IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell thought his side deserved to win an entertaining game against Peterborough 3-2 today courtesy of Aaron Cresswell’s deflected late goal.

Grant Leadbitter and Daryl Murphy twice put the Blues in front, only for the equally attack-minded visitors to level on both occasions via Tyrone Barnett and Emile Sinclair.

Within two minutes of Posh getting back on level terms for the second time though, Cresswell’s 25-yard angled shot took a huge deflection off Gabriel Zakuani to wrong-foot keeper Paul Jones and seal a fourth straight home win.

“I did tell you it wouldn’t be nil-nil!” said Jewell. “I think it was an entertaining game with both sides trying to win the game. Both sides know what their strengths are and tried to go forward and score more than the opposition.

“I watched the tape of their Blackpool game yesterday (3-1 home win for Peterborough) and that one could have been 3-3 after 15 minutes.

“We attacked, they attacked. First half I thought they were the better team and shaded it. Even though we had some real good chances so did they.

“Second half I thought we were the better team and we’ve shown great character to respond to the equaliser and hang on in the last knockings.

“We’d have definitely lost that game not so long ago.”

Asked if such goalfests were stressful for a manager, Jewell said: “I’m used to it! There are not many games where we can play a comfortable 1-0 out here. We know that we need to tighten up defensively – we’ve known that all season. The good thing is we have got is goals in us and we’re creating chances.

“Chopra’s hit the bar, he’s put one just over, he could have scored two headers in the first half, so could Tommy Rowe We’ve had 20 shots, they’ve had 14 or 15 – it must have been good for you guys.”

The Blues boss continued: “JET (Jay Emmanuel-Thomas) didn’t have a great game today. He’s been a major part of our attacking force recently and, although it wasn’t his day today, we still got three goals.

“We changed to a diamond (in the second half) because I didn’t think JET was quite on his game and I thought we needed to match them up a bit.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We’ve got two goals off a set-play and that pleases me because they are vitally important.”

Asked if he felt his side deserved the three points, George Boyd missing a golden chance at the death – the linesman controversially flagging for a foul on keeper Alex McCarthy – Jewell said: “I think so. “Darren (Ferguson) will probably have his thoughts on that, but I thought we showed character. We’ve had a little bit of fortune with the goal, there’s no doubt about that, but when we played at their place and lost 7-1 I thought at least two of their goals were offside but I didn’t come in moaning and groaning about that!”

– See Monday’s EADT and Evening Star for match analysis and more reaction.