McKenna’s men still on Trac for happy ending
IPSWICH boss Kieran McKenna claimed his side are embracing an enthralling promotion race despite missing out on a win over Middlesbrough which would have sent his side three points clear of their rivals.
Massimo Luongo’s acrobatic volley sent Ipswich to the top of the table after Emmanuel Latte Lath had put Boro ahead.
And with Leeds losing to Blackburn in the early kick-off, an expectant Portman Road saw this as an opportunity missed.
Tractor Boys manager McKenna said: “Frustration isn’t my feeling at the moment. Maybe it will be tomorrow, but right now it’s pride around the game.
“I thought it was a brilliant game, we created plenty of chances to win and I really like how we went about our performance.
“We played bravely, we played confidently.
“Over the course of the last couple of games, could we have had an extra couple of points?
“For sure, but I don’t see a see a team playing with any tension or any anxiety.
“The boys look like they are loving the matches, playing in this team and in that atmosphere.
“I don’t sense any tension in the group at all.
“I honestly think that the group are enjoying this experience of being at the top end of this division.”
The game was a breathless exhibition of Championship football, with both sides going all out for the win that would serve their respective promotion ambitions.
Latte Lath gave Boro a 20th-minute lead, heading home a Luke Ayling cross at the end of a flowing move for his fifth goal in as many games.
If that shocked the Ipswich faithful, whose side had collected just one point from their previous two games, Luongo restored hope with a glorious volley off the outside of his right foot from Leif Davis’ corner.
Jeremy Sarmiento then struck the post two minutes later before the second half turned into a non-stop game of attack from first one side, then the other.
If Omari Hutchinson continually tested Boro keeper Seny Dieng, it was Ipswich’s Vaclav
Hladky who produced the most telling save with a superb tip-over from a Matt Clarke header.
The draw means that Middlesbrough now look like falling short of the play-off places.
Boss Michael Carrick said: “It’s probably a decent point in isolation. But we came here to win and we wanted to win, so it’s a bit of mixed feelings really.”