Ipswich 3-0 Derby County - Manager Reaction

Last updated : 05 January 2004 By Site Editor
Ipswich Town boss Joe Royle insisted his substitutes won the club the game, but admitted he didn't want to use them: "I didn't want to use Jim Magilton but I needed more order in midfield. Shefki has had his critics but today he ran behind their defence and chased for the team. It's nice when substitutions work out so well.

"We looked tight at the back except for one moment when we opened up like the Red Sea. In the first half there were not many dangerous moments but the substitutions made all the difference.

"I always planned to keeper Reuser and Miller on the field for the full 90 minutes. Miller's season has been more stop-stop than stop-start but he proved today that he is a great finisher."

Meanwhile opposite number and former Town boss George Burley said he always thought the match would be hard for his young derby side: "We knew it was going to be tough but we started brightly and more than matched them for 45 minutes. I felt that the first goal might settle the tie.

"When Ipswich took the lead we were punished for awful defending of a free kick, but all credit to Richard Naylor for his header. The first goal cost us the tie. It would have been a big bonus if we had got a result at Ipswich and I don't think anyone expected it.

"I am trying to strengthen my squad, which is a bit thin. We have been asking a lot of our youngsters but we can take heart from the way we matched a good side like Ipswich in the first half. We need to play like that week in and week out and cannot afford to make mistakes from dead ball situations."