Monk has dig at pitch but happy with point

Garry Monk, the Leeds manager, was critical of the pitch at Portman Road as his play-off chasing team were held to a draw by Ipswich. It was a hard-fought result for fifth-placed Leeds against Mick McCarthy’s men who have recently taken points against Brighton and Reading and won at Aston Villa.

“The pitch did not help both teams,” said Monk. “Especially in terms of trying to play our football but we tried. The goal came against the run of play. It was the first time we made a mistake and they scored from it. But we didn’t react well to the goal. We made too many mistakes and invited pressure.

“It was very hard for either team to create too much in open play. It was difficult but we had more control in the second half and we have to look at it as a good point.”

Ipswich took the lead on nine minutes with a free-flowing goal that would have delighted the watching Town legends Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen. The late Sir Bobby Robson, who would have turned 84 yesterday, signed the Dutch duo during Town’s glory years of the late 1970s and early 80s and both were paraded on the pitch before kick-off.

Emyr Huws, on loan from Cardiff, was the pick of Town’s midfield in the first half and it was his surging run and pass that picked out Grant Ward who clipped an enticing cross into the sixyard box where Freddie Sears’s wellcontrolled volley was too accurate for the former Norwich City keeper Rob Green.

Ward almost added a second when he caught Stuart Dallas in possession on the edge of his own area but fired a shot just wide of the upright.

The home side were in the ascendancy and Huws teed up Jonas Knudsen but his shot from just two yards out was somehow deflected over the bar.

Leeds were far from their best but they equalised just before the interval. Hadi Sacko crossed from the right, Chris Woods flicked on and Dallas nipped ahead of Jordan Spence at the back post and squeezed the ball beyond Bartosz Bialkowski.

The hosts had the first opportunity to retake the lead during a well-contested second half with neither side giving an inch. Sears forced a corner and Huws’s delivery found its way to David McGoldrick. The striker had his back to goal but turned sharply and his delightful chip had Green beaten but dropped onto the crossbar. Christophe Berra was unable to turn in the rebound.

Leeds had better possession after the break but could not muster a single shot on target. Indeed it was Ipswich who could have claimed all three points but the lively McGoldrick was denied by Green who saved low to his left.

McCarthy said: “They [Leeds] came up against a team playing well and found it very hard. Their players would have come off the pitch and thought I wouldn’t want to play against you lot every week.

“I think Leeds have been amazing and I think Garry Monk has been amazing. They have just been through a tough time, this league is not easy, but I think they will reach the play-offs.”