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Ipswich Town 1 v 1 Leicester City
EFL Championship
Saturday, 7th March 2026 Kick-off 15:00
Davis: We Can't Just Blame the Ref
Saturday, 7th Mar 2026 19:12 by Kallum Brisset

Town defender Leif Davis says the Blues should have done enough to claim all three points in spite of late refereeing controversy during the 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Portman Road.

With virtually the final kick of the game, referee John Busby denied Town a penalty when Cédric Kipré was bundled over in the box by Foxes substitute Hamza Choudhury.

The Blues had already seen an earlier appeal turned away by Busby when Anis Mehmeti was tripped from behind by Harry Winks.

Ultimately, Sindre Walle Egeli’s fourth goal of the season was enough to extend Town’s unbeaten record on Suffolk soil to 14 matches, but Davis felt they should have scored more.

“Very frustrating,” he said. “As you’ve seen at the full-time whistle, everyone was frustrated. That’s football, we can’t change that decision now.

“We should have put the game to bed as well, we had a lot of chances in that game. We can’t just go straight to the referee and blame the ref. We had opportunities in the game to take the three points in that way — a lot of chances from corners and a few chances in open play.

“You can point the finger, but we do have to score in them parts of the game as well. It’s frustrating not to get the penalty at the end, the consistency is not there at all, but what can you do?

“Whatever the ref thought at the end of the day is his decision. We should have taken the three points from the game without that incident.

“We’ve got a good group of lads that are level-headed. It’s decisions at the end of the day, we’ve spoken about it but now we’ve just got to focus on Tuesday night.

“We did speak about it briefly after the game in the changing room, the consistency I don’t think is there personally from them, but that’s just an opinion from me and we can’t change that.

“We had opportunities in the game to take all three points, not just from that last part of the game and that last decision.

“We are disappointed, but it’s been a good week. We would have liked all nine points, but seven is okay for what we’ve done this week.”

Saturday’s draw with Leicester concluded a three-game week at Portman Road, where Swansea City and Hull City were both beaten to see the Blues claim three wins on the spin.

Davis accepted that the standards are high, in that disappointment was still the overriding feeling after what has still been a relatively positive seven days.

The 26-year-old said: “Seven points is good, but it’s not for us. We wanted the three points today. We did everything we could in the second half to get them three points, but it’s football and decisions are decisions at the end of the day.

“If he didn’t decide to give that pen, we can’t fight against that. We can say our opinion, and I think it was the wrong decision today.”

While Town were dominant when chasing the game in the second half, the opening 45 minutes were far from fluid and left Kieran McKenna’s side behind at the break for the first time in a home match all season.

Patson Daka’s excellent volley had put Leicester in front as the Foxes looked to frustrate the Blues and help themselves in their battle to avoid a second successive relegation to League One.

“In the first half, we lacked a little bit of enthusiasm in the final third,” Davis said. “Not just in the final third, but when we were trying to play out and trying to find that key part of the game where we knew we could hurt them. We lacked that a little bit in the first half.

“In the second half, we got together at half-time and said ‘let’s do this’, and it worked. The boys fought hard, you look at the comparison from when we played them away to now.

“You can’t look at the table too much, they’re a good side and have got some very good players. To do that against them was a good game.

“We weren’t fully off it in the first half, but we weren’t where we wanted to be. We still had the majority control in the first half, and we did have a few opportunities where we could have went up. Dara [O’Shea]’s header at the back post was a big opportunity, but you can’t score them all.

“We’ve just got to work on stuff like that every day in training. Set pieces are going to be key and we looked a big threat from them today. Like the boss said after the game, we do look strong and we do look like we’re going to hurt teams on set plays.

“It’s an important part of the game. Look at Arsenal, who score a lot of set plays. It keeps them in games and look where they are in the league. They’ve scored probably the most set plays than any team in England, and they are just as important as scoring from open play.”

Town are still yet to come from behind and win this season, and have now gone nearly two years since their last comeback victory against Southampton in April 2024.

“That time could have been today,” Davis said. “We did create a lot of chances in the second half and the boys were fully dialled in to getting the win today. It’s been a good week and the confidence should be high in the dressing room.

“Not taking all three points today, but a point on the board is okay for us. We’d have liked the three points to keep that confidence going for Tuesday night.”

Davis added: “You can see the belief and the togetherness of the team in the second half out there today to come from a goal behind and get level. You’ve seen that we didn’t stop and we didn’t give up.

“They didn’t have a shot in the second half and didn’t cause us any threat in the second half. We looked like the stronger team all throughout the game.

“We’ve played them a lot of times and we’ve had a lot of good games against them, especially at the start of the season where it was 3-1 to them at their place. The growth that we’ve shown from there to now is second to none from the boys.

“We’ve come in every day, worked hard in training, and we’re doing everything we can. Me, Wes [Burns], Walts [Christian Walton], all those players know what it takes to get to that stage of the season.

“We’ve just got to give that to the other lads, but other lads have done it at other clubs. We’ve done it here before, and we know what it’s got to take.”

Photo: TWTD



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Cakeman added 19:31 - Mar 7
Well said Leif
6

Mark added 19:44 - Mar 7
Yes, it was our first half performance which cost us today. Leicester have so many well known players in their squad,, but coming here low on confidence we really needed the first goal today.
8

AJW1971 added 19:47 - Mar 7
“Lacked a bit of enthusiasm”, but why?
Not acceptable
4

algy added 20:25 - Mar 7
A good pre-match team talk by a manager/coach should instil enthusiasm from the first kick. Get them running giving adversity to the opposition straight away.
2

RetroBlue added 20:53 - Mar 7
No Leif, we cant.

It was the usual McKenna tactical masterpiece. The usual slow tippy tsppy possession first, approach in.our own half. Leicester, like so many other clubs know how to stop us playing and McKenna has no answer for it ... fans may as well not enter the ground until mid way through the second half when suddenly the emphasis is on attack instead of possession and an injection of pace and intensity.

WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST 60 MINS McKenna ???? Im sick of seeing. You one trick
F cking pony.
-12

backwaywhen added 21:10 - Mar 7
Retro blue
Not really sure you are the complete ticket , why were you not moaning about our one trick pony on Tuesday and last Saturday evening ?
Genuine question my friend, fire away .
6

algy added 21:15 - Mar 7
A pony with one trick can have a lot of success but there are occasions when having a second trick to deploy can make a difference to the end result.
3

virginblue added 21:23 - Mar 7
Football is so simple according to so many on here. Makes you wonder how they don’t have a career in the game. Of the ref gets the basics right we win the game - which would have been thoroughly deserved. People who think we should be on top from for every minute of every game are so deluded. Yes, the first half wasn’t great. But two games ago some “fans” were saying it was a joke to leave Neil out, and he’s been poor since. Football is not predictable and some fans should grow up rather than revert to their tired agenda.
4

rgp1 added 21:42 - Mar 7
I find it slightly unusual that the same player has stuck their head above the parapit twice in the last month with overall criticism of their own and the teams performance. Now, given that the said player and one or two others are definite starters on the team sheet, then said player has not been in the starting eleven twice recently. Just saying.
0

armchaircritic59 added 23:58 - Mar 7
Totally agree Leif, even if some in here and elsewhere don't.
3

cpaz97 added 00:25 - Mar 8
Do we just put up Leif for interviews a lot, or is it just me?

He speaks ever so well so can understand if it is a deliberate choice. He seems to have a very analytical mind and clearly a leader in the group!
3

PhuketPete added 02:54 - Mar 8
Leifay well end up in management
0

PhuketPete added 02:54 - Mar 8
Sue. “Leif May well”
1

Nottsblue66 added 06:37 - Mar 8
Retro blue
Absolutely 100% spot on I've been saying this about McKenna for months he is a one trick pony and rival managers know what system he is going to play because he only knows one way
But most fans on here are like ostriches got their head buried in the sand. I can see us not going up as Millwall and Wrexham are on fire at the right time unlike us who blow HOT & cold and 200M spent on the squad is not good enough simple ?
2

coolhand added 08:34 - Mar 8
Sorry Leif, but you were watching your co defenders when the cross came in and not watching the ball and attacker. You should have been able to block the shot if you were proactive. This not the first time when defending
1

RetroBlue added 08:48 - Mar 8
Considering all the money hes had and Ztwo complete new squads with plsyers he has targeted hes simply not getting the best out of these players with his approach to the game.

He's Lorded as the next messiah by a section of our fans for being the "the" best coach, yet he hasn't changed his approach since day one of being here, from League One to the PL and back to the Championship. Despite the HUGE financial backing from the owners and perdonal renumeration. He hasn't won any divisional title be that League One or Championship. As someone said to me st the game yesterday, he failed to get the title in League One, Crawled over the line for promotion from the Championship despite having dpent more than any other manager, and failed to secure PL survival. He won ONE game at PR all that season. Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley have performed better on a fraction of the outlay.

Opponents KNOW exactly how he'll set up, when he'll make his substitution and probably given the team sheet, who he'll bring on. The game is as difficult as you want to make it. Yesterday Leicester’s manager adopted a high block with their defenders almost on the half way line, with players smothering midfield and extending right across the pitch. ( not the first team to fo this against us!) ... what are the instructions to Town players? Keep possession, play it amongst ourselves in our half.... WHAT does that achieve exactly?? There's zero variation in our approach. No early longer ball, no getting players forward quickly. Leicester’s plsyers were nit put under any pressure. Then ,lo, second half Town players morph into a higher intensity, getting the ball forward, early, quicker...we see this in more games than the occasional ones where we take the initiative and came teams from the first whistle. McKenna needs to LEARN, ADAPT, CHANGE in- game but he doesn't.

Yes we should have had two penalties yesterday, but he's hiding behind those frankly. Lesser paid managers, with less backing and poorer quality squads are doing FAR, FAR better than McKenna is.

I used to sing " Weve got Kieran McKenna
He knows exactly what we need"

I cant bring myself to sing that anymore based on what ive seen over the past 2-3 seasons, because from where im standing ( SBRlower 5), he demonstrates week after week that he doesnt. Ive given up on him ever changing and adapting...I wonder if the owners might?
1

darkhorse28 added 10:28 - Mar 8
Leif talks complete sense, as allows. Calls it as it is. We’re mid table for completing over 10 passes, we’re one of the worst sides in the league for completed tackles (not a product of dominating possession) and we’ve been poor attacking and defending set pieces since Moore left - Kipre is our only serious threat.

These are basics. Any side wanting to be successful, even without our resources, has to get these right, and relative to other clubs, we need to be better in a few areas. Over almost two seasons now.

We can’t keep blaming referees, training grounds, and rain.

There’s an elephant in the room. We have really good shape, but there’s basic areas we don’t look very well coached in…, and when that’s KM’s USP, because some management areas he’s clearly not been good enough (talent ID) then it’s a worry.

Starting to think the only time we’ve been good at set pieces is when we had the cheat code Moore .., not well coached at all. Massive game against Millwall and Boro .., they both really want it, we’ll see if we do. We used to run towards those challenges, well haven’t done so for two years .., hopefully we can win in moments of quality, because that’s not lacking.
1

DavefromWatford added 11:56 - Mar 8
I agree with what Leif has said but having watched the highlights a few times i think he was harshly at fault being caught out by Daka for their goal. No malice intended.
0

armchaircritic59 added 19:20 - Mar 8
darkhorse28, that post is pretty much spot on. Particularly the bit about being coached poorly in certain areas. One very obvious one has been staring everyone at the club in the face for months, which was and still is lifting the burden off JC's and JP's shoulders for goal scoring and get the strikers to score much more regularly. Do we have a " strikers coach "? and if so, what is he doing?

I'm tired of hearing the mantra trotted out about our strikers not needing to be regular scorers in our " system ". At least no one's suggested ( yet ) that our defenders are not required to prevent goals being scored in our " system "! The biggest failure of the strikers was in evidence again yesterday, not anticipating balls being put into the 6 yard box. Time and time again this season balls have put into the box with no one on the end of them. Part of the reason why LD's assist rate has dropped off markedly from the last Championship season, and also why Kasey McAteer is sitting on 1 assist when he should be on about 5.

Boro certainly wanted it this afternoon, goal difference down to 3 now. It's still in our hands, but only just.
0

Ebantiass added 20:21 - Mar 8
Obviously not what we wanted, but we will keep pushing hard. Still a bit to go but i fear the play offs at best.
0

DavefromWatford added 23:21 - Mar 8
armchaircritic59, Sadly it is not still in our hands anymore after Middlesboro won today.
0

armchaircritic59 added 00:59 - Mar 9
DavefromWatford, technically it still is. We are 5 points behind Boro with a game in hand and them still to come here. Best not to forget Millwall either. We are 1 point behind them with a game in hand and them still to come here. It is technically in our hands. Or to put it another way, one things for certain, if we win all our remaining games will be 2nd. Chances of that happening?
0


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