Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna Frustrated After Conceding Two Penalties In Draw With Fulham

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Kieran McKenna expressed his frustration as Ipswich Town let another lead slip away, resulting in a 2-2 draw against Fulham. Ipswich seemed poised for consecutive wins after defeating Chelsea, leading 2-1 during stoppage time. Sammie Szmodics scored first for Ipswich, and Liam Delap restored their lead with a penalty after Raul Jimenez's equaliser. However, Jimenez's late penalty secured Fulham's unbeaten streak.

Despite the setback, McKenna acknowledged positive aspects of the match. "There were lots of good things about the performance, a really good game and one we could have won," he told BBC Sport. He lamented conceding two penalties from counter-attacks, which cost them valuable points. Ipswich has now conceded five penalty goals this season, equalling Wolves' record in the Premier League.

Fulham's unbeaten run now stands at seven games, comprising two wins and five draws. Meanwhile, Ipswich remains in the relegation zone due to goal difference, trailing behind Wolves who face Nottingham Forest next. McKenna's team has dropped 17 points from winning positions this season; only Fulham and Brighton have lost more points in similar situations.

McKenna believes his team is making progress despite recent setbacks. He highlighted their competitive performances against Arsenal and Chelsea before facing Fulham. "We had the better chances in the second half from open play," he noted. McKenna feels they are learning to manage games better but admitted they might have missed out on some points against Fulham.

On Sunday, Ipswich announced their first signing of the January transfer window by acquiring Ben Godfrey on loan from Atalanta for the rest of the season. Godfrey has been capped twice by England but fell out of favour with his club. He expressed excitement about joining Ipswich: "It's been an exciting couple of days and I'm just delighted to have signed."

Godfrey is eager to work under McKenna and praised the team's unity and determination: "I’ve watched a lot of the games from the first half of the season and you can tell from those that the group is a tight one." His addition aims to bolster Ipswich's defence as they strive to climb out of relegation danger.

Despite recent challenges, Ipswich remains hopeful about their prospects this season. With new talent like Godfrey joining their ranks and lessons learned from past matches, they aim to improve their standing in upcoming fixtures.