BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill felt his side contributed to their own downfall at Ipswich by conceding two bad goals.

Alan Lee's equaliser came after the Clarets defence failed to clear a routine ball into the penalty area.

And while Cotterill questioned the award of a late penalty that earned Townvictory, he insisted the danger should have been averted in the build-up.

He said: "We were looking comfortable but it was just two bad goals from our point of view.

"Conceding bad goals has been our story this year and last year we wouldn'thave conceded those two.

"For the first one we didn't close the ball down quickly enough and they have dinked a ball into the box. Somehow it has dropped to Alan Lee's feet, but we should be heading that out.

"Then, in the second half, John McGreal has let the ball run through following a misunderstanding. Wayne Thomas is saying 'time' and John thinks he says 'leave it'. They don't sound the same to me and they have got a penalty on the back of it.

"We made a mistake because if we cleared it, the penalty doesn't happen and we are talking about what a good draw that would be for us."

Michael Ricketts found the target for the second successive game to provide the plus point of a sixth defeat in nine games.

But with 43 points maintaining Burnley's position in the top half of the Championship table, Cotterill pointed out the club was continuing to punch above its weight in a division full of big hitters.

He added: "We have had major changes at our football club. We have a player (Robbie Blake) who scores a lot of goals and we sell him. We get another striker (Ade Akinbiyi) who scores a load of goals and we sell him. We then have to change our formation to get the best out of what we've got.

"There were only 16 lads in the dressing room. We have some who have been promoted from Bournemouth and non-league and it's tough on them because they haven't had the schooling.

"It would be fantastic to be in charge of a football club where you could dip into your Academy and bring through the likes of Darren Bent, Owen Garvan, Matt Richards and Scott Barron.

"That's what they do at Ipswich and it's unbelievable for us to be competing with them. We always need to be at our best."

Cotterill also felt the Portman Road crowd played their part in dragging Town back from behind to leapfrog the Clarets in the league.

Striker Michael Ricketts was targeted for abuse, while Brian Jensen was constantly barracked for perceived time wasting.

Cotterill said: "The crowd do fantastically well for them at Portman Road. They were on Brian's back from the beginning of the game, yet there were no ball-boys chucking him the ball back for goal kicks.

"If they want him to kick it quicker, then get some ball boys in there.

"I didn't see their keeper hurrying to kick it after they scored their second goal, so it's swings and roundabouts."