KELVIN Davis believes the lack of clean sheets has already cost the Blues automatic promotion and could jeopardise a play-off place.

KELVIN Davis believes the lack of clean sheets has already cost the Blues automatic promotion and could jeopardise a play-off place, writes Derek Davis.

Ipswich Town's defensive frailties have left the keeper disconsolate. Although goals from Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi gave the Blues the win at Milton Keybes, Wimbledon scored their first goal in eight games.

So while Ipswich have the best scoring record in the league this season with 73 goals, the 63 they have conceded is the highest apart from relegation certainties Wimbledon, who have let in 74.

Davis was beaten by on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder Gary Smith as he headed in a Jason Puncheon free kick, and the keeper was angry at his side's lack of concentration.

He said: "Our failure to keep clean sheets has already cost us automatic promotion. If we had not conceded the amount of goals we have we would have been challenging the top two.

"When we went two goals up we expected to win the game which we did, but we are disappointed not to keep a clean sheet. We lapsed again and although it is something we keep talking about we can't quite get it together.

"On the up side we have won three games on the spin and that is a great record, so it is now time to push on again for the top six.

"We have laid the foundations, now it is up to us. It goes without saying we aim to stop conceding sloppy goals but at the same time if we keep winning games and getting the three points we will be up there."

The loss was Wimbledon's 10th in a row and they have not won in the league in 20 matches now.

Davis hails from Leighton Buzzard, just a few miles from the new home of Wimbledon at Milton Keynes.

The former Don, who joined Town from Stuart Murdoch's outfit on a free transfer in the summer, still has a lot of feelings for his old team-mates. He said: "I feel sorry for these boys. They didn't deserve what happened to them. They have a great spirit and you could tell by the way they came off the pitch they were disappointed to lose, it was not enough just to be playing."