By Carl MarstonIPSWICH Town boss Roy Keane insists that he is “not cursed.”His Town side may have let seven points slip through their hands, in the last six matches, by dint of conceding late, late goals, but he does not subscribe to the view that the gods are against him.

By Carl Marston

IPSWICH Town boss Roy Keane insists that he is “not cursed.”

His Town side may have let seven points slip through their hands, in the last six matches, by dint of conceding late, late goals, but he does not subscribe to the view that the gods are against him.

Keane has cut a forlorn figure after recent games, having witnessed his team drop two points at Doncaster, Sheffield United and again against Watford, while also being denied a point by an injury-time winner for home striker Jon Macken at Barnsley.

But Keane refuses to whinge.

“We don't want any sympathy from anyone, particularly from outside the club,” insisted Keane.

“Sure, we've been very unlucky, but no, I don't think that I'm cursed. It's just a challenge for us.

“I don't feel cursed. How can I? The team have just gone 13 games without a win and yet are still being applauded off the pitch. There's no doom and gloom. We are all still positive.

“I pray all the time, but I've had no luck so far. Perhaps the man upstairs is busy at the moment, with more important issues to deal with than us?

“But I don't want to come across as though I'm making excuses. We need a break, but we have not deserved anything yet.

“I've had a few days to clear my head, with plenty of walking the dogs by the sea,” added Keane.

While the late goals conceded have captured all the headlines, Keane has been more concerned with his side's failure to stick away their chances.

Town had 20 goal attempts to Watford's seven on Tuesday night, and won the corner count 11-2, and yet they still ended up mustering just a point for their efforts.

“Basically we've got to take our chances. If you keep missing your chances, then they will return to haunt you. But at least we're not afraid to get in these positions,” continued Keane.

“It's not long-range shots that we are talking about. They are one-on-ones and free headers from six or seven yards out.

“We might be conceding last minute equalisers, but the games should be dead and buried by then.

“In our last two games, the keeper (Asmir Begovic) has only had one save to make, and that was only from a free-kick.

“In the last few games I have already made our substitutions. Otherwise, I might perhaps have brought on another defender, but it's not like we were hanging on desperately for the last 20 minutes (1-1 draw against Watford). We were not under the cosh.

“The disappointments just keep coming, but there have only been three games when we have not performed - against Middlesbrough, Newcastle and West Brom,” added Keane.

The Irishman won't worry about how well Town play today, so long as they record their first win at the 14th attempt.

“People keep saying that we are playing some decent stuff, and creating lots of chances, but that's all irrelevant,” confirmed Keane.

“You never know, we might play poorly at Plymouth and win the game!”

Follow Carl on Twitter at Carl_Marston

www.greenun24.co.uk