‘Regroup As A Squad’ – Mavididi’s Ipswich Assessment

- Leicester City and Ipswich Town drew 1-1 in the Sky Bet Championship on Monday
- The Foxes conceded an 89th-minute equaliser as both sides shared the points
- Stephy Mavididi looked back on the top of the table clash having played his part in the Leicester goal
- While in a good position as things stand, there’s still plenty of work to do, he says

The quest for promotion from the Sky Bet Championship intensified on Monday evening with the Foxes welcoming Kieran McKenna’s side to King Power Stadium. A 1-1 draw left City feeling frustrated, having let the lead slip in the closing stages.

For Mavididi, it must now be used as a source of motivation to push on, with a seven-point gap to second-place Ipswich remaining in place with 18 games to play.

“We're disappointed because we dominated the majority of the game and we thought we should have got more from the game,” the winger reflected. It’s a similar feeling [to Boxing Day]. It’s not the first time it's happened to us.

“I think we've just got to work on controlling games. That's what it takes if you want to achieve what we want to achieve; a lot of sacrifice, a lot of running and sticking together. We know that as a group.”

Involved in the opening goal, the 25-year-old exchanged a one-two with Ricardo Pereira before his ball into the box was turned into the net by Town full-back Leif Davis.

Pleased to contribute, there were frustrations that he was unable to add to the tally and kill the game off. Returning to Filbert Way next Tuesday, for a meeting with Swansea City, it’s another opportunity to put points on the board.

“It was just good play from the team,” the ex-England youth international analysed. “I managed to get in a cross and it took a deflection and it's gone in. We’re taught as a team to get in those spaces to create chances.

“But we struggled to break them down [in the] second half. The goal in the end just killed us, so we’re very disappointed. There were points there for the taking and at this moment of the season we've got to take as many points as we can.

“It’s a huge disappointment, but we've just go to regroup, go on to the next game and attack this second part of the season.”

Jamie Vardy, meanwhile, made his first appearance since November, coming off the bench late on. His reintroduction was welcomed by Mavididi: “One hundred per cent it's a huge boost for everyone. He's one of our main characters in the dressing room and on the pitch, so we’re happy to have him back.”