Southampton 1 Ipswich Town 1: Kieran McKenna feels side were good value for point after late Sam Morsy equaliser
Town boss Kieran McKenna felt his side deserved to claim a point from their 1-1 draw at Southampton on the balance of play, which saw skipper Sam Morsy net his first top-flight goal in the 95th minute.
Tyler Dibling, 18, had given the Saints the lead with his first Premier League goal in the fifth minute.
“It’s an enjoyable moment, I have to say,” McKenna said. “I think it was a hard-fought game. I think on the balance of play we probably deserved a point.
“I thought we did deserve a point on the balance of play and it’s a great way to get it, to score late in the game away from home against a team, who are fighting for their first win and had great energy from the crowd, were showing resilience in their way as well, to keep pushing as we did.
“Of course, we had the big chance with George [Hirst] just beforehand where the goalkeeper made a terrific save, but to bounce back from that, go again and then for Samy to get the equalising goal as captain in front of the away supporters, it’s a fantastic time to score.
“It’s big for us as a young group, as group that’s coming together in a new division, to go through an experience like that after the experience that we went through last week as well, to know that we can score late in the game, to know that.
“To have the belief that we’re capable of scoring late goals has been a big, big part of our story and for our new group of players and the new group coming together, mixed with the players that we’ve had here.
“To go through that together away from home in a goal like that, that’s a fantastic experience for us.”
Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale made a number of impressive saves, most notably from Omari Hutchinson in the first half and George Hirst just before the goal.
However, McKenna says he never gave up on getting a goal: “He made a couple of really good saves. But, I was really hoping that the group would get the goal because I know how important those things can be.
“I know how we’ve built that over the last couple of seasons, to become a team who have regularly scored late goals, who scored late goals in big moments in big games.
“I was really hoping for the group that they would get that experience today. Of course, it’s a point, but it’s much too early in the season for us to be thinking about tables or points.
“It’s a fantastic experience for the group to go through and I always believe in these boys that if they keep doing the right things, keep following the plan of how we chase games late on, then we always give ourselves a great chance to get a goal.”
Town are now undefeated in three in the Premier League, an impressive achievement for a newly promoted side, even if they were all draws.
“It is, three games, two of them away games, each game a challenge, as they will be with their own story,” he said.
“To be as competitive as we have been, to show the different qualities that we have. Last week a very different point from this week. Last week, defending late in the game and trying to see out the point, today pushing for the equaliser late in the game and trying to chase the point.
“To go through those things and for it to be three games in a row that we’ve picked up results, that’s a big positive, and everyone knows who the opponents were in those first two games.
“We know we’ve still got a lot of improving to go. There were some good things today, there were things that I think we will definitely be better on in the course of time.
“But while we’re building our execution in all the phases, building the foundations of a successful group, most importantly never giving up and showing resilience whenever you need to.
“We’ve done those things over the last couple of weeks and it’s always nice to get something from your away games.”
Kalvin Phillips missed out with a minor thigh problem, which shouldn’t keep the on-loan Manchester City man out for long.
“It’s not bad,” he said. “A very small injury in his thigh muscle. He picked it up late in the training week, so wasn’t quite right for today.
“Pleased for Jens [Cajuste] getting his first opportunity, thought he did well coming in, he hasn’t had many competitive minutes this season, so I think coming in for a start, I thought he performed well and we’re hopeful Kalvin won’t be too far away.”
Asked whether he prepared differently for facing Southampton this season from last term in the Championship, he reflected: “I don’t necessarily about preparing differently. I think our preparation is pretty similar. Last season we played them midweek twice, so we didn’t have as long to prepare. We had a little bit longer today.
“It’s just preparing for a different Southampton. They had maybe six or seven players who didn’t face us last year. They’ve been working between a couple of different systems but their principles are pretty clear and pretty well ingrained. So, similar processes.
“Of course, respecting Southampton’s strengths, which they certainly do have and preparing for the new players and the new additions they’ve made this year.
“I thought on the balance of play, we were dominant in the first 25 minutes and one moment of outstanding quality from [Adam] Lallana really went against us, but it’s maybe the first time we’ve had a phase like that against Southampton. I thought we did some good things.
“Of course, they had their moments in the game as well and some opportunities and they had some great energy in the stadium while they were fighting for the point.
“A really tough game against a team and a staff that we know well and I’m sure they’ll be disappointed but it’s very early in the season for both teams.”
Regarding preparing for Dibling, who was making only his fifth senior start, McKenna said: “He hasn’t played too much but his quality is there for all to see, it’s pretty easy to see the things that he does really well.
“He’s a super young player, I have to say, and hadn’t seen too much of him before the pre-season games that we’ve been watching and the early games.
“What an exciting talent, he took his goal well today and I’m sure he’ll go on and have a good career.”
McKenna says he’s pleased with the way one of his own youngsters, Omari Hutchinson, has made the step up to the Premier League.
“He’s doing well,” he said. “There’s a lot of effort behind it, he’s working very hard, he’s doing well. And I think there’s still more to come.
“There’s a lot of, maybe responsibility is the wrong word, but he and Liam [Delap] are two very young players to be a number nine and a number 10, to be leading the line for a Premier League club.
“Neither of them were perfect today, they’re not going to be, but they’re two players with great attributes and they’re trying to grow into the responsibility of leading a team at this level.
“Omari’s certainly had a positive start to the season, he’s contributing well on all phases and he’s a handful for any team.
“Of course, the next steps for him now, and I think as a team, are our execution on certainly big moments, whether it’s in possession phases or on transitions, it can definitely improve so that we can create more clear-cut opportunities.
“He’s doing very, very well and he’s showing he can already cause a lot of problems at this level.”
McKenna says Ramsdale’s save from Hutchinson’s first-half strike illustrated the step up to the top flight.
“A terrific strike and a fantastic save, probably shows the level,” he said. “He had two similar goals against Hull last year in a big, big game at the end of the season that weren’t as well struck or as well placed, but they also weren’t against an England international, Premier League top class goalkeeper.
“That shows the difference in the level and if he’s in the Championship I’m pretty certain that goes in the top corner and it’s easier to take confidence from that.
“For all our players, it’s about recognising the things that you’re doing well, you might not always have the same success as you’ve had at a previous level, but it’s recognising what you’re doing well and building on that.”
While the Blues created plenty of opportunities prior to Morsy’s late goal, McKenna felt they might have carved out even more.
“We were a threat,” he said. “I thought there were still more chances there for us. I thought we had some big, big moments - and we’ve had it in every game - where it doesn’t end up a chance or a shot but the last pass, the defensive line’s holding offside a little bit more, defensive line’s maybe reading and intercepting through passes.
“I think we’re really, really close. Even the Brighton game last week, we didn’t end up having many chances but there were probably six or seven moments where if the through pass is released a split second earlier, one touch fewer is taken, we have a little bit more angle and we’ve got one-v-one, sometimes two-v-one against a goalkeeper.
“I don’t feel like we’re far away, but it’s harder to create chances at this level. I don’t feel like we’re far away from scoring more goals than we are.
“But I think we were certainly good value for one goal today, there were a couple of chances missed and some really good saves and we were certainly good value for our goal.”
McKenna says maintaining the habit of scoring late goals established over the last two seasons will be vital during the campaign ahead.
“It’s very important, it’s something that those that have followed us know that we’ve worked really, really hard to build,” he said.
“It took time and a lot of work. In my first five months with the team in League One, we didn’t score any late goals and we conceded late goals pretty regularly.
“Then the first full season, we became better at it, we scored more late goals and last season we scored lots of late goals and we became pretty adept at not conceding late ones as well.
“Of course, there’s always an element of luck in any late goal that takes a deflection, but we’ve worked really hard on that from a fitness point of view, from a tactical point of view, from a mental point of view, from squad building and how we use our squad, in order to know that we can score goals late in the game in different ways.
“To go through that today with a new group in a new division with new players, away from home in a situation that gets us a point, which may or may not be valuable at the end [is a big positive].
“But I think more importantly the times - and there will be several times this season where we’re maybe a one-goal margin away from a win or from a draw in a game - and the belief that we can score the late winner or the late equaliser is a big thing to have in the group, and will hopefully get us more points over the course of the season.”
