Keane frustrated by draw

Ipswich manager unhappy after being held by Boro

Last updated: 6th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Keane frustrated by draw

Keane: Frustrated

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Roy Keane admitted he was losing patience with drawing so regularly after sharing the points with Middlesbrough.

Daryl Murphy opened the scoring for Ipswich inside the opening minute but Boro hit back to draw 1-1 thanks to David Wheater's header in the second half.

Ipswich have proved difficult to beat all season but they remain just outside the relegation zone after being held 15 times out of 28 games.

Keane said: "Our performances generally haven't been too bad but it's another draw and draws don't get you anywhere fast.

"When you look back at all the draws we've had we might have been better to lose half and win the other half.

"Somebody must be making money out of us by predicting draws every week and we shouldn't begrudge them that.

"But this was a typical Championship game. Both teams had chances, it finished 1-1 and we all go home. Boring."

Keane was satisfied with the overall display of his team but left to rue a lack of creativity in the attacking third.

"Scoring goals has been a problem for us all season," he said.

"In the second half we got in some really good positions but we just needed the final ball. The final ball is the most important one in football.

"If you look at what happens between the two boxes we do reasonably well. But what goes on in the boxes it what life's all about."

Strachan reaction

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan insisted his side had deserved a draw after battling back in the second half.

He said: "I thought it was a fair result. Ipswich were the better team in the first half.

"We were getting used to a right-back playing in the middle of the park and a left-back playing on the left of midfield.

"We weren't ready for that type of game, with so many new players, and it was unsettling.

"Had it been a nice simple, passing game we might have been all right and we'd have settled in but it was ferocious to start with.

"The fact we then went a goal down so early on threw the guys who were playing out of position into a bit of shock.

"But our mental strength got better as the game went on.

"We showed we can play but we have to learn to be more professional in the first couple of minutes.

"Sometimes when a team score early on it's a brilliant goal and you can't do anything about it.

"But with this one we were so embarrassed, down the left-sided area, that we crumbled.

"It took us until half-time to settle everyone down."

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