Ipswich Town: Scott Loach penalty homework pays off
Last updated on .From the section Football
Goalkeeper Scott Loach paid tribute to Ipswich Town's backroom staff after his penalty save helped the Tractor Boys complete a vital 1-0 win at Derby.
Loach saved Jamie Ward's spot-kick as Town kept a fifth consecutive clean sheet.
He told BBC Suffolk: "They should give the headlines to [performance analyst] Jordan Miles.
"He doesn't just find you a couple of opposition penalties to study, he finds you five, six or seven."
Loach made a series of saves before Carlos Edwards fired home from 25 yards in added time to secure a victory that lifts Ipswich six points clear of the Championship's relegation zone with five matches to play.
"I was actually excited when they got the penalty, because I'd made a couple of saves so I was into the game, I was ready for it," said Loach, who also saved a spot-kick in Town's 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town earlier in the season.
"You still have to save it, but Jordan and [goalkeeping coach] Malcolm Webster deserve a lot of the credit."
But Loach said Ipswich could still not consider themselves safe.
"We have a breathing space, a massive breathing space, and some teams down the bottom have still to play each other and will take points from each other, but it's not over till it's over.
"It would be nice to get a couple of wins, or even just a win, so we don't have to go to Sheffield Wednesday, or even Burnley on the final day, and get a result.
"I can't say we don't deserve to be in this position, we're down there for a reason and it's a shame it took a managerial change to kick start our season, but the lads have shown they work hard - very, very hard.
"It's been a strange season. We play Hull at the weekend, we'll have the same game plan, try and stay tight, and try and get a victory or a point. The main thing is we're seeing games out now. We're playing the right way to do that - it may not be the best way, or what the fans want to see, but it's what gets you up the table."
