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McKenna concedes Southampton defeat is 'opportunity missed' for Ipswich

Kieran McKenna acknowledged Ipswich Town's 2-1 home defeat to bottom-placed Southampton is a blow to their Premier League survival hopes.

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna acknowledged his side's 2-1 defeat at home to bottom side Southampton was "an opportunity missed" in terms of bolstering their Premier League survival hopes.

Leicester City's 4-0 loss at Everton meant even a point would have taken Ipswich above the Foxes and out of the bottom three.

However, Paul Onuachu's 87th-minute winner condemned the Tractor Boys to a fourth successive league defeat, while leaving them in 19th place.

McKenna believes the Tractor Boys were the better team and deserving of three points, yet left with nothing.

"No doubt [that it is a missed opportunity], it's a bad result for us," he told BBC Match of the Day. "[A] poor way to lose the game.

"We were the better team, had the better chances, should have been ahead, should have killed the game, but didn't and then lost it to a poor late goal from our point of view."

McKenna was also disappointed at another late goal being conceded by his side at Portman Road, with the likes of Leicester and Bournemouth punishing them in a similar manner earlier in the season.

"It's an opportunity missed," he added. "Another home game that we have lost late, and we have had too many of those.

"We've got 14 games left to try and make sure we write a different story for our season and, hopefully, we're not talking at the end about the disappointment of conceding late goals, and letting points go adrift."

Meanwhile, Southampton boss Ivan Juric revelled in a "great feeling" after picking up his first win in the Premier League, despite his side still being rooted to the bottom of the table.

"The guys deserved it because they worked a lot," he told BBC Sport. "They played some good games and we lost, but today we won. The character is always there. We will enjoy tonight, that's for sure, it's a great feeling.

"We've won today and I think the team can improve themselves and make good matches, and think that we can do something really special. That's our idea. We have to have good character and improve every game."

The Croatian also praised the performances of debutants Wellington and Albert Gronbaek, who helped contribute to the Saints' first league win since November - and first away victory in the top flight in 20 attempts.

"I think they gave us a hand," he added. "Welington had a really good game, he was very tired because he hadn't played for six months. And Albert, his technique, he had some opportunities in the first half."

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