Ipswich Town: Alex Jones' player ratings from Preston North End defeat

Vaclav Hladky

One of those games where he didn't look comfortable playing out from the back. Preston realised they could put him under real pressure. Played Sam Morsy into a tough position for the third goal. Only had one save to make in the end. 5

​Harry Clarke

Tried to offer something going forward, but he didn't have many chances to do so. Found it tough at times against Liam Millar but stood his ground as best he could. 6

Luke Woolfenden

His performances have gone unde the radar in recent weeks, but he was poor against Preston. Didn't handle their pace and energy on the counter. Positioning wasn't as sharp as we've seen. 5

George Edmundson was unfortunate to contribute to Preston's first two goals (Image: Ross Halls)

George Edmundson

A nightmare start. Shot deflected off him for the first goal and he ended up turning the ball into his own net for the second, where he was caught high up the pitch despite calls for offside. Certainly unfortunate, so doesn't deserve huge criticism, but his levels have dropped in the last two games. 4

Leif Davis

Not at his best, but still created the most chances of anyone on the pitch, bagged his 11th assist of the campaign and hit the woodwork. Stats don't tell the whole story, but he was far from the worst player on the pitch. 6

Sam Morsy

Man of the Match until Kieffer Moore was introduced. Like Davis, he stood out above the rest despite not playing as well as we've seen. Excellent composure on the ball, but the occasional sloppy moment. Didn't look great for the third goal. 6

Massimo Luongo partnered Sam Morsy in midfield for the first time since January 1st (Image: Ross Halls)

Massimo Luongo

Hard for him to do much when Town weren't in the game, but he was far too quiet. Made a nice run down the left to win a free-kick, but Preston played through him far too easily. 5

Wes Burns

Ipswich have used him as the outlet recently and they tried to do it again, but he was way off the pace today. Didn't have the beating of his man down the left and his end product didn't cause Preston any problems. 4

Conor Chaplin

Played a superb pass to Burns in the first half but was quiet aside from that. Forced a save from Freddie Woodman just after the restart. Needed offer more when Town were in possession. Ended up getting marked out of the game at times, but even when he wasn't, he didn't do enough. 5

Jeremy Sarmiento

Overcomplicated things too much. Couldn't find the simple pass, used his flicks and skills at the wrong times. A few lively moments, forced a good save in the second half, but this wasn't the right game for what he brought to the table. Frustrating. 5

Kayden Jackson

Had no service at all. Just eight touches during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Needed to have more of a presence and get into better areas, but hard to criticise too much when he got no real support. 5

Kieffer Moore scored a brace on his second debut for the club (Image: Ross Halls)

Sub: Kieffer Moore (46')

Should've started, in hindsight. Offered so much in the final third, showcasing his physicality and his athleticism. Did well for both his goals, albeit that they were from close range, and put in a complete performance during his time on the pitch. Could've won a penalty, and had chances to score more than one. Won more duels in the second half that anyone else managed across the entire game. 8 (Man of the Match)

Sub: Nathan Broadhead (67')

Didn't have much of an impact, but deserves credit for playing Davis into space to set up Moore's first goal. Intelligent move. 6

Sub: Omari Hutchinson (67')

He didn't waste his time in the final third by aimlessly blasting shots. Quite a composed performance, but probably needed to be more threatening. 6

Sub: Marcus Harness (81')

Added something extra in a deeper role late on, but didn't have much time on the ball. N/A

Sub: Ali Al-Hamadi (81')

Should've scored late on. Smashed a shot straight at the goalkeeper. N/A