'There will be bumps in the road'

Ipswich Town goalkeeper Christian Walton insisted there was no hangover from last weekend's East Anglia derby win against Norwich following Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth . Despite the result, Town remain second in the Championship, two points clear of Millwall in third and with a game in hand on their automatic promotion rivals. "On the night there wasn't much in the game - I don't think they carved us open," Walton told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Coming out on top in all the duels, the second balls, winning first contacts from their goal-kicks, it's just the small details in games that make a massive difference and we probably came up short on those. "Everyone enjoyed Saturday and that was a really good team performance - we wanted to replicate that tonight and we didn't. "It's naive to think we're going to win every game to the end of the season and play amazing, with perfect performances.

There's always going to be bumps in the road but we're looking forward to Sunday now. " Ipswich are at home to fifth-placed Middlesbrough at Portman Road next, but then have to travel for three successive games, the last of them at Southampton - who are currently fourth - on 28 April. "They're all big games.

In terms of our performance, we need to go into it [on Sunday] with the character and belief that we have in all the games," said Walton. Latest Ipswich Town news, analysis and fan views Listen to Ipswich Town content on BBC Sounds