Paul Lambert hails Ipswich’s first-half performance against Reading

Ipswich manager Paul Lambert praised his side’s “fantastic” first-half display in their 2-2 draw at Reading.

Town, still bottom of the Championship, went ahead in the fifth minute through Gwion Edwards.

Yakou Meite equalised two minutes later with a spectacular overhead kick but Ipswich had soon regained their lead from a Freddie Sears solo effort.

The visitors sat back after the interval, with Reading snatching a second leveller when Meite nodded in six minutes from time.

It was Lambert’s second match in charge after a previous 1-1 home draw with Preston.

“I’ve managed some really good teams and players in my time in management and the first half was as good as I’ve seen,” Lambert said.

“My God, we were fantastic. We looked great and we should have been three or four goals to the good.

“It never materialised but the strides we have made as a football team has been huge.

“I’m proud of them for the way they performed. They’ve given me everything in the time I’ve been here.

“We’ve got a good side that just needs a little bit of help. We’re a club moving in the right way.

“In the second half, I thought that we always looked dangerous on the counter.

“Reading are the home team so you aren’t going to dominate the whole game.

“The home team had their little moments but I didn’t think too many of them were threatening. We were quite comfortable.

“But we were a bit sloppy on their second goal. The pass must have travelled 60 yards and we didn’t deal with it.

“But the overall performance was incredibly high. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

“We’ve got a team now fighting and a crowd massively with them. So it’s all looking positive.

“If we keep playing like that, 100 per cent we’ll win games.”

Reading moved out of the relegation places but manager Paul Clement was unhappy with his side’s first-half performance.

“Based on the performances of the two teams, a point was perhaps a fair result,” Clement said.

“But in the first half, we were bad, really, really bad.

“And I was worried, absolutely, because of the context of the season.

“We were in the relegation zone at the start of play against another team in the relegation zone.

“But it looked like only one team was [fighting] in that relegation zone – and that was Ipswich.

“They were fighting, running and their spirit was great. They played some good football.

“And we were like rabbits in the headlights. We didn’t know what to do.

“We were fortunate to be only 2-1 down at half-time. It could have been 3-1 or 4-1 – based on the way that we were playing and the errors we were making.

“And especially the way that our backline started the game, which I find very difficult to explain.”

Clement had words with his team at the interval.

“At half-time, I was angry with the players and they knew it. I didn’t recognise some of the players out there,” he said.

“I could have made five or six changes.

“But in the second half, the players reacted to what I had said. They played with the right spirit.

“The football wasn’t perfect but we finished the stronger team and at least deserved to draw the game.”