Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna gives verdict on Plymouth defeat as Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley watches on ahead of key Portman Road game

The Tractor Boys lost their unbeaten start to the season and their place at League One’s summit after they were beaten 2-1 at Home Park – a game that was carefully watched by onlooker Danny Cowley.

For the second league match in a row, the Portman Road side threw away a half-time lead and failed to ram home the advantage following Freddie Ladapo’s 39th-minute opener.

But unlike their 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday last time out, they return home on this occasion completely empty-handed after second-half efforts from Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker handed Steven Schumacher’s side a win that sees them leapfrog the Blues and Ipswich in the table

McKenna admitted there was frustration in the dressing room following his side’s latest blip.

But with Pompey next on the agenda, he called on his team to quickly get over their disappointment and not lose focus.

‘It's a while since we've lost in the league,’ McKenna told the EADT.

‘You can probably over-emphasise the feelings this week because of what happened last week. That's why it's important to keep some perspective.

‘We have had a positive start, we are creating lots of chances, we are scoring goals and putting ourselves in positions to win games.

‘But of course we don't want to let too many slip by-the-by, even though it is still early on.

‘It's important we stay balanced.

‘As much as this is a hurtful defeat, we have to make sure we bounce back well next week.’

Next Saturday’s game against the Blues is set to produce Ipswich’s biggest home gate of the season to date, with the visitors selling out their initial ticket allocation of 1,900.

The fixture will be Pompey’s first since they drew 2-2 with Plymouth on September 17.

On that occasion, Cowley’s side took a 1-0 lead into the break, only for the Pilgrims to seize the initiative with two late strikes.

Unlike Ipswich today, though, the Blues managed to halt that momentum as Reeco Hackett scored a last-minute equaliser to protect Pompey’s unbeaten start to the season.

And that’s a something McKenna has been left ruing after defeat at Home Park – particularly after throwing away a 2-0 lead against Sheffield Wednesday on their last league outing,

He added: ‘It's a tough one to take.

‘Of course the game last weekend doubles those emotions.

‘Again we put ourselves in a great position to win the game. We had the lead and had chances to put the game to bed. In the second half I thought we had it under control and looked a big threat.

‘Of course if you don't go and get the goal then there's always a big chance that one can go in the other end.

‘As soon as that happened then the momentum changed and we haven't managed that momentum swing well enough.

‘There's big frustration in the dressing room and rightly so. We know that we need to improve. But we also need to stay balanced and keep things in perspective.’