Mark Bonner: Cambridge United boss hails 'brilliant' Ipswich

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Mark BonnerImage source, Getty Images
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Mark Bonner has been head coach of Cambridge since January 2020, initially on an interim basis

Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner says Ipswich Town are a "brilliant team" following Tuesday's 3-0 League One loss at Portman Road.

The U's managed to keep the scoreline blank for 72 minutes before a goal by Tyreece John-Jules broke the deadlock.

Fellow substitute Kyle Edwards added two more as Ipswich secured their eighth win in 12 league games.

"If anyone finishes above them in the league, they've done well," Bonner told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"You know you're going to have to come here and make quite a lot out of a little, in terms of chances and ball possession, and we weren't able to do that.

"The clock wouldn't tick fast enough for us in the second half. But there's no disgrace at all, they are a brilliant team, flooded with excellent players that kept getting stronger as the game went on."

Cambridge won 1-0 in the corresponding fixture in 2021-22, but Bonner added: "If we come here 10 times, we might win once and I think we used that trump card last year."

The defeat was Cambridge's fourth in five games leaving them 10th in the table, while Ipswich remain second, one point behind leaders Plymouth.

Ipswich head Kieran McKenna praised Cambridge's "discipline and diligence" in defence.

"They paid us a level of respect in terms of the bodies they defended with, which was probably over and above what they do with the majority of other teams in the league," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"That made it difficult. It's not the first time, nor the last time we're going to face it.

"I thought we did a good job. The crowd was positive, stayed with the team, helped us with a positive energy and if we stick together, we know we can score goals and if they have to come late in the game, that's fine."

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