PERPLEXED player/manager Gary McAllister refused to give any credit to Ipswich for their 4-2 come-from-behind win, preferring instead to blame the defeatist attitude of his players.

PERPLEXED player/manager Gary McAllister refused to give any credit to Ipswich for their 4-2 come from behind win, preferring instead to blame the defeatist attitude of his players, writes Derek Davis.

McAllister, by far City's best player, was at a loss to explain why his team had given up a two-goal half-time lead despite a dressing room warning.

He moaned: “All the ranting and raving at half-time was totally meaningless as it went in one ear and out the other. We asked for concentration and a bit of professionalism to protect the lead but you could see two or three years of poor results coming to the fore.

“We need to look at why we just laid down.”

After going in with goals from Matt Jansen and Dean Gordon, The Sky Blues were unprepared for a quick Jim Magilton free kick, which was rapped goal-wards by Martijn Reuser. The ball took a fortunate defection off Marcus Bent's behind to loop over youngster Gary Montgomery

McAllister said: “The balance of the two halves was so far apart you can't believe.

“It was a fluke goal and they flourished from it. As one team went one way the other team went the other.”

“You can see some of the heads went immediately down and that reaction was quite sad really. After that we were hanging on really, and the scoreline could have been greater.

“In the first half we had massive commitment with some quality passing on a ropey pitch.

“Ipswich started brightly but after 10 minutes or so we picked them off and made some good chances and deserved our two goals, which was just rewards.”

McAllister also refuses to accept his team are in danger of being sucked into the relegation zone, despite being just three places above third from bottom Brighton and winning just one of their 16 league games this year.

He said: “We are still looking at the teams above us but we do still need a result somewhere, and the sooner the better. The bottom teams lost while Walsall and Derby had good results. At half time I thought we were on for three points, which would have taken us away from the danger area.”

The club are already making plans for next season by axing 10 of their current squad and promoting youngsters.

Ben Mackey made club history by becoming their youngest ever player at 16 years and 167 days, beating Gary McSheffrey by a month. Tom Bates also made his debut at 17 when he went on as a substitute.

McAllister said: “They are two young guys who are going to be fast-tracked due to the situation here.

“Ben had a sight of goal and we know he can get in good areas and has an eye for goal.”