Ipswich Town midfielder Massimo Luongo believes his side played out an exciting game against Hull City, but admitted that they’ll be frustrated by the goals they conceded in the 3-3 draw at the MKM Stadium.
George Hirst fired the Blues in front in the first half before Ozan Tufan pounced on an error to equalise, although Omari Hutchinson’s screamer put them back ahead before half time.
Although Liam Delap bagged another equaliser for the Tigers, Hutchinson’s second re-established Town’s lead before Noah Ohio struck late to give his team a point on Humberside.
“I think it was an enjoyable game, I really enjoyed it,” Luongo said afterwards. “Both teams were at it and they had a game plan – they wanted to really try and get a goal early and throw bodies forward.
“They caused me loads of problems, which Samy and I did really well with to deal with their forward players.
“We shouldn’t be too happy with the goals we conceded, but I felt the goals we scored were incredible. Omari was incredible today.
“The front players – Hirsty, Wes [Burns], having been out for so long, they’ve slipped right back in.
“I thought the performance was really good. High-energy, everyone worked their socks off.
“Credit to them, it was obvious that they were throwing bodies forward and trying to get a win. It could’ve gone either way, we have two good chances at the end and, if we put them away, it could be 4-3 or 5-3.
“It is what it is.”
There are clear frustrations surrounding the result and the performance, including the fact that Ipswich led three times and were unable to take all the point back to Suffolk.
Luongo, however, doesn’t believe it’ll be a major talking point in the aftermath of the clash.
“We’re not like that,” he explained. “The 88th or 89th minute goal from them was a bit of a kick in the face, but again, we’re at 3-3 and we’re thinking: ‘we’ll get one more chance’. At 3-2, we had a big chance with Jeremy [Sarmiento].
“The belief is there, and we’ll just keep on going.”
Hutchinson was the clear star of the show, standing out as a constant threat and scoring two superb goals, taking his total to the season to 10.
Luongo is looking forward to see how good he can be in the future, but he’s confident that his focus will be on sealing promotion with Town.
“He’s a great lad, first and foremost,” the midfielder revealed. He’s a good player, isn’t he? He’s a good player.
“I’m excited to see what direction he goes in, and I think he’s in a great place to learn his trade. Big games like today, big games like Tuesday.
“With that under his belt, he can go far, but he’ll keep his feet on the ground and focus on the next game.”
It also helps massively that Hirst and Burns were able to return to the starting lineup, with the former bagging the opener with a smart finish after four months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
“He’s been really good in training, he’s come back fit and looks incredible,” Luongo said.
“He’s been in the gym, and I’ve been impressed by him. I think I’ve been impressed all week by him.
“Wes slipped back in like he wasn’t even out, which is credit to both of them, working hard while they were injured.
“I think we brought 26 boys today, so everyone was involved, everyone was pushing each other. That’s been the theme of the whole season.
“They were called on today. It was a big, big ask for them to come straight back in, but whoever plays on Tuesday will do the same.”
The pressure now switches to Tuesday’s game against Coventry City, and Ipswich know that they’ll need a point to keep promotion in their hands heading into the final day of the season. If they can beat the Sky Blues, a draw against Huddersfield Town the following Saturday would be enough.
But some perspective is needed at the same time, recognising that the team has amassed 90 points for the second season in a row, going from a League One club to one on the bring of the Premier League.
“It’s incredible, honestly,” Luongo admitted.
“I couldn’t ignore the result last night. We’ve got to keep our heads down, keep our heads screwed on and just get the performance in.
“Today, over the course of the season – yeah, it’s two games – but if we play like that, we’ll be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
“It was a really good performance, and if we can push again to get that on Tuesday, we’ll be there or thereabouts.
“Honestly, we’re all enjoying the ride. We’re all enjoying the high-pressure games.
“We’ve got a mix of boys who’ve been there before. We’ve got Sone Aluko, who’s done it all, and we’ve got boys who are just starting their careers.
“First of all, we’re good lads. We want to work hard, do our best and just enjoy it. As long as you enjoy it, that’s when the performances come out and you want to work hard for each other.
“We get along. You want to work for the boy next to you, and whatever happens is meant to be.”
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