Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna knows his side weren’t good enough at either end in this afternoon’s 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United.

Jack Clarke, Sindre Walle Egeli and George Hirst all spurned good chances, with Callum O’Hare and Andre Brooks scoring to give the Blades a 2-0 lead at the break.

Jack Clarke pulled a goal back from the penalty spot on the hour, but Patrick Bamford quickly restored the home side’s lead.

“We’re really frustrated with how the game panned out,” said McKenna. “Up until the first goal it wasn’t a great game by any means, but there were big chances both ends.

“We had better chances, probably three big, big moments to go 1-0 up, which of course would have changed the complexion of the game. The third of those chances, of course, is the corner that then they score from.

“But then we have to go on to the next bit because the first goal was really, really poor from us. We can’t concede that goal from our corner.

“And then we didn’t find enough to get through to half-time. When they get the first goal in a situation like that, the stadium is going to be up and you have to stay strong until half-time.

“The second goal is disappointing from us again. We didn’t sprint back in quick enough, which is not like us, and they shouldn’t get two, three bites at it to score. That’s a big thing for us, sprinting back in as a collective. If we make a mistake and they get one chance, we have to make sure they don’t get the second and third phase of it. We didn’t do that well enough.

“We give ourselves a mountain to climb. I think we had a go in the second half, of course got the goal back, had a really good situation with Leif (Davis) on the left to go to 2-2 and then, again, it’s a long ball that we don’t deal with well enough and it’s 3-1.

“That was then too much to come back from. So, yes, frustrating game. Of course, one that could have panned out differently had we been more clinical with our early chances.

“But, for me, we’ll own the bit that we can control. That’s the first goal, the period up until the second goal and the second goal, in particular, that we didn’t do well enough with. We need to be stronger in those situations.”

This was a fiery game. The two sets of players clashed after Sheffield United’s second goal, the hosts unhappy with Christian Walton after he clattered into O’Hare, and did so again when leaving the field for the break, Sammie Szmodics losing his head after Sydie Peck provocatively ruffled George Hirst’s hair.

“It’s a competitive game, emotional game,” said McKenna.

“I don’t think there was much to either of those situations. Of issues today, that wasn’t the issue. You have to stand up to that in certain situations and make sure you stay together as a team.

“So I didn’t see anything in particular that was a problem in those moments.”