent striker or 3 and put Preston to the sword next week. We had knocks this time last season and we know what happened. So congrats to Maidstone and on we go. COYB

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Daniel72 added 18:07 - Jan 27 liked SaxonBlue's post for the well-directed sarcasm.. yes let's be really upset and sack our manager now!... ah.. the romance of the cup... one less thing to worry about...
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