Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna hopes that his side’s 3-1 defeat to Fulham in the EFL Cup will assist them in future games.
The Tractor Boys exit the cup in the fourth round, after beating Bristol Rovers, Reading and Wolverhampton Wanderers before bowing out to the Cottagers at Portman Road.
An early goal from Harry Wilson set the tone for the night, with Rodrigo Muniz and Tom Cairney also scoring before a consolation from Elkan Baggott 10 minutes before full-time.
McKenna was largely pleased with what his team offered against Premier League opposition. He told TownTV: “It was a tough game but one we’ll be much stronger for.
“We conceded an early goal against a team with the strength Fulham had, with players coming back into the team after injury and out of match rhythm, so it was always going to be a massive ask.
“The players stuck at it and there was maximum effort as always, so no complaints on that, and I’m really pleased with the way we kept pushing to the end.”
The Northern Irish manager also believes that the test will benefit them in the Championship. He continued: There aren’t too many opportunities to do that at the moment but this was one, against some really high-level opposition, and we’ll be stronger for that.
“If we’d approached the game in a different way tonight then maybe we’d have got lucky and nicked a result, but that wouldn’t help us in the league or grow as a team and a Club.
“What will help is testing ourselves in really difficult circumstances, taking the lessons and moving on really quickly.
“There are lots of things we can take from this and hopefully they will help us over the next six weeks.”
The Suffolk side will aim to continue their nine-game winning run in the second tier, facing a struggling Birmingham City on Saturday.
Writer’s View
Ipswich have given a really strong account of themselves in the EFL Cup, sizing up and beating Premier League opposition in Wolves. They exit the competition at the perfect stage, without causing further impact on their Christmas fixture list with more cup matches. The Tractor Boys have proven their early season form can translate to top-flight opponents, a good sign if they keep their automatic spot come May.
McKenna rightfully sees positives in this loss. Fulham were the stronger side, but his team dug deep and gave them a game. Having played two Premier League sides and giving a good account of themselves can only benefit them in the long term, as they continue to build their form ahead of their Boxing Day clash against leaders Leicester City at home.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
