Watford head coach Ed Still felt his side lacked aggression during the first half of their 2-0 defeat to the Blues at Vicarage Road.

Still, who took charge a fortnight ago, was tasting defeat as Hornets boss for the first time following a draw at Preston and victory over Derby at the weekend, Sindre Walle Egeli and George Hirst netting the Blues’ goals.

“I was very disappointed with how aggressive we were, or were not, in the first half,” Still said.

“We didn’t execute the pressing triggers that we wanted, we were much more passive than we wanted to be in there in the first half.

“Despite that, we haven’t conceded any big chances there in the first half. We were lower than what we wanted to be but we’ve conceded nearly nothing there in the first half.

“Apart from a free-kick which, honestly, I don’t know in what world that is a free-kick or a foul against Mattie Pollock [on Ivan Azon], it just isn’t.

“That was my instinct on the side of the pitch and then having seen it again now, it just isn’t a free-kick. Disappointing to concede off a rebound there.

“In the second half, we came out much better, we were much more aggressive, as we intended to be in the first half.

“We’ve put them under pressure, we’ve made it difficult for them and we had a really good spell there for 20, 25 minutes at the beginning of the second half where we should have got something back in the game.

“We should have just been a little bit more clinical in the final third to be able to create a chance or two more than we did.

“And then we’ve been unlucky on the break for that second goal where in a moment of hesitation in the box they’ve had a good bounce and you end up losing 2-0.

“It’s strange because it feels like the game has got away from us a little bit on a couple of unlucky bounces.

“Having looked at the shot count, shots are equal. A lot of the post-match stats are actually very equal, so there was definitely room for us to get something out of the game.”

Asked why his side weren’t as aggressive as he’d hoped, he added: “It’s that challenge of turnover two days later, having very little time on the training pitch. It happens sometimes, that you don’t start as aggressively, as much on the front foot as you intend to do.

“Credit to Ipswich as well, they’re a really good side and they did move the ball quickly and well in the first half.

“But what was positive was that we weren’t as aggressive as we wanted to be but despite that we haven’t conceded any significant chances, apart from a free-kick on the edge of the box which isn’t one and then an unlucky bounce from that.”

Regarding Tom Ince’s late penalty miss, he reflected: “Just one of those things, it happens. You accept them when you miss them and can’t do much about it.”

Photo: TWTD