We should have been good enough to make his mistakes irrelevant. If we are serious about automatic promotion, we have to deal with mediocre, spoiling, negative teams like Preston.
Of course, we’ve seen it before, several times. Inferior opposition comes to Portman Road, defend in numbers, slow everything down, throw in the odd cynical foul, and hope to catch us on the break.
All too often during the Kieran McKenna era, it’s worked for the visiting teams. It was certainly good for Preston. Until the last few minutes, they kept us at bay and actually had the chances to win the game.
Very, very frustrating. We were so slow in our build up, pass sideways, backwards, sideways, backwards again until the move inevitably broke down. Yes, we had the vast majority of the possession, but that’s pretty meaningless.
We lacked the spark and cleverness needed to unlock the massed ranks of Preston defenders. Their keeper had a lovely relaxing afternoon until we finally applied real pressure at the end.
Ipswich Town’s Jack Clarke celebrates making it 1-1 (Image: PA)
We missed Marcelino Núñez, who has that crucial eye for a defence-splitting pass. Once again, we relied so heavily on the effervescent Jack Clarke, who was here, there and everywhere.
Between them, he and Jaden Philogene have scored 21 of our 49 league goals this season. When you consider the two left-wingers have rarely been on the pitch at the same time, that’s a pretty impressive statistic.
But it also brings us to our biggest problem – our lack of a goalscoring centre-forward. I actually felt a little sorry for George Hirst when he messed up his big chance in the second half.
It was an awful miss, typical of someone totally bereft of confidence. The rampaging Hirst of two seasons ago would have buried it, absolutely no trouble.
George Hirst missed another big chance for Town (Image: Steve Waller)
Surely Kieran McKenna and Mark Ashton realise that we desperately need a striker as we reach the final hours of the transfer window? Yes, I know there’s a long queue, but unless we add goals I fear we’re heading for the play-offs.
It’s looking like a real battle as we move towards the business end of the season. The current top six will stay the same, in my view – but in what order? Middlesbrough suddenly look the best team as Coventry’s wobbles go on.
The lack of quality in the division is summed up by the fact that very ordinary Preston are eighth and will fancy their chances of sneaking into the top six. That team in the Premier League – the mind boggles!
We really did need to beat Preston as we embark on an intimidating run of away games. By the time we play at Portman Road again, on the last day of February, a great deal could have changed at the top end of the table.
Let’s hope we produce the performances, and get the results, that at least keep us in touch.
The first of those five consecutive away games is at Portsmouth on Tuesday evening. Thank goodness Conor Chaplin isn’t allowed to play, because it looks as though he’s hitting form at Pompey.
Chaplin scored and provided an assist in Portsmouth’s vital win against WBA on Saturday. Like many Town fans, I still wonder whether we should have brought him back for this promotion push.
Anis Mehmeti was a bright spot for Town (Image: Steve Waller)
Having said that, one of the bright spots from the oh-so frustrating Preston game was the performance of Anis Mehmeti. He looked lively, with an eye for a pass. His through ball to Jack Clarke was certainly eye catching.
I have to say a bit more about referee John Busby. In my six decades of watching football, I’ve seen some pretty wretched performances from officials, but this was definitely one of the very worst.
Kieran McKenna got booked on the touchline – a rare sight for the normally calm and composed Town boss (Image: Steve Waller)
For someone as measured as Kieran McKenna to get so wound up that he ended up getting booked really does tell its own story. As I said, Mr. Busby got just about every important decision wrong, and was incredibly weak in the face of Preston’s time wasting and occasional strong arm tactics.
My question is this: What happens to Mr. Busby after that debacle? Is he disciplined, given more training, or are there absolutely no consequences? Knowing our football authorities, I suspect I know the answer…
Off we go on our travels then. Let’s hope we’re smiling when we next gather at Portman Road!
Ref John Busby watches on as Jack Clarke is felled again in the box late on – but he waved away penalty appeals (Image: Steve Waller)