Despite their lowly position in the table, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna believes that today’s opponents Leicester City have one of the strongest starting line-ups in the Championship.

This afternoon’s clash at Portman Road is a meeting of two teams that were relegated from the Premier League last season.

But while Town are battling to make an immediate return to the top flight, Leicester – not helped by a six-point deduction due to a breach of financial rules – are in real danger of dropping into League One.

They will arrive at Portman Road in the relegation zone with a one-point gap to safety, but McKenna has insisted that the Foxes cannot be taken lightly.

He said: They’ve got big motivation, same way we've got big motivation, just a different motivation. They’re a team who beat us early in the season and we know clearly what the threats are. So we're really looking forward to the game.

“We know we're facing a really good team and our focus is just on delivering the best performance that we can.

“If you look at their starting XI, it's arguably as strong as anyone in the division and certainly if you look at Premier League experience and international caps and things like that, they may be the strongest. I'm not sure. In the end, it doesn't really matter.

“We know they’ve got really good players, a strong team, a good manager, an experienced manager. We believe that we're a good team, we have good players and it's up to us to go and show it. It's going to be a good game.

“It’s going to be a real battle like every game in the Championship is and we want to do everything we can to come out on top.”

Jaden Philogene has made good progress this week in his recovery from a knee ligament injury, but he will remained sidelined for the game.

Ashley Young and goalkeeper David Button are also out injured.

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was in no doubt that his side should have been awarded a last-gasp penalty in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Portman Road.

McKenna dismissed referee John Busby’s explanation that he didn’t see Hamza Choudhury’s foul on Cedric Kipre as “not good enough”.

Having found themselves behind to Patson Daka’s 39th-minute goal, the Blues dominated the second half and levelled through substitute Sindre Walle Egeli in the 76th minute.

Town, who had had earlier penalty calls waved away by referee Busby when Ivan Azon and more convincingly Anis Mehmeti felt they were fouled, maintained the pressure into injury time and in the fifth and final minute of time added on, Kipre was hauled down by Choudhury as he looked to get on a Dara O’Shea cross from the right.

“I think it’s clear, that’s the feeling in the stadium and in the dressing room,” McKenna said, when asked whether he believed his side should have been awarded the late spot-kick.

“I don’t want to start with the referee but that’s the first question, I wouldn’t have started with that because there were other things to the game.

“I loved how we chased the game in the second half. I thought we had at least two clear penalties, a clear penalty on Anis and the one on Cedric at the end, it’s crazy for me that it’s not given. It couldn’t be any more clear, there’s nowhere else you can look.

“Dara puts an incredible ball into the six-yard box, that’s the only place that all the officials have to look and Cedric gets fouled in every way you can get fouled.

“It’s really frustrating because I really liked the way we chased the game. We should have a clear penalty to go and win the game.

“It’s the same referee when there was the same situation against Preston when we should have had a clear penalty to win the game [Jack Clarke having been fouled and then a Lilywhites player handling in the box moments later], but today was even worse and even more clear.

“We’re really frustrated by that and we should have had two penalties, but we should have had in whatever minute Cedric’s was a kick to win the game and our supporters would be going home, I think, really proud of the second-half performance of the team. The spirit and the character the group showed again, and what would have been very likely a comeback victory.”

Asked whether referee Busby, who is becoming something of a bete noire for Town supporters, had given him an explanation, McKenna added: “He said he didn’t see it after the game. For me, it’s not good enough, is it?

“There’s nowhere else to look when the cross comes in from really wide, so as soon as it’s crossed the only place to look is at what’s going on in the penalty box. Of course, we take his word that he didn’t see it, but I don’t know how you can’t.”

McKenna rarely approaches referees at the whistle but did so on this occasion and says Busby pulled him to one side to outline his position on the incident.

“He was pulling me over for a chat on the side just to get away from the bodies,” the Blues manager continued. “There was no aggression between myself and the referee on that.

“Of course, there was frustration, but we pulled away from the bodies because there were a lot of people around and he explained that he didn’t see the incident. That’s all that was.”

Fans and players also felt the free-kick which led to the Leicester goal was harshly awarded but McKenna wouldn’t be drawn on that decision. He said: “I won’t focus on the referee on that one. We still should defend the set play.”

Reflecting on the game overall, he said: “We didn’t execute as well as we could have in the first half. I thought the spaces were there for us, but we just weren’t as clean and as precise in some moments.

“Our build-up wasn’t maybe quite as good as it has been because there were one, sometimes two spare men there and we didn’t progress the ball through the pitch with as much confidence as we have been or execute quite as well as we could.

“But that can happen, especially when you have as many games as we have at the moment - you’re not going to play well in every half.

“The biggest frustration probably is that we don’t go in at 0-0 because we didn’t have loads of pressure against us or anything like that, so a set play from that far out, as much as it’s a great finish by the Leicester player, it was disappointing from us to concede that and not just go in at half-time and know that we could push on in the second half.

“We know we weren’t at our very best in that half, but the second half I thought was really good and we showed against a Leicester team full of quality, who we’ve been neck and neck with in terms of leagues and position over the last few years, that we’re in a pretty good spot.

“Our intensity, our quality, our understanding of how to chase the game and the resilience the players showed.

“We’re frustrated but we also have to make sure we see the progress because we know that’s a situation we struggled with a little bit at the start of the season.

“I said it even after the Preston game, but certainly in the last couple of games here, I think we’ve shown great growth in that and really it should have been rewarded with more points than it has.”

Walle Egeli’s goal, his third for the club, came at a time when McKenna was bringing on all his attacking options.

“That’s important when you chase the game and Leicester are hanging on for the result and defending narrow and deep,” he added. “You have to use your crosses and get bodies in there.

“We tried to bring on as many attacking subs as we could and we know Sindre’s got quality in the box if things fall to him and he took it well.”

Kieran McKenna has insisted that Chuba Akpom will have a big role to play in the run-in for Ipswich Town.

The forward, who joined Town on loan from Dutch giants Ajax during the summer, has not started a Championship fixture since the New Year’s Day clash against Oxford United.

Akpom suffered an injury after that fixture and, since returning to fitness, has made a trio of appearances off the bench, while he has been an unused substitute in Ipswich’s three most recent outings.

However, McKenna has stressed that the 30-year-old’s services are going to be required during the coming weeks.

He said: “Of course, everyone wants to play and Chuba’s no exception. It’s a situation where he’s been a little bit unlucky with the timing of his injury. Before Christmas, he was picking up some good form. Before that point he was starting some games in the league and scored in his last start in the league against Oxford.

“Then he missed a few weeks with injury and the other boys have had the match minutes and the sharpness in that time and now he’s back and it’s great to have him back. We know the quality that he can give us.

“He came on at Derby in a different role, he gave us extra goal threat off the left-hand side and we know the qualities that he has, certainly in his finishing and his playing in the final third that he can bring us in a number of different roles.

“I’m sure he’ll, hopefully, have some big moments and a part to play between now and the end of the season and it’s great to have his quality in the squad. We’ve got so many games, so we’ll see when the opportunity comes, but I really believe there’ll be some big moments and big goals from Chuba between now and the end of the season.”

A Suffolk IT boss believes a "growing tech ecosystem" can support young people in the county and says he is optimistic about the future after the Government's Spring Statement.

During her speech at the House of Commons, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she would like to "go further in backing innovation and harnessing the power of AI so that entrepreneurs and innovators thrive."

Halo founder Paul Hamilton said he was delighted by this news and highlighted the last ten years of growth in Suffolk's tech sector, particularly in AI and website services.

Prominent businesses now include Inawisdom AI in Martlesham, Tilki in Mildenhall, X-on in Melton, Halo in Ipswich and innovation centres like Adastral Park and The EpiCentre.

Mr Hamilton also believes tech companies provide "brilliant opportunities for young people" and can "also bring down costs for other industries".

His business recently moved into the Willis Building in Ipswich and has seen a 70% increase in revenues this financial year, with the company now worth around £1.5 billion.

It creates software for global clients like Microsoft and FTSE 100 companies and has also recently launched Halo AI, an Artificial Intelligence platform promising to "simplifiy IT service management".

The Scottish-born entrepreneur said: "There is a growing tech ecosystem in Suffolk.

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"Technology is the way the country will grow, and I am really happy the Government are talking about supporting entrepreneurs in this sector.

"So it's really good direction to go in, and it's vital for supporting young people. "

Mr Hamilton believes Halo has inspired a range of other tech businesses to launch in Suffolk, with further room for innovation.

He also noted that while other sectors like catering and hospitality are struggling, technology hubs can help to support them.

Mr Hamilton added: "I really want to encourage all businesses in to carry out spending reviews on tech and see how we can help.

"We really can reduce the technology costs for any of these organisations in other industries.

"Businesses should make sure they are getting the best possible return on investment and try to be innovative.

"I do understand that we are a bit of an outlier. So, hopefully we can help in that regard."

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projects that inflation will fall from 3.4% in 2025 in the UK to 2.3% in 2026, and then again to 2% from 2027 onwards.

Meanwhile, the OBR has downgraded its forecast for economic growth for this year from 1.4% to 1.1%.

The former Sunderland captain returned to the North East to watch hometown club Hebburn Town while on loan at Ipswich

Ipswich Town midfielder Dan Neil was spotted in the North East over the weekend as he made the trip to watch his hometown club Hebburn Town in action.

The 24-year-old, currently on loan at Ipswich Town, was pictured outside Hebburn’s ground after travelling up from Suffolk to cheer on the club where he began his football journey. Hebburn Town shared the image on social media, highlighting the former Sunderland captain’s visit.

Born in South Shields, Neil grew up as a Sunderland supporter and started out with Hebburn Town Juniors before joining the Academy of Light. His rise through the ranks culminated in a senior debut in the EFL Trophy in November 2018, before he established himself as a regular in the first team.

Neil scored his first professional goal against Accrington Stanley in September 2021 and went on to play a key role during Sunderland’s promotion push. His performances that season earned him the EFL Young Player of the Month award for December 2021, amid reported interest from Premier League sides including Burnley and Aston Villa at the time.

Earlier this year, Neil completed a loan move to Ipswich Town in the Championship until the end of the season. The midfielder is set to become a free agent in the summer. Despite his move away from Wearside, Neil’s appearance back in the region underlines the connection he still holds with the area. A Sunderland fan who came through the club’s academy system, his roots remain firmly in the North East - and his visit to Hebburn did not go unnoticed by supporters, with the image quickly circulated online.

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“Above everything else, I would like to take this opportunity say thank you,” Neil said after leaving Sunderland last January. “To my coaches and team-mates, past and present, who were not only good professionals but great people, and to the wider staff and fans for supporting me throughout all the experiences we shared together. I’m proud of what we achieved during my time at the Club and for playing my part in taking it back to where it belongs, the Premier League. Captaining Sunderland was a boyhood dream that came true, and as a supporter for life, I’m excited to see what’s next on the journey.”

Then-Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman paid an emotional tribute to the midfielder and his contribution at the club, hailing his playing performances but also his ‘exemplary’ personality. “Dan’s story at his hometown Club is the one we all dreamt of living when we were growing up,” Speakman said. “We often talk to players about the opportunity to leave a legacy, and this is exactly what Dan has done.

“He always stood up during difficult times and embraced the challenge, pushed to be an important player, and then used his influence positively to drive standards on and off the field, which culminated in him captaining his boyhood Club back to the Premier League. He’s worked relentlessly to make his dream a reality and, in doing so, made Sunderland a better Football Club; a quality that points to his exemplary personality and character. We all thank him for his contribution. Dan will always be part of Sunderland, but for now, he has a new opportunity in front of him, and we wish him the best of luck in his next chapter.”

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