ROY Keane admits that his Ipswich Town team are no where near being promotion material.

ROY Keane admits that his Ipswich Town team are no where near being promotion material.

Town’s unbeaten record was left in tatters by rampant QPR, who eased to a 3-0 win on Tuesday evening, and now it’s the turn of second-placed Cardiff City to visit Portman Road on Saturday.

Even though Town remain in the top six, on the back of a good start to the campaign, Keane is not going to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.

“We’re far from being a team capable of getting promoted, I have to say that,” admitted Keane.

“Tuesday night was a good reminder to everybody, which we already knew, that we’ve a long way to go yet.

“You saw that the other night, in terms of being up against QPR and all their experience, their attacking options, their know-how.

“It was a good reality check for anybody who didn’t know it,” added Keane.

The Irishman’s message is clear - his players have to improve if they want to mix it with the best in the Championship.

That’s not to say that it’s beyond them - Town won five of their first seven league and cup fixtures - and performances will have to improve.

Keane continued: “They will bounce back (from the QPR defeat) and still hopefully have a decent season.

“Every now and then, you get a performance where nobody gets anywhere near the best, and I think we had that the other night.

“I’m not going to crucify any of my players, and I’m not going to shoot any of them,” joked Keane.