ROY Keane was satisfied with the performance of his two new boys, Daryl Murphy and David Healy, during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough.Healy provided the cross for Murphy's first minute opener, and both are set to play major roles in Town's quest to pull clear of the relegation zone over the next three months.

Carl Marston

ROY Keane was satisfied with the performance of his two new boys, Daryl Murphy and David Healy, during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough.

Healy provided the cross for Murphy's first minute opener, and both are set to play major roles in Town's quest to pull clear of the relegation zone over the next three months.

"I was pleased with the two of them," explained Keane.

"Obviously it was a gamble to start with the two of them and also with Jon Walters, who had only done a few days training with us (due to a hamstring injury).

"But sometimes, with the position we are in, you just have to get on with it.

"I didn't expect Murph to give us 80-odd minutes, but the way the game panned out we had to keep him on. David had an hour. They tired as you'd expect.

"But they feel the benefits of it, and we'll gauge their recovery in time for Tuesday.

"A cross and the goal, they must be fairly pleased," added Keane.

Town have now drawn 15 of their 28 league games, which is a big contributory factor to their current position of four-from-bottom.

They have only collected all three points for a win on five occasions.

"Looking back at all the draws we've had, we would have been better to lose half of them and win the other half to get us right up the table," insisted Keane.

"Someone is making money from us predicting draws every week!

"Today was a strange one. I'm pleased, but we need to do better of course.

"The final ball is the most important ball in football, and we haven't got that at the moment.

"We need to be more ruthless, more clinical and more clever in the final third.

"What goes on in the box is what life is all about.

"We have had some chances and they had some chances; we both missed them; it's 1-1 and we go home. Boring," concluded Keane."

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan was impressed with the pace that Town injected into the game from the very first whistle.

"They were the better team in the first half," admitted Strachan.

"We weren't ready for that sort of game, especially as so many of my players were playing out of position. It was a ferocious game to start with, and the goal put us into shock. We were so embarrassed by that early goal.

"The ferocity and the pace that Ipswich played at unsettled us, and we must learn to be more professional in the first couple of minutes.

That was hugely disappointing. We were rocking for the first 20 minutes.

"But I thought a draw was a fair result at the end. We were better in the second half. Our mental strength got better as the game went on," added Strachan.