IPSWICH Town paid the penalty for their exertions against Arsenal when dropping deeper into Championship relegation bother with a 2-1 defeat at Millwall on Saturday.

The stamina and mental strength it took to beat the Gunners in a night thick with emotion on Wednesday backed by the scars left by a humiliating 7-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea last Sunday left Ipswich wanting after taking control of the game at the Den.

“You could not fault us for effort, but we looked a bit tired in the second half playing our third match in six days,” said Town midfielder Carlos Edwards.

“We faltered a bit and fatigue came into it although it’s easy to make excuses.

“I look upon it as a blip after the good show against Arsenal, and we still have in our system the confidence that we gained from that victory.

“We all know that cup football can be a weird game, and when it comes to the league it is a different scenario.

“There was not too much wrong with our play on Saturday, but we didn’t take our chances.”

Edwards was one of the Town players who always stood right behind former manager Roy Keane having followed the Irishman from Sunderland to Portman Road.

He is now giving the same backing to new boss Paul Jewell and the Trinidad and Tobago international went on: “I don’t think the board would have brought the new gaffer here if they did not think he could change things around.

“We have to give him all the support and we are fully focused on this and to give him a headache when he comes to pick his squad.”

Striker Rory Fallon has gone back to his parent club Plymouth Argyle today. He said: “I would have liked to have stayed.”