BLUES midfielder Tommy Miller has branded the multi-ball system a 'farce' and called for it to be banned.Ipswich Town manager Jim Magilton faces a touchline ban after being sent to the stand during the 1-0 loss at Stoke after clashing with the referee about the way the balls were being returned to the pitch.

Derek Davis

BLUES midfielder Tommy Miller has branded the multi-ball system a 'farce' and called for it to be banned.

Ipswich Town manager Jim Magilton faces a touchline ban after being sent to the stand during the 1-0 loss at Stoke after clashing with the referee about the way the balls were being returned to the pitch.

Miller said: “I'd like to see it banned.

“We saw again how it works for the home side and not the away team. It is bit of farce really

“There were times when balls came on the pitch quickly for the Stoke players but seemed an age for ours.

“It has to be standard. It should be for everyone or no one.”

Ipswich have come unstuck with the multi-ball system in the past, most notably in their play-off defeats by West Ham at Upton Park when Joe Royle was manager

Although the defeat has seen Town slip out of the play-off places Miller believes they can soon get back in the mix and the arrival of former Preston team-mate David Nugent would greatly enhance their promotion prospects.

“David is not playing at the moment and I know he wants to play first team football. It will be better coming here to Ipswich than sitting in the reserves at Portsmouth.

“I was at Preston with David so know him and he is a goal-scorer. He could be the extra edge we need to go up.”

Town go to Southampton on Saturday looking to get back into the top six which Miller insists they can do and has not discounted a top two finish.

He said: “It dents our chances of a top two place but we came here fancying our chances so we will keep going.

“It is devastating to fall out of the top six but we know there will be a lot more twists and turns yet.

“There will be a lot of teams getting into the top six but then falling out again and it will go to the wire.

“It is all about us and I'm confident with the way we play we will be back in it.

“Teams have come from nowhere in the past and that could be the case this year and it is about finishing strongly.

“If we can get back on another run and get back in and stay there.”

Town were beaten by a cracking Liam Lawrence goal, his fourth in as many matches and 13th for the season from another of Miller's old colleagues.

Miller said: “There wasn't much in the game but it was a fantastic goal from Liam. I played with him at Sunderland so I know he is capable of that and it was a greet strike and it has won them the game.

“They didn't cause us many problems and when they did we coped.

“We had a lot of the ball but didn't create many chances either.”

Alan Quinn should today get the results back from scans on an ankle injury that could rule him out for six weeks.