Kieran McKenna points out what Aston Villa ‘resorted to’ against Ipswich.
On Sunday afternoon, Aston Villa drew 2-2 with Ipswich Town, earning a point in a game in which Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was happy with his team’s performance against Aston Villa at Portman Road on Sunday, as the newly promoted Tractor Boys limited Villa to going long for much of the game.
Town earned a 2-2 draw with a brace from Liam Delap, sandwiched by goals from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins in the first half. Ipswich may have had more chances in front of goal if Emi Martinez hadn’t saved Delap’s shot with his foot and Kalvin Phillips’ powerful effort.
McKenna, who has led Ipswich to four consecutive Premier League draws, was pleased with his team’s ability to make Champions League Villa uncomfortable for much of the afternoon, forcing them to take a more direct approach than they would have preferred.
“I thought we managed to do that for much of the game,” she added. “They are a top squad, but they resorted to going long on several of their goal kicks. We dominated and controlled the ball, creating numerous opportunities to win. It’s a positive move for us. It was another successful day for Liam Delap, who takes a lot of credit.
“Despite being down 2-1, the team never gave up and remained competitive throughout the game. I believe Delap has a lot of potential; however, I do not believe he is anywhere near the fitness level he can achieve following a major injury at the end of last season. We are quite pleased to have him here, given his impact and all-around performance, as well as the fact that he still has so much room for growth.
“It is difficult to create chances in the division. Aston Villa hasn’t given up many big opportunities, but the fact that we were able to produce them demonstrated that the players are maturing. The next stage is to take a few more. We are demonstrating that we are an improved side. It is not easy to go four games unbeaten in the Premier League. It is a tremendous first step, and we believe there is still a lot of room for progress.”
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