IPSWICH Town boss Jim Magilton admitted Birmingham showed too much quality and Ipswich need to do better if they are to challenge for a top six spot.

Derek Davis

IPSWICH Town boss Jim Magilton admitted Birmingham showed too much quality and Ipswich need to do better if they are to challenge for a top six spot.

He said: “It was a lesson for us. If we have any ambition to play at the next level then these are the games you have to go to, stand up and produce and be brave.

“You have to be brave to receive the ball and do the nasty things and they did it a little better than we did.

“I'm disappointed that we didn't give them a good enough game. That was not good enough against a quality side. If you are going to play the best in this division you have to be at it from the fist whistle and we weren't.

Magilton said: “We gave the ball away very cheaply for the first 20 minutes and when you give a quality side like Birmingham possession they have players who can hurt you and they did.

“We huffed and puffed a little after that and the goal was a consolation goal for us. I was pleased for Alex to score, he ahs done well for us since he got back in the side.

“Richard Naylor had a wonderful chance and had that gone in early on it might have been different.”

Liam Ridgewell and Kevin Phillips put Birmingham two-up inside a quarter of an hour and Franck Qeudrue hit the crossbar in the second half as City keep the pressure on leaders Wolves.

Alex Bruce netted against his old club five minutes from time but City comfortably closed out the game.

The lowest league crowd at St Andrews of the season watched City win

City boss McLeish said: “It was a great first half and we were on fire. In the opening few minutes our players showed they wanted it.

“Losing two players in central midfield disrupted our rhythm and Ipswich knew if they got a goal back it would make it difficult for us.”

*Liam Trotter has extended his loan spell at Grimsby Town by another month.