Dara O’Shea is confident that Ipswich Town have taken lessons from their recent defensive set-piece struggles and stressed that the recent fragility against Manchester United was uncharacteristic.

The Blues had only conceded three league goals from dead-ball situations prior to their trip to Old Trafford for their last league outing, but that figure doubled following the 3-2 defeat to United last Wednesday.

Ryan Yates’ equaliser for Nottingham Forest in Monday’s FA Cup meeting also came when a free-kick was only half-cleared in a tie in which Town ultimately lost out on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

O’Shea believes that Ipswich can take heart from their generally positive record over the course of the season, while also acknowledging the improvements that can be made in light of the last two matches.

“Up until the Manchester United game we’ve been really solid defensively set play wise and it hasn’t really been a problem,” the Town defender said. “You can have games like that where they come and things just aren’t right, but for us it’s taking confidence from how well we’d done up until that point.

“The manager touched on it during the week, we’d rather concede three set plays in one game than three set plays in three different games. It’s important for us to learn from that game against United and push on.

“The Forest game as well is a set-piece too which is disappointing but throughout the season we’ve been so good at them that we’ve just got to get back to that and keep doing what we’re best at in them scenarios and learn from the previous games and what we can improve on.”

Boss Kieran McKenna has struggled to maintain a consistent selection over the last few months due to significant injury problems that have seemingly plagued the Town squad.

Conor Chaplin, Julio Enciso, Wes Burns, Chiedozie Ogbene, Kalvin Phillips and Christian Walton are among the names who have been unavailable for selection recently, while Sammie Szmodics is set to undergo surgery on an ankle problem.

O’Shea admitted the challenges the Blues have faced with availability has been difficult and added that Szmodics’s latest setback is particularly unfortunate.

“It’s not easy when you’ve got players coming in and out,” he said. “You’d like to have everyone fit and available and making your choice off that for selection.

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“But every team in the Premier League has these problems, it’s just been a bit like this for us in recent weeks and we’re feeling it a bit more.

“As a defender you want to play with people consistently to build that relationship, but in our squad we’ve got almost two players in every position that are really good players, are comfortable and able to come in at any time.

“It’s about keeping everybody fit and available and giving them the best opportunity to come in and put performances in.

“Sammie’s been great for us this season and it’s disappointing for him to have to go and get an operation on himself now. I’m hoping Sammie will get back to where he was as quickly as possible and can help us in whatever way.”

O’Shea has spent a period of this season managing an injury of his own to his back, although the 26-year-old, who has started every league match since his debut in September, was able to play through the problem.

He said: “Pain free thankfully for a little while now which has been great. As a footballer you’re never really pain free as such but having that back injury was a tough moment for me. It wasn’t easy but I’m glad I’m the other end of it now and I’m looking forward.”

A significant blow in the Blues’ defensive unit is the injury suffered to Axel Tuanzebe on Monday when he was forced to be withdrawn at half-time where O’Shea was his replacement.

While O’Shea has been one of Town’s positive performers this season, the Republic of Ireland international may find himself rotating between his natural position in the centre of defence and the hybrid right-sided role that Tuanzebe often operates.

“Whenever Axel doesn’t play he’s a massive miss to us,” O’Shea said. “Every time he’s played this season he’s put a great shift in. He’s really steady in that position and offers us a lot going forward and defensively too.

“It’s quite a big position for us as a team with the way we play and shift the back four. He’ll be disappointed with the games he’s only been available for this season but a lot is out of his control and it’s been disappointing.

“He's a really experienced player and he’s quick and strong too so it’s nice for me to play alongside them.

“As long as I play I’m happy. I wouldn’t say I enjoy it as much as I do playing centre-back but I’m still able to play there, that’s where I broke through at West Brom so I’m familiar to that position.

“But if you had to give me a choice I’d choose centre-half all day long. If there’s a problem there and I need to play there then I’ll play there no problem whatsoever.

“I still enjoy playing there but centre-half is my preferred position.”

Reflecting further on Monday’s FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest, O’Shea added: “They’re the worst way to lose games on penalties when it’s like that. But after the game there was immense pride in the dressing room from the lads having showed how hard we had to work in that game.

“One hundred and 20 minutes and then to lose on penalties, in a way it can almost bring you closer together because you’re in the trenches there, it’s tough and lads are having to dig in.

“A lot of lads who maybe haven’t played as much as they’d have liked to this season came in and put a massive shift in which is important for them.

“We’re still positive after the game, obviously we’d have loved to go through and win the penalty shootout, but it wasn’t to be on the day so we’re moving forward from it now.

“I think we have competed with a lot of [the top four] throughout the season. There’s been a few games that have got away from us and we understand how that happened, but in lots of games we’ve been there or thereabouts and we’re making it difficult for teams.

“The next part for us is turning them games into results and kicking ourselves on a bit.”

Football Ipswich Town FC Kallum Brisset

Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea has heaped praise on team-mates Conor Townsend and Alex Palmer ahead of the Blues’ Premier League trip to Crystal Palace tomorrow.

O’Shea previously shared a dressing room with the duo at West Bromwich Albion, with the three ex-Baggies all ending up back together at Portman Road for Town’s first season back in the Premier League.

Goalkeeper Palmer became the Blues’ final signing of the January transfer window on deadline day and has since become the designated number one having played in all five matches since his arrival.

Meanwhile, left-back Townsend has had to play second fiddle to Leif Davis since he was brought in from The Hawthorns in the summer, but he has impressed in cup competitions and on his one league start at Aston Villa last month.

O’Shea has said that the attitude Townsend displays despite his minutes being limited is a testament to his character and that his recent performances have not come as a surprise to anyone in the Town squad.

“I’ve known Conor for a long time, we’re really close and our families are close,” he said. “He’s a great pro, Conor, you know what you’re doing to get with him every game.

“For him this season he probably came in knowing he wasn’t going to be first choice. His mentality towards that and how he’s approached training day in, day out getting around the lads has been great.

“The performances he’s put in recently have been amazing and that’s shown everybody else what we see day in, day out. That’s a credit to him, being ready when called upon is one of the hardest things to do when you haven’t been playing games so it’s amazing that he’s able to come in and put in the performances that he has.”

O’Shea was also pleased with the acquisition of Palmer having worked with him for a number of years in the west Midlands.

The 26-year-old said: “I was in the academy with him at West Brom so I’ve known him a long time. It’s been nice to have him back in and around me and all the lads have enjoyed having him too.

“He’s a confident lad and he likes to talk, we give him a bit of banter for that too that he doesn’t shut up at times. It’s nice to have someone come in straight away and be a part of the group like he has.

“His performances as well have been a breath of fresh air stepping straight into things and working well. I’m looking forward to playing with him for longer.

“It’s tough as a keeper to be given that opportunity, especially when you come through the academy to be given that shirt. Once he did, he took that with both hands and he kicked on.

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“He’s been amazing for West Brom, he did really well for the club and he’s got his chance now in the Premier League. He’s really relishing it and looking forward to it.”

Town visit Selhurst Park this weekend looking to claim their first Premier League win of 2025 and come into the contest having lost six of their last seven league matches.

O’Shea, who has lost all five of his own appearances against the Eagles, knows the challenge Oliver Glasner’s side will provide with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah among the attacking talent likely to start for a side who have won eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

“It’s going to be a tough game, going away to Selhurst Park is a tough ground to go to,” O’Shea said. “They’re in good form as well so they’re going to be right up for it.

“It’s probably going to be a game with not much in it, similar to the home fixture. It’s going to be a front-footed game, quite attacking and aggressive and it’s a game we’re looking forward to.

“They’ve got some really good one-v-one players, technically very good, really sharp and quick so it’s going to be a big task for us to keep them quiet. They’ve been doing so well recently so we’re trying to limit their strengths as best as possible.

“They’re big on one-v-ones so trying to get two-v-ones ourselves and try and counteract their main threats is going to be important for us.”

Ismaila Sarr’s second-half strike proved the difference as Ipswich Town remain five points from safety in the Premier League following a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles forward’s neat dink over Alex Palmer on 82 minutes condemned the Blues to their seventh defeat in eight league matches and leaves them with a significant gap to make up with just 10 matches remaining.

Sarr’s seventh goal of the season came after Daichi Kamada earned possession off Kalvin Phillips on the edge of the Blues’ box, with the Senegal winger finishing well to give in-form Palace their ninth victory in 11 matches across all competitions.

Town remain the only Premier League side yet to win in 2025 and head back to Suffolk with a familiar feeling as an immediate return to the Championship growing more likely by the day.

There for the taking

There was a feeling in this game that the opportunity was out there for either side to grab with both hands which did not appear likely early on.

Narrowly beaten.#CRYIPS | @Nustone_UK pic.twitter.com/4amYhMbbR3

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) March 8, 2025

Palace supporters appeared frustrated at times with some loose passing that can only be described as unforced errors, but the Blues failed to create the spark that might have made the difference to swing the contest in their favour.

The first 45 minutes saw little to write home about barring a chance apiece inside the opening three minutes that perhaps gave a false impression as to how the rest of the half would pan out.

Adam Wharton broke the lines with an excellent ball for Eddie Nketiah, the centre-forward standing in for the injured Jean-Philippe Mateta, but he was unable to continue his own form in front of goal when Palmer rushed out to deny him.

Town’s effort came in familiar style as Leif Davis bombed down the flank and applied a cutback which Jaden Philogene could only strike low into the reaching gloves of Dean Henderson.

The returning Julio Enciso looked lively up against his parent club’s biggest rivals, forcing Henderson into a save that was about as good as it got for chances before the interval.

We’ve seen this before

The feeling of dejection in the closing stages of the game is one that is all-too familiar for Ipswich Town this season.

So often they have been in tight games and come out on the wrong side of things through a combination of individual errors and spurned chances.

The home clash with the Eagles was one and the visit to Selhurst Park was another.

Eberechi Eze twice went close in fortuitous circumstances as deflected efforts off Dara O’Shea looped beyond Palmer. The first hit the post and the goalkeeper did well to scramble back and claw away the second.

Enciso did not make the most of a promising counter and Sarr cleared off the line when the Blues threatened from a corner with Liam Delap and Philogene in the mix.

It perhaps felt as though it would be Town’s day when Palmer dug Davis out of a huge hole to block Daniel Munoz’s effort after robbing the left-back in possession while facing his own goal, but in the end it was more missed chances that proved costly.

Substitute Ben Johnson should have done far better when meeting Davis’s cross that was stood up to the far post just minutes before Sarr struck the decisive blow with just eight minutes left on the clock.

Kieran McKenna’s side have scored the fewest second-half goals in the division, so it never felt likely a point would be rescued before the final whistle blew to signify a result that leaves the Blues with a lot of work to do.

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Guehi (c), Lacroix, Richards; Mitchell (Chilwell 72), Lerma, Wharton (Devenny 87), Munoz; Eze (Esse 90), Sarr; Nketiah (Kamada 72). Subs: Turner, Franca, Clyne, Rodney, Kporha.

Booked: Wharton, Richards, Guehi, Chilwell.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Davis, Greaves, Woolfenden, O’Shea (c); Cajuste (Taylor 83), Phillips; Clarke (Hutchinson 67), Enciso (Broadhead 75), Philogene (Johnson 67); Delap (Hirst 83). Subs: Walton, Morsy, Burgess, Townsend.

Booked: Greaves, Enciso.

Referee: Simon Hooper(Wiltshire).

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Jens Cajuste. Another excellent performance from Cajuste, who produced another 84 minutes of action in Town’s engine room. Cool on the ball and not afraid to get stuck in, the Swede was a source of multiple counter-attacks that the Blues will feel they should have done better from. Sadly growing in likelihood his time at Portman Road is into its final few months.

Ipswich Town defender Luke Woolfenden claimed not applying the ‘dark arts’ played a part in the Blues’ 1-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Ismaïla Sarr’s 82nd-minute goal was the decisive moment in a contest that lacked too many moments of quality, but Woolfenden believes there might have been a decision for referee Simon Hooper to make when Kalvin Phillips was tackled by Daichi Kamada in the build-up.

The academy graduate, who was making his 200th start for the club on the same ground he made his first, insisted that his team-mates should have contested the challenge stronger and suggested it may have resulted in a change of fortune.

“It’s a tackle that falls the wrong way, I think it’s a tackle that we win,” he said. “To be honest if we’re all smart and we run up to the ref and appeal it they’ll probably overturn it.

“We’ve seen so many times where there’s pressure on the ref and then VAR gets involved. It’s probably a bit of needing to learn the dark arts.

“Only two of us go up to the ref, if we all run over to the ref and say it’s a foul then we probably get it.

“It’s a ball that falls the wrong way and it’s a great finish,they’ve taken a scrappy chance and we haven’t and we’ve fallen on the wrong side of a 1-0.

“The manager’s not said anything about that, it’s come from me. That’s something this season we’ve not done well enough, the dark side of the game we can get better at.

“The top teams, everyone moans that they get decisions but if you watch them every single one of them appeals and we’ve not done that today.

“I’m not saying it changes anything but all likelihood it could have done. That’s come from me and not the boss, it’s something we can do.”

Similar to the reverse fixture at Portman Road, there was not an awful lot between the two sides but it was a familiar story for Town who once again found themselves on the wrong side of the key moments in the game.

Julio Enciso went close on the counter-attack and the Blues had a chance cleared off the line by Sarr, but perhaps the biggest opportunity they spurned was Ben Johnson’s header which came just two minutes before the winning goal.

“Disappointing, annoying,” Woolfenden reflected. “Againit’s another game that we’re bang in and we fall short again. It’s not good enough and disappointing.

“We had good chances and good moments where we’ve turned over possession high up the pitch and unfortunatelywe’ve not taken the final ball or final chance.

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“They’ve taken their chance, Palms [Alex Palmer] has made two great saves but ultimately the winner is a scrappy tackle that’s fallen their way and a lovely composed finish.

“Everyone will probably agree with us that there’s not a massive load that we need to change, we’re in every single game until big moments.

“It’s just about getting the know-how to come out on the right side of them, by hook or by crook you’ve got to find a way to do that. That’s been the main point I’ve taken from this season is that big moments too many times we’ve fallen on the wrong side of it.

“I don’t like to talk about luck but sometimes there’s been an element of that not going our way a few times. The tackle today can fly anywhere but it’s fallen to Sarr’s feet and there’s an element of luck about that.

“We’ve just got to keep plugging away and hope that the luck swings round come the final stages of the season.”

Asked how they can go about improving their ruthlessness in front of goal, he said: “It’s a milliondollar question, if I knew that I’d tell you.

“It’s a mixture of everything – we defend for long periods of the game and you’ve just got to have that clinical edge and composure to take those big chances. To be fair we’ve done that this season, we’ve scored good goals, it’s just a matter of getting back to that.”

Town remain five points plus a significantly inferior goal difference from safety with just 10 matches remaining ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers’s clash with Everton on Saturday evening.

On the prospect of relegation, Woolfenden said: “That’s never been a conversation. It’s just about belief,you’ve got to keep believing and keep plugging away and see what happens.

“Over the last two seasons we’ve never sat there and focused on anything or spoken about anything, whether that be promotion, relegation or massive games.

“We just take it one step at a time, a training session per day and I think that’s why so many of us have improved over the last three years. Taking it game-by-game, applying yourself the best way you can and taking it from there.”

The Blues have suffered with a plethora of injuries in recent weeks with Sammie Szmodics and Axel Tuanzebe joining Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns and Chiedozie Ogbene in the treatment room.

“You can’t fault the boys for that,” Woolfenden said. “There’s boys out there that are carrying issues and are playing through pain to help the boys.

“It’s been a tough few weeks with injuries to key players, everyone’s determined to get out there for the boys and keep trying and see what happens.

“It’s been tough the last few weeks but we’re taking positives that we’re in every game. At some point that becomes a negative in my eyes, you can be in every game but so many times the big moment can’t keep going the wrong way against you, you’ve got to step up to that.

“As a group we are doing that and it’s been difficult and disappointing but as a group we’re staying strong mentality. We’re going to go right to the last day and see where it takes us.”

Town have climbed from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons and there is a feeling among some that some perspective is necessary, although Woolfenden is more focused on the here and now.

He also praised the Blue Army who were in fine voice once again in south London, despite falling to a seventh defeat in eight Premier League matches.

The 26-year-old said: “We’ve come a long way but I don’t think anyone in the dressing room is feeling that. We’ve brought in a lot of new faces, I don’t think anyone’s feeling that it’s okay as we’ve come a long way over the last few years.

“We’ve earned to be at this level and we’ve shown in the games that we deserve to be at this level, it’s just that we’re falling on the wrong side of the margins.

“I wouldn’t say we’re too dejected in there, we’re positive that with hard work we can try and turn things around. We might fall short or we might not, we’ve just going to keep plugging away and see what happens.

“The fans have been top all season, there’s been moments where it’s been difficult. They do recognise the journey that we’ve been on and they recognise it was always going to be a tough season.

“But I think they can be proud of the team that goes out there every week regardless of what the result is, there’s always 16 boys out there that give 110 per cent for the badge and for everything this club represents. That goes a long way in why the support is so good this season.”

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted the 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace was a ‘sickening result’, feeling the match in south London was evenly balanced.

Ismaila Sarr’s goal eight minutes from the end secured the three points for the Eagles but with the Blues also having had opportunities.

“I think it was a really competitive game,” McKenna reflected. “I think we certainly played our part in that. I think it was at least even in terms of the opportunities that we had.

“Crystal Palace had their opportunities as well and we certainly feel we were good value for a goal today and we were really close on a couple of occasions to getting the first goal.

“And, of course, it’s a sickening result. To come away from home and be as competitive as we were against a strong Crystal Palace side who have been in good form for a good period of time, to do it in a week when we’ve been away and played 120 minutes in the FA Cup on Monday night with a depleted squad, to come and compete as we have today, is another reflection of a lot of good things in the group that they’re showing.

“But we also know that we have to keep working to turn those margins in our favour. I know that’s been the story for a lot of the season, but that’s the only path forward, that’s the reality of it.

“We’ve still got a group that’s learning and growing and developing. Julio Enciso was starting his third game, Jaden Philogene’s a few games into his career here, we’ve got a large majority of the group who are very, very early in their Premier League experiences and careers, and they’re learning all the time.

“I think you can see individual growth and development in individuals and in the group and we need to try and accelerate that as much as we can to turn the margins in our favour and try and pick up some wins and some points in the remaining 10 games, starting especially next week.”

The Town players felt there may have been a foul in the build-up to the goal, Palace sub Daichi Kamada catching Kalvin Phillips late as the Blues midfielder’s tackle deflected the ball into the path of Sarr.

“Kalvin thought it was a foul, I haven’t looked at that aspect of it too much,” the Blues manager said.

Narrowly beaten.#CRYIPS | @Nustone_UK pic.twitter.com/4amYhMbbR3

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) March 8, 2025

“It’s a tackle that we win, it ricochets to Sarr and he shows the level. His acceleration over three or four yards from where the ball ricocheted to him to end up six yards out one-v-one with the goalkeeper was incredible acceleration and shows the level of the league and the execution that they had to take the goal.

“We’ll look at that bit of it. I don’t think we’ve defended the situation too badly. I certainly don’t think we’ve defended in the game too badly, considering it was a pretty open game at times.

“But, there’s certainly an element of luck in the goal but, as always, we’ll focus on the bits we can control and trying to get better at those.”

Phillips and Enciso were back in the team for the first time since suffering calf and knee injuries respectively, while Omari Hutchinson came off the bench following his knee problem.

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“They were big positives,” McKenna continued. “We know we’ve missed important players all through the season, so we haven’t been able to be as settled as we’d like to be, but to have those two back was a big positive.

“I thought Kalvin put in another really strong performance and he’s certainly working back towards the level and hopefully maybe beyond where he’s been before.

“We feel that Julio’s going to be a big addition for us if we can keep him fit, so it’s been a big blow to lose him, but good to have him back today.

“Good to get Omari on the pitch and as much as we’ve lost Axel [Tuanzebe] for a good period of time, we’ve also had players coming back into the team today, who can help us.

“It means that although it’s March, it’s still Jaden’s third game and he’s probably played with three different right-backs and right 10s in the game, so that’s just the challenge that we’ve had.

“And we’ve got to respond to that challenge in the best way and that’s just work and time, and we know we don’t have time but we need to use and maximise the time as well as we can.”

The Blues had a number of opportunities, Ben Johnson’s header just prior to the Palace goal perhaps the best of them.

“We certainly had chances and we can do better in a couple of situations, for sure,” McKenna admitted. “We had some big overload moments in the second half. We had some big moments around the box.

“But we’re coming up against really, really strong, physically strong, top quality defenders, a really top quality goalkeeper [Dean Henderson], who I know well [from Manchester United], who made some good saves, and Crystal Palace have won the game a fantastic moment from Sarr.

“It’s unlucky from our point of view, but also he showed why he has played a really good level for a good period of time and played in the Premier League for a few seasons because his acceleration is outstanding as is his touch to get in that position, and then he takes it really well.

“Our group we know, if you’re talking about the forwards and the frontline today, you’ve got Jaden, who has just turned 23, Liam 22, just turned, Julio, just 21, Jack Clarke, just turned 24, Omari comes on, 21.

“A lot of talented young players and to have that at Ipswich Town is a real positive thing but it also means they’re not going to be the finished product. If they were the finished product, they wouldn’t be at Ipswich Town.

“We’ve got to keep working and believing in those boys and pushing them to get better and I’m sure they all will.”

McKenna was asked about positives, among them Philogene playing a right-sided role where at times he was a winger and at others a fifth defender.

“There were some good elements to our play,” he said. “We know coming to Crystal Palace is a tough place. Some aspects of their system is similar to ours, so there was always going to be a challenge of how we were going to deal with the threat with [Tyrick] Mitchell pushing forward from that side. Of course, we have similar with Leif [Davis] on that side.

“Jaden’s a versatile player on that side, he’s adapting to playing on the right-hand side, which he has done but not as much. And then in games like today against a wing-back, he’s adapting to the fact that he’s spent a good bit of time deeper where he’s having to defend against Mitchell on the backline.

“But he can also push forward and sometimes press a little bit higher up and also gives us a real winger threat on that side. I think he’s growing into that role.

“That’s a real challenge for us, we have Wes Burns and Chieo Ogbene, who were the two first-choice players for that role coming into the season, both finished for the season through big injuries, so we’ve had to adapt.

“Ben Johnson can do it in a slightly different way, maybe more of a natural full-back. Omari can do it in a very different way, but Jaden we feel has some real good winger qualities, but is also really disciplined and fit to do his defensive work. He’s growing into that role.

“Julio, it’s just a positive having him back. He’s versatile, he can play left 10, he can play right 10, he’s got a really good level of individual quality that we can feel can take us to another level and we’ll use him in a few different roles in behind Liam or behind George Hirst. He’s done both of them for us already, so he’s going to be really useful for us.”

Quizzed on whether he feels it was a chance to make up ground on Wolves missed and whether he plans to watch the Molineux side in action at home to Everton later this evening, he added: “Hopefully not, I’ll try and avoid it. Honestly, we have to just focus on ourselves. That’s the reality.

“We have 10 games left, we’re going to have to win a good few of those games. We’re going to have to win at a greater rate than we have so far this season and the first thing you need to do is win one, and then you can talk about a run of form or a run of wins or whatever.

“If we don’t manage to do that, then we won’t be successful at the end of the season in terms of trying to stay in the division. If we do manage to do that, then let’s see where that takes us.

“We don’t have a crystal ball to say how other teams will do, how many wins we’ll need to get. We know it’s going to probably be a significant number and all we can use our energy on is controlling and improving the things that give us a chance to get those wins in the next 10 games.”

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