admin“More than a chance”- Furious Kieran McKenna delivered HONEST verdict after 1-1 draw against Watford
Frustrated Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted his side should have taken all three points against Watford, after a 1–1 draw in which the Blues squandered several late chances to win the game.
Watford took the lead in the 16th minute through Imran Louza, scoring from the visitors’ first meaningful attack. However, Jaden Philogene hit back just five minutes later with a well-taken equaliser — his sixth goal of the season.
Despite dominating much of the game and creating numerous opportunities, Ipswich couldn’t find the winner, with Ivan Azon, Marcelino Núñez, Jack Taylor, and Cedric Kipré all missing big chances in the second half.
“We’re frustrated with the result, frustrated to only take a point,” McKenna said after the match. “There were positives, of course, but based on the chances we created, we’ve done more than enough to win. It’s disappointing not to come away with the victory.”
The Town boss admitted his side must learn from the mistakes that led to Watford’s opener.
“We conceded a poor goal at a time when we hadn’t had much defending to do,” he added. “But the reaction was excellent — we stayed composed, got back to our football, and scored a really good equaliser.”
Ipswich continued to push hard in the second half, but Watford dropped deep and defended in numbers.
“When a team sits back, it’s not easy,” McKenna noted. “You have to move the ball wide, deliver quality crosses, get bodies into the box — and we did that. We created enough to win it.”
Ivan Azon, on loan from Serie A side Como, had two of Town’s best chances — one header wide and another brilliantly saved by Egil Selvik. The Spaniard is still searching for his first Ipswich goal, but McKenna backed him to find the net soon.
“He keeps getting into the right positions,” said McKenna. “He’s energetic and gives everything, whether he starts or comes off the bench. He’ll be frustrated not to score, but once the first one goes in, things will start to click — not just for him but for all our forwards.”
The manager pointed out that players like Philogene and Jack Clarke improved sharply after breaking their own scoring droughts, and he expects the same effect across the front line once confidence returns.
There was also controversy midway through the second half when Watford’s Kwadwo Baah avoided a second yellow card after a reckless challenge on Darnell Furlong. McKenna refused to comment in detail, saying the incident happened “a long way from my technical area.”
A tense moment also arose when Philogene and Azor Matusiwa clashed near the Ipswich penalty area after a Watford counterattack, but McKenna downplayed the incident.
“It was just passion boiling over,” he explained. “Both players are committed, they care, and they know it’s not something we want happening on the pitch. It’s already been dealt with — they’ve spoken, learned from it, and they’ll be ready to go again on Saturday.”
In the end, Ipswich left frustrated after dominating but failing to convert — a familiar theme that McKenna hopes will soon turn as confidence in front of goal returns.
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