IPSWICH Town need another 17 points from 15 games to be safe from Championship relegation worries.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town need another 17 points from 15 games to be safe from Championship relegation worries.

That's the view of Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine.

He is convinced his Owls side need six more wins to be safe, adding: “The league will be more condensed this year and I'm looking to get 18 more points at least for us to be safe.”

Town now have 36 points and while 50 is normally regarded as enough to stay up it could well be around three more this term.

“That's another game that has gone without us winning so it adds to the pressure,” continued Irvine.

“It was not a game for the purists and the pitch did not help. Nor did the fact that I had six defenders on Friday and two of them were injured.

“We have no money to spend, but thankfully I was given permission to bring in Preston's Eddie Nolan on loan.

“My lads worked hard but there was not enough composure and quality about their play to unduly worry Ipswich.

“Until they scored I thought we were okay, but that set us back and when you are feeling a bit fragile the last thing you want is another knock. In the second half we huffed and puffed and I put three up front and played one just off them in a hope of creating a chance or two. But we lacked quality although I thought Richard Hinds came in and did well as cover for the injured Darren Purse.”