Leif Davis was frustrated by Ipswich Town’s 0-0 draw against Wrexham )
Ipswich Town defender Leif Davis was disappointed that his side couldn’t break down Wrexham at Portman Road, but hopes that the point from their 0-0 draw could be an important one in their bid to secure promotion.
The Blues came in as favourites, having entered the international break off the back of a four-match unbeaten run, but they struggled to create clear chances against the Red Dragons, who stood tall at the back to shut out their opponents on Suffolk soil.
“It was tough,” Davis said after the match. “It was a game of two halves, really.
“In the first half, we had opportunities to go and score. Then the gameplan changed for them in the second half, where they came man-for-man.
“I think if we grabbed that goal in the second half it would have been a different game – they would have probably chased the game a bit more, then it would have opened up.
“I still think we had opportunities in the game where we could have scored. We’ve just got to be a bit more clinical.
“Every point counts towards the end of the season, every point will add up, but it’s not the draw we wanted.
The left-back admitted that his side find it difficult against defensive sides (Image: Ross Halls)
“We should have taken the three points away from the game, but football is football. It could be an important point come the end of the season.”
Although stalemates are rare under Kieran McKenna, the pattern of the game felt familiar.
The manager and various players have highlighted the fact that Town tend to start fast and with intensity, but grow frustrated when they don’t get a goal in the opening stages.
Davis believes that they have made an improvement in that regard, but there’s still work to do.
“I think it’s hard and frustrating when teams come and sit off you,” he explained. “We’re not used to it, obviously. We’re used to teams coming at us and trying to press, going for a bit of a basketball game.
“When the game goes like that, I think teams know we’ll come out on the right side of it. That’s what teams sit in against us, because we’ve got the quality going forward.
“We have to adapt to that and we have to break teams down that sit in and don’t give you many chances. When you do get your chance, you’ve got to take it, because you’re not going to get many more in a game, especially against back fives.
Nathan Broadhead got a warm reception on his return to Suffolk (Image: Ross Halls)
“They are just going to block everything, crosses and all that. Then they have got more bodies in the box when we’re trying to score.
“It’s about trying to dial in and doing everything we can to try and change the game, go that extra step and get the goal.”
One positive from the day was getting to see Nathan Broadhead again. The Wales international left Ipswich in a £7.5m deal over the summer, having played an instrumental part in securing back-to-back promotion from League One to the Premier League.
He received a warm welcome from the home fans, and Davis was pleased to see him too.
“Seeing Broadie today come on the pitch, he’s a top lad,” the left-back enthused. “One of the nicest I’ve met in football.
“I spoke to him before the game and he said, ‘oh, I miss you all’, all that kind of stuff. Those are the kind of lads you need in the changing room.”
The draw came off the back of some big news for Davis, whose new deal was announced just over 24 hours before hand, keeping him at Portman Road until the summer of 2029.
“I was delighted to sign it,” he stated. “I’ve said a lot of times that I love this club and I’m so committed to being here.
Davis’ new contract runs until the summer of 2029 (Image: Ross Halls)
“When Mark [Ashton] spoke to me about it, it was a no-brainer. I’m fully-committed with my future here and now it’s done I can just focus on my football for the rest of the season.”
Asked what those negotiations were like, Davis replied: “The offer was on the table, and there was no reason for me to leave anyway, no reason for me to switch up and go anywhere else.
“I’m happy here. I told Mark at the start of the season when there was interest, or rumours, which was going around. I said, ‘I’m fully committed to being here and my aim is to get this team back to the Premier League. That’s what I want to do.
“They offered me the contract and I couldn’t turn it down. I was delighted when that happened.”
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