Royle Rues Defensive Lapse

Last updated : 20 November 2005 By Russell Claydon
The Blues chief was unhappy with the way Town conceeded against the Sky Blues. Speaking after the match Royle Said: "We've given the ball away on the edge of our area because we were trying to play 'Total Football' and from there Coventry got their equaliser.

"Defensively, I thought we coped well with their major attacking asset - which is their height - but two minutes of slack defending cost us."

After debutant Gavin Williams had given Ipswich the lead, local hero McSheffrey was allowed to equlaiser minutes later, after dithering on the ball from captain Jim Magilton.

But Royle was keen to state that Town are still moving forward after this result: "It's a fourth game unbeaten and that's helped steady the ship after something of a rough period for us."

He reserved praise for recent loan signing Gavin Williams, who scored on his debut: "Since Tommy (Miller) left we've missed people arriving late in the box from midfield but Gavin Williams got into the box from midfield and scored his goal.

"I thought it was an outstanding debut from the boy and after he'd scored the goal we should have gone on to win the game."

Speaking to the club website, Gavin told of how told of how, although delighted with his goal, he was left frustrated at not being on the end of a winning performance:

"It was obviously great to score a goal on my debut and I enjoyed the game but ultimately there is disappointment because we should of won the match.

Coventry came into the game after they scored and had a couple of chances but other than that we dominated the match and should of had all three points."

The Welsh international midfielder said how it was the Ipswich style which made him come to the club: "I felt at home with the Ipswich style of play. That is one of the main reasons I came here, because of the way Ipswich pass the ball around.

"From what I have seen Ipswich have the quality to be pushing for the play-off places but a lot of the clubs at the top have bigger squads."

Coventry boss Micky Adams didn't seem to think the game was as one-sided as the Ipswich camp, however, he said:

"I thought we deserved something out of the game and I think Joe Royle must have been wearing his blinkers when he said we didn't. "

The draw leaves Ipswich four points off the play-off places, with Royle seeing the defence as the telling factor in their play-off push: "Once we begin taking defending seriously again we'll be a force to be reckoned with in this division.