Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert slammed striker Kayden Jackson for the 'horrendous' challenge which left his side playing the majority of tonight's 1-0 home loss to Sunderland with 10 men.

Jackson was dismissed for a a studs up tackle that caught Bailey Wright high up the shin in the 10th minute, leaving the Blues with an uphill task.

An organised and spirited Ipswich display then left Sunderland frustrated, only for Charlie Wyke to convert a cross on the stretch just before half time. Town were, again, very much in the game after the break and could have snatched a draw had Luke Thomas not fired a glorious chance straight at the keeper.

"It's a horrendous challenge," said Lambert, when asked about Jackson's red card. "If I was Sunderland I'd be angry as well. He's let everybody down. He's let himself down and he's let his team-mates down. I've not really seen the Sky angle, but I saw it from my own angle and it was terrible.

"He'll know himself exactly what it means."

On his side's performance, Lambert said: "Brilliant. Really good. The fight. Everything was there. There was nothing in the game. When you go down to 10 men it becomes harder. We were competitive.

"The plan was to get in at half-time still 0-0, hopefully, but that never happened. You've got to stay in the game for as long as you can and then decide when the time is to try and bring on a striker. We made good substitutions. The guys gave me everything. I can't ask for anymore. There's no way on this earth you can ask for anymore.

"Yeah, we lose, but there is a way to lose, as I've always said."

That's six home defeats in seven for Town. They've now lost eight times against the current top seven, failing to score in six of those games. The Blues have slipped to 10th in the League One table ahead of Saturday's trip to ninth-place Crewe.

Asked if it was starting to fear for his job, Lambert said: "I don't worry about anything. I don't worry. I just get on with it. I guess that's football you know.

"Football is my life. You keep on. I don't get into what is said on the outside. Health is the most important thing. I've got belief we can win games. There is still a lot of football to be played."

Does he understand why fans are starting to get on his back?

"Yeah, but that's life," said the Blues boss. "When you do well, people think you're great. When you don't do well, people think you're rubbish. You do your best. That's what you do."

Asked if he could turn things around, Lambert said: "You have to win. There are not too many managers who can walk away from their careers and say they've never been sacked. It happens with Frank Lampard the other day. That's football. Everybody knows you have to win."

Would he consider quitting?

"Marcus (Evans) has to say to me what's going on," replied Lambert. "I said to you last time, Marcus is the one that calls it. He's the owner of the club. I don't get involved. I don't read anything. I don't get involved in anything. You don't know me that well, obviously. I get on with the job.

"I spoke to him (Evans) yesterday. I certainly get on well with him. There's not a problem there. He's been good. I think he knows. He's been good."

Does Lambert recognise that he's being judged on results, which haven't been good enough for some time?

"Yeah, no problem with that. None whatsoever," he said. "As I said before, it's up to Marcus what he does."

Meanwhile, Lambert said he may dip into the transfer market to sign a young striker on loan before next Monday's deadline. Jackson will be suspended for the next three matches, with Oli Hawkins (knee) and James Norwood (hamstring) both sidelined at present.

"I really don't know if we'll get one," he said. "With the salary cap we don't have much to play with. We might have to take a gamble with a young one. Sometimes those sort of gambles can pay off."