admin“I haven’t gotten over it” – Kieran McKenna rues spurned chances and praises Gary Rowett after U’s shock Ipswich
Kieran McKenna praises Gary Rowett after Oxford down Ipswich
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna believes that his side had the chances to win Friday night’s game against Oxford United.
The U’s ran out 2-1 winners at the Kassam to upset the Tractor Boys and secure a huge three points in this season’s quest for Championship survival.
Mark Harris’s opener was cancelled out by Leif Davis early in the second half before Przemyslaw Placheta finished off a swift counter attack to see Gary Rowett’s men to victory.
The visitors had chances to go ahead early on with Sindre Walle Egeli hitting the post and George Hirst flicking the ball wide, with some tremendous goalkeeping and resolute defending seeing out the victory for the Yellows later on.
“I’m pretty sure if you spoke to Gary, I don’t think he’d say he set up to defend deep – I think it’s sometimes easy to fall into that,” McKenna pondered after the full-time whistle
“I thought we moved the ball well and built well and we pushed them deep. But of course then in Oxford’s position, whenever we get to the final third, you want to get the bodies back and defend the middle of your goal and make it hard and have bodies there to defend the crosses and stop a good team trying to play through you.
“So, they did that well tonight.
READ MORE: Gary Rowett reveals late Mark Harris call for Oxford United
“But I think across tonight in different ways we had more than enough chances to win the game.”
McKenna and Rowett had a history before they met last Friday.
The two managers did their UEFA Pro License together and the U’s boss complimented his young counterpart prior to his side’s victory.
Town’s 39-year-old manager has been at the club since 2021 and guided the Suffolk club to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League before suffering relegation back to the Championship last season.
With Rowett getting the better of McKenna this time, the latter still spoke well of the United head coach.
“Well, I didn’t enjoy it that much,” former Manchester United coach McKenna joked when asked how he found the experience of facing Rowett.
“He’s a really good manager, a really experienced manager. A good guy as well.
“We caught up a little bit before the game but, of course, none of us like to lose. It wasn’t an enjoyable night from our point of view but he’s always someone that I’d wish well.”
The Yellows climbed two places up to 20th after their home victory, one point off the bottom three and leapfrogging this Saturday’s opponents Swansea City in the process.
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