Irish Sunday Mirror

MOTORING ON

Tractor Boys breeze past the Shrews

- AT PORTMAN ROAD

KIERAN MCKENNA could not fault his Ipswich side after a sixth consecutiv­e victory.

Town kept up the pressure on the top two in League One with goals from George Hirst and Massimo Luongo moving them two points behind second-placed Plymouth.

Mckenna said: “It was a good performanc­e against a difficult team.

“We have done lots of good things, scored a really good goal to open the game up, had other chances in the first half, but it was never going to be easy against a Shrewsbury team that defends their goal really well.

“We had lots of pressure around their goal and lots of chances without getting big clear-cut chances because you don’t have many of them against Shrewsbury, but we created right through the game, looked a threat, scored a good second goal from Massimo as well and I thought we defended in general well throughout the game.

“You’re never comfortabl­e at one or 2-0 even against a team like Shrewsbury. They put the ball in the box so quickly and every set-piece is an opportunit­y to load the box. You have to stand up to that and I thought in general we did that very well.”

Shrewsbury had a couple of chances, but Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton kept

out a

Luke Leahy header, while Chey Dunkley struck the crossbar.

Shrews boss Steve Cotterill said he was disappoint­ed with the two goals his team gave away which he said were both “preventabl­e”.

Cotterill said: “We’re disappoint­ed with the goals given away. I think that our lads could have played a bit better than they did today.

“Ipswich are probably the strongest team we have played all season. They’re really too big a club to be in League One, so it’s difficult to compete when you come to places like this. The lads give what they can.

“It’s always disappoint­ing to concede a goal. How we defended both goals today they were both preventabl­e. When you come up against sides like that they can put five subs on and them five would probably get in our starting line-up and it’s a fantastic luxury.”

 ?? ?? MASSIMUM HIGH: Luongo mobbed after scoring
MASSIMUM HIGH: Luongo mobbed after scoring

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