Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna reacts to 2-1 defeat at Oxford United in the Championship

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna reacts to 2-1 defeat at Oxford United in the Championship

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna said it felt as though his side had handed the match to Oxford United after a 2–1 loss at the Kassam Stadium, frustrated by missed opportunities and two avoidable concessions.

Oxford took the lead in the 24th minute when Mark Harris capitalised on an error from Azor Matusiwa. Leif Davis equalised eight minutes into the second half, and the Blues appeared to be in control, pushing for a winner.

However, Town were hit on the counter in the 77th minute as Przemysław Placheta struck what proved to be the decisive goal.

“It’s a frustrating one. It feels like we’ve given the game away,” McKenna admitted. “There were two main problems — we weren’t clinical when we had control, and we gave away two poor goals.”

The Town boss said his side started strongly, created promising chances and got into dangerous positions, but failed to score an early goal. He believed the same issue resurfaced at 1–1, with Ipswich unable to convert opportunities to take the lead. Both goals conceded, he said, shifted momentum to Oxford and energised the home crowd.

“After their second goal, the opponent and their fans had everything they needed. Still, we created plenty, the players kept going, and even at 2–1 we had two big chances to equalise,” McKenna continued. “We’re frustrated because it feels like we threw it away, especially after a good run.”

The defeat ended a six-match unbeaten streak and followed three straight away wins. McKenna stressed that the squad is still developing and that inconsistency is part of their journey. He compared Oxford’s winning goal to previous losses against Middlesbrough and Charlton, where Ipswich were caught pushing for a winner.

“You have to stay switched on until the 95th minute,” he said. “We knew Oxford’s best chances would come from counter-attacks or long throws.

Not defending that situation better is frustrating because it’s something we’ve usually handled well. We made a mistake and got punished — it’s a lesson we’ll carry into upcoming games.”

McKenna maintained that Town had enough chances to take something from the match but highlighted football’s unforgiving nature: “It’s a low-scoring sport. If you make mistakes or fail to take your chances, the game can turn quickly.”

Ipswich dominated possession with 73%, and McKenna pushed back on the idea that Oxford simply sat deep, saying they pressed high early on until Town forced them backwards.

He acknowledged the need for continued improvement in breaking down compact defensive blocks, but said the opportunities created were more than enough to win.

On Jens Cajuste’s absence, McKenna confirmed the midfielder twisted his ankle and wasn’t close to being available. While the injury isn’t a major ligament issue, he will be assessed daily.