Ipswich Town defender Conor Townsend on Premier League relegation battle, FA Cup penalty shoot-out heartache at Nottingham Forest and competing with Leif Davis for starting place

Ipswich full-back Conor Townsend claimed the Blues are “nowhere near done” in their fight for Premier League survival following their agonising FA Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Top flight survival is now the sole focus of Kieran McKenna’s side, with Town sitting five points plus a significantly inferior goal difference from safety with just 11 matches remaining.

The FA Cup dream came to an end as penalties denied the Blues a first quarter-final in the competition for more than 30 years with Jack Taylor the only man to miss with the 10th and final kick of the shoot-out.

“It was a tough game,” Townsend said. “I thought we did well in parts and there’s parts we think we can do better on. We’ve come to a very good Forest team and limited them to not many opportunities and taken them all the way.

“Penalties is one of them, sometimes they go for you and sometimes they don’t. A lot of the lads in there can be proud of their efforts, a lot of us haven’t played or played regularly. It was a much-changed team and they had pretty much a full-strength team out.

“That’s what the gaffer always goes on about with the strength of the squad and what we do together. We’re all in it together and it didn’t fall our way tonight.

“In cup ties there’s no worse way to go out than penalties, you probably don’t deserve to lose the game and they’d say the same. It was a very even tie, we caused them problems and I felt we limited them to not many chances.

“We’ve got to take the positives from this – the short cup run that we’ve been on has been positive, especially for the lads that haven’t played. It gives the squad minutes to make sure everyone’s ready if needed to be called upon.

“Hopefully we can use that for the last 11 games and push on. It’s nowhere near done, as a squad we need to stick together.

“We’re disappointed not to have won in normal time and extra-time. I’m not sure on [Liam] Delap as I haven’t seen it back, it looked like a pen at the time but they’re decisions that are out of our hands.

“We can be proud of what we’ve done tonight, the main thing is using it so that for the last 11 games we give it a right go and don’t leave this season with any regrets.”

George Hirst’s third goal of the season put Town in front but Ryan Yates levelled for Forest just 14 minutes later, with the contest ultimately going all the way.

Taylor was left with his head in his hands while Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels celebrated the decisive moment, and Townsend says he and his teammates have consoled the unfortunate midfielder.

“It takes balls to get up there and take one,” he said. “You’ll never hear any of the lads get on Tayls for missing, it’s part of football and it’s just how it happened.

“We’re a good group and he’s obviously gutted. You’ve seen the reaction of the team and that’s our strength is the cohesion and camaraderie we have as a team, we’re a very close-knit group.

“There were a lot of changes in the summer and we’re still a very close-knit group and we’ve got to use that for the last 11 games.

“[Survival was] the goal of the season, the FA Cup run was a bonus. We’re still right in it, we’ve got Wolves to play at home and we’re by no means throwing the towel in. We’ve got to stick together and hopefully we can pick up some results and give it a good go.”

Townsend’s return to the Premier League came last summer after a long stint at West Bromwich Albion, but the left-back has found minutes limited to predominantly cup competitions due to Leif Davis’s almost ever-presence in league action.

Townsend, who turns 32 on Tuesday, said: “It’s different to what I’ve been used to, for the last six years I’ve played every minute I possibly could at West Brom. I knew my role signing, at the beginning it was to push Leif and try and be the best teammate that I could and I feel like I’ve done that.

“Leif’s been great all season, there’s no qualms from me. It was always for myself being ready when called upon if Leif gets injured or has a loss of form, but I don’t think he has and he’s been great.

“For me, being part of the squad, being a good teammate and helping with my experience in other areas has been what my role is this season and that’s fine. I’ve been keeping ready when called upon, I’ve played a little bit more in the last few games with Leif being injured and ill. I feel like I’ve slotted in, done my job and hopefully the fans can see that.

“I think I’ve done what I’ve needed to. It’s hard following Leif, he’s very attack minded but I’ve got my own qualities that I feel I can bring to the team and I still feel like I can help the team in the last 11 games whatever that may be.

“I’ll try and do my best when I’m on the pitch and be a leader and help the younger lads that are in the team. I feel like I’ve done that when I’ve been called upon so long may it continue.

Read more: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Ipswich (Forest won 5-4 on pens) match report

“By the end of tonight I was really tired, I’ve not played too many minutes going into this but it’s good for me in the legs. Hopefully it’s not the end of my season, hopefully I’ve got a part to play whatever that may be.

“I’m confident in my own ability. I was at West Brom for a long time and the opportunity to come back to the Premier League was one I couldn’t turn down.

“As soon as I signed, I felt the whole town was on the up and it was such a lovely place to be around. The Liverpool game sticks in my mind, the town was on such a buzz and it’s nice to be a part of it.

“Hopefully we can give them something else to shout about by staying in the league. It seems like everyone else is writing us off but I don’t think we’re anywhere near done.”