A HURT Blues boss Jim Magilton slammed his side's Carling Cup exit to MK Dons on penalties as “totally unacceptable” and admitted the better team won.Ipswich crashed out of the competition to a lower league side for the fifth year running and Magilton pulled no punches at his side's abject display.

By Derek Davis

A HURT Blues boss Jim Magilton slammed his side's Carling Cup exit to MK Dons on penalties as “totally unacceptable” and admitted the better team won.

Ipswich crashed out of the competition to a lower league side for the fifth year running and Magilton pulled no punches at his side's abject display.

Magilton said: “There are no excuses whatsoever. The better team won and MK Dons were a credit to their manager the way they kept going.

“At half-time we were lucky to still be in the game and being 2-1 down flattered us.

“We played better second half but it was still very disappointing. We have to be better than that and it was a shocking last goal, too.

“Even when we were 3-2 up we were disappointing. We were so sloppy at times it was frightening.

“We now have to go to Plymouth and if I'm a Plymouth scout watching this I know exactly what I would be telling my players.”

The Blues were dogged by inconsistency last season and Magilton is concerned it will be a recurring problem.

He said: “That is the level of player I have at this club. We can't string two results together. The players probably heard wonderful, glorious things after Saturday but we can't play two games the same.

“It worried me that it is going to be the same as last season because it looks as if you are over one hurdle and it smacks you in the face again.

“I hope the players are upset because I have told a few home truths in there, so hopefully we can get a reaction on Saturday.”

Kevin Gallen fired a 120th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot after Jason de Vos fouled Leon Knights but the Town skipper did not accept it was a spot-kick.

De Vos said: “There was contact but the player just fell backwards and that is not a penalty in my book.”

Dons assistant manager Ray Matthias said: “That was an absolutely fantastic performance from first minute to last. At times we outplayed a Championship side in Ipswich and we have said if our lads can live with them and more than match them, if we take that into our league we will walk it.”

Dons keeper Nathan Abbey, once on the books at Portman Road without playing a senior game, secured the win by saving a Dan Harding penalty in a shoot-out.

Owen Garvan thought he had spared Ipswich Town blushes when he scored from a Danny Haynes cross after Town fought back after being two goals down to get on level terms in the 90 minutes.

An Alan Lee penalty dragged them back into the match at stadium:mk before a Kieran Murphy own-goal gave them an equaliser.

The Dons had gone ahead through Leon Knight and then an Alex Bruce own-goal.

This was the fifth early exit in a row that IpswichTown have made from the Carling Cup at the hands of lower league sides.