Wimbledon MK 1-2 Ipswich - Manager Reaction

Last updated : 28 March 2004 By Site Editor
Ipswich Town boss Joe Royle was pleased with his sides result, but less so with the players switching off to allow Wimbledon back into the game: "We dominated the game for long periods and it's three good points but I was disappointed that we didn't win more comfortably.

"We had a few individuals who seemed to switch off when we went two goals up and seemed to think that was game over.

"Then we give a sloppy goal away from a free-kick, with one of the smallest players on the pitch allowed a free header from three yards out and we end the game in a bit of discomfort.

"We kept giving the ball away and giving them the chance to come at us and that was disappointing.

"Wimbledon were as brave as we expected them to be. They worked very hard but we should never have allowed them to have a sniff at the end and that clean sheet evaded us again.

"I know we need to be much more switched on from set-pieces next week when we face West Brom, who are a big, powerful side."

Meanwhile Wimbledon boss Stuart Murdoch was pleased with his sides display, despite them being the losing side: "Tell me when the spirit hasn't been there.

"There's been a couple of times this season where it hasn't but it's hard work for them. It's been hard work ever since we lost five players in January, and it was hard work before that.

"They've kept going and kept battling. We lose two goals in a minute and we are thinking it's going to go to three or four, but they've rolled their sleeves up again and had another go. I was really pleased that we scored and really pleased for the supporters.

"There's all sorts of things that we take away as positives and hopefully it will give them a bit of belief.

"We struggled for the first 15 minutes to contain them and then once we realised that we perhaps could do that, we started to get some belief. It's that belief thing that's the problem."