Ipswich not at 'the levels' required in Pompey loss

Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna said that his side "did not quite hit the levels" required in their 2-0 defeat to Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Tractor Boys started the game well but ended up conceding twice just before the break and failed to find the target in the second half.

Despite defeat they remain in the automatic promotion places, 10 points behind leaders Coventry City, but now two points ahead of Millwall and three in front of both Southampton, who beat Blackburn 3-0, and Middlesbrough.

Ipswich still have a game in hand and play both Boro and Saints before the end of the season.

"We spoke after the Norwich game that that wasn't the pinnacle, especially when we're playing teams with massive motivations of their own," McKenna said.

"Every game is going to be harder and it's gong to take a monumental effort to get the three points - we didn't quite hit the levels tonight but we have games ahead to look forward to, to do it.

"Any game you lose you're disappointed and at this stage of the season you're disappointed, so it's too easy to link it to Saturday because whatever happened on Saturday this was going to be a tough game."