JMMY Floyd Hasselbaink was pleased with his team’s performance and says they should have edged a game they lost 1-0 to Ipswich.
The Brewers manager saw his team keep Ipswich at arm’s length for most of the game and only a header from a deflected cross cost the Brewers the points while Albion had their own chances to score.
Hasselbaink said: “The performance on its own was very good – better than Gillingham overall, only the result was different.
“We didn’t give them anything at all, only one chance in the whole game. In the second half we should have scored. We were the better team, in the first half as well and there was a very good block by Chambers on a shot from Vernam, or we might have been 1-0 at half-time.
“We played against a very good team that we made look quite ordinary.
“We need a bit more quality in the final third, more shots and a better end product. That’s what we have to work on a little bit more.”
There weas no luck for the Brewers with the Ipswich goal but Hasselbaink wasn’t happy with conceding a needless free kick.
He said: “It took a deflection, which set Lucas at the back post a little bit off. It’s very disappointing as we shouldn’t have given the free kick way. That’s where it starts. We should have won a header on the 18-yard line, from that it went wide and we gave away a free kick so that was disappointing.”
New signings Josh Parker and Sean Clare came on with 20 minutes to go.
Hasselbaink said: “I expect a lot more from them, a lot more quality. They came in when it was 1-0 which is a bit unfortunate as I would have wanted them to come in when it was 0-0. I was ready to make the changes then they scored. That was a pity in a way, but we will see a lot more from them.”
The Brewers also had to cope with injuries to John-Joe O’Toole and Owen Gallacher, with both now doubts for the next game against Shrewsbury.
Hasselbaink said: “I think J-J maybe a bit longer than 10 days, Owen should be OK hopefully. If the squad had been a bit more healthy, I would have put another left back on but we don’t have one at the moment.
“We need to balance the squad a bit more so when February comes with Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday matches we can change it if someone has a dead leg and freshen up and the quality doesn’t drop.”