BLUES boss Jim Magilton has warned his side to become more ruthless or suffer the consequences once again.

Derek Davis

BLUES boss Jim Magilton has warned his side to become more ruthless or suffer the consequences once again.

A failure to kill sides off cost Town a top six place last year and there were signs of the same old problem at the Withdean Stadium last night even though they triumphed 3-2 against League One Brighton.

It took two penalties from substitute Tommy Miller to secure the win after Kevin Lisbie scored his second in two but after Ipswich missed a raft of chances Brighton hit back to go 2-1 up through Nicky Forster and Kevin McLeod.

Magilton said: “Our attacking play at times was fantastic and with calmer finish we would have been out of sight by half-time and missing chances can come back and hurt you as it did last season.

“We gave them an incentive to come back in it and we should not be doing that.

“When we have teams at that stage we have to be ruthless and we are not doing that.

“We are very inventive but at times the other side of the game, the horrible bits of the game, are not natural to some and we have to look at that away from home and learn to shut up shot.

“I would like us to have a more ruthless streak and take teams like Brighton by the throat and kill them off.”

Magilton revealed he now knows his best starting XI but has warned they still have a lot of work to do.

He said: “We made lots of changes in the second half.

Going forward don't have a problem but we are still disjoined at times and good teams will pick you off.

“We can't keep having to score three goals away from home to win matches. We need some 1-0 and 2-0 wins and nick a result.

“There is still a lot of work to do.

“I enjoyed our performance and I enjoyed Brighton's performance too, as it was very good.

“But if I'm being critical of us, when we have the ball everyone wants to join in but when we break down that changes - we are too open.”

Town were without the injured Pim Balkestein and Pablo Counago while Jon Walters is at home with his expectant wife but Magilton already knows who he will start the season off with.

He added: “I know what my starting side will be against Preston.

“We changed the back four against Brighton and that made a difference.

“It will be a different mentality with different players away from home - it has to be.”