Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert was once again left frustrated by the referee, but admitted that his team still shouldn’t have conceded a last minute goal in today’s 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

The Blues struggled to create many openings in a largely scrappy game and were only level come the closing stages thanks to keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and some profligacy by the visitors.

Town did liven up in the final 15 minutes, but it was the Owls who scored in the 90th minute as substitute Lucas Joao converted Adam Reach’s low cross.

“Sheffield Wednesday were better than us first half and could have been a couple of goals up. We rode the storm,” admitted Lambert, whose team are now eight points adrift of safety at the foot of the Championship table with 16 games to go.

“First half we waited for things to happen rather than make things happen.

“Second half we regrouped, we got a foothold in it, but the goal was a really poor one to lose – especially at that time in the game.”

Ipswich were on the end of a couple of highly controversial decisions from referee Keith Stroud in their 2-1 loss at Aston Villa last weekend and again were left feeling hard done by today after Oliver Langford did not penalise a Michael Hector challenge in the build-up to the winner.

The home fans voiced their anger and Town goalkeeper coach Jimmy Walker was booked for his protests.

“I thought there was a foul,” said Lambert. “It was a strong challenge. In the modern day game now you blow on somebody and it’s a foul. Looking at it, I think it’s a foul. That’s my view on it, but the referee is in a good position to see it and he called it the way he saw it.

“We still shouldn’t have lost the goal.”

With Reach going around the outside of Kenlock before pulling the back for Joaoa, Lambert added: “Myles should have done better with it. That’s the reality. He’s a young lad learning his trade. He’s 22 years old and he’ll learn from it. But he probably should have done better.”