Kieran McKenna lays out Leeds United rivals demand after 'hurtful' promotion race setback

Kieran McKenna expects to see a response from his Ipswich Town team following their defeat to local rivals Norwich City on Saturday. The Tractors Boys began the day hoping to move four points clear at the top of the Championship, but they came up short in the East Anglian derby with a free-kick from Marcelino Nunez being the difference between the two sides.

As such, it means Ipswich risk not only losing their standing as league leaders, but they could drop out of the top two altogether this weekend with Leeds United and Leicester City in action this afternoon against Coventry City and Birmingham City respectively. Of course the Tractor Boys still have five games to go in the race for promotion and they have the opportunity to bounce back against Watford at Portman Road on Wednesday.

McKenna will hope to see his side do enough to pick up the points on that occasion but first and foremost he expects to see his players right some wrongs on the training pitch as they prepare for one last push for promotion.

"There was nothing in the game and I don't think either team was performing to a high level," McKenna said. "This was our third big game this week and this is a big, big derby match for these boys and a big atmosphere and maybe that took a bit out of us but I didn't think we found our intensity or bravery on the ball.

"Having said that, I thought we were comfortable and in control until there was a spell of setplays, quite a few of them soft. I don't think it was a free-kick for the goal that was scored.

"I think any defeat at this stage of the season for any team that's going for anything is always going to hurt. We've been through disappointment before and this group always find the right response.

"That doesn't mean we win on Wednesday, the right response to me is on Monday we come in with a positive attitude, we take the lessons from today and get ready for Watford and try and deliver a performance. That's the ethos in the group, that's what we've done time and again and that's what we need to do this week."