HORNETS boss Ray Lewington felt his side threw the game away rather than Ipswich doing anything to win it.The second-from-bottom team took the lead but then saw the Blues come back to win – and Lewington said Watford had only themselves to blame.

HORNETS boss Ray Lewington felt his side threw the game away rather than Ipswich doing anything to win it.

The second-from-bottom team took the lead but then saw the Blues come back to win – and Lewington said Watford had only themselves to blame.

He added: "This one hurt. No disrespect to Ipswich, but they have not had too much to do to take the points. When we went ahead we should have taken advantage of that, but we didn't.

"We got a break in the shape of that goal – it was not a classic but we were 1-0 up and that is all that mattered at the time. We should have kept pressing on and pushing their possession, but we did not."

He did admit, however, that Town skipper Jim Magilton made a big difference.

He said: "Pushing him behind the front players was wonderful for him. He did not have any defensive duties and he just sat there and caused some problems.

"We did not really solve the problem. It was a big gamble on their behalf to go with three in midfield, but we did not use our extra man in midfield and by the end we were very nervy and his experience shone through."

Central defenders Sean Dyche and Neil Cox berated the referee after the game, claiming the assistant had missed an offside when Magilton scored. But as it appeared Robinson had played the ball back as he tackled Pablo Counago, the argument seemed feeble.

Lewington said: "The players claimed the goal was offside but I could not see it myself. It is irrelevant."

The defeat leaves Watford – with just one win and one draw – at the bottom of the table, just ahead of Wimbledon on goal difference.