Town still sit in third place in the Championship but questions still need to be answered
On the plus side we’re still in third spot, didn’t concede a goal and Wes Burns is back in the fray.
Town are still in the hunt for automatic promotion.
But on the negative side we failed to find the back of the net which is becoming a bit of a recurring issue with Town.
It’s hard to be positive about yesterday’s Boxing Day performance at Millwall which to be honest was not a game to remember.
Only Christian Walton in goal and Cedric Kipre in defence came out of the match with any credit while the hosts had more clear cut chances to find the back of the net.
The Lions impressed in the first half having several decent chances – most notably when Caleb Taylor forced Walton into a sprawling athletic save from a looping header.
The keeper also did well to block a neat first-time flicked Mihailo Ivanovic effort at the near post and then made a regulation stop from a weak Ivanovic header as the home side’s aerial strength and set-piece threat caused serious concerns.
Jens Cajuste came closest for the visitors in the first half, but blazed his effort over after a decent run.
Town, who were looking to increase the pressure on second-placed Middlesbrough with a fourth league win in five games, showed their quality as they dominated possession in the second half.
Jadon Philogene twice went close after cutting in from the left, while substitute Sindre Walle Egeli smashed a low shot just wide of the near post and curled another shot wide.
The hosts thought they had snatched the win inside the final 10 minutes only for Camiel Neghli’s one-on-one strike to be ruled out for the most marginal of offside calls.
Maybe the January transfer window will offer some comfort for the Town fans.
A striker seems to be the number one priority. Someone who can stick the ball in the back of the net. But finding a quality front man won’t be easy.
It was great to see Burns back on the field as an 87th minute substitute after being out for nearly a year after rupturing his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) during the Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in January.
This Championship season is going to be a tight affair with the exception of runaway leaders Coventry City who Town play on Monday.
They’re still five points adrift of Middlesbrough but the chasing pack is so close that the top six could change again come next week.
Boro are at home to fourth placed Hull, who are on the same amount of points as Ipswich, while seventh in the table Millwall host sixth placed Bristol City. Preston, sitting in fifth are at Wrexham.
Speaking after Boxing Day’s match in London Town manager Kieran McKenna said: “We’re disappointed not to have won the game.
“I think it was a challenging first 10 minutes as so often happens here.
“They had some set plays and some pressure around our goal and I thought we got to grips with it pretty well and played our way into the game, got some control to most of the first half bar one or two moments and I thought second half we dominated.
“So I think over the course of it we’ve played through them pretty well and got to the final third lots and got some really good positions and got some one v one’s and balls in the final third and got some transitions but we just weren’t clinical enough with our moments going forwards and of course that’s frustrating because we feel that we had enough opportunities, chances and situations to score a goal.
“Having said that you come away to a tough place and you get a clean sheet away from home and that’s a big positive and there were positives in how we did play through their shape and got to their final third.
“It’s a point, it’s a clean sheet away from home but we’re disappointed.”