Dons deserved a point in Ipswich defeat

Jon Nolan's 12th minute strike proved to be the difference, but after a misfiring performance from Dons in the opening half, a much-improved second saw them in the ascendency.

Despite good chances for Jordan Houghton and Jordan Bowery though, Dons were unable to see past Tomas Holy to snatch a point the manager felt they deserved.

"It was spirited, we gave it a really good go," said Tisdale afterwards. "I'm disappointed we didn't get anything from it because I think we deserved to.

Football is never the same at the start and the finish. You have to adapt, survive and navigate your way through and then somehow come out stronger. We didn't get the goal, but in terms of the contribution of both teams, they had it in the first half-hour, and then we had it after then."

Tisdale made two changes and altered the formation at half time, heralding a change in their fortunes.

Tisdale continued: "A change of style of half time was no critique on the first half or the players who came off. Maybe a bit more craft or luck, we could have scored. Callum and Jordan did well when they came on, but I would take it away from those two and two coming off, but it was the style that changed off the back of it. Joe Walsh was one of the best players in the first half, but it was about changing the style."

Paul Lambert's side remain second as a result of the win, and as Tisdale expects the Tractor Boys to be in the mix for automatic promotion, he believes Dons should take heart from the game.

He said: "The players are cross, agitated and frustrated, and that's a good sign. We're in League One, going up against a top-of-the-table side in Ipswich who are surely going to be contenders, and we made them hang on for 50 minutes if not longer. That's a compliment to our players and how we turned that game in our favour. We have to find a way to come away from games like that with something but we have plenty to work with.

"We tried really hard, but they did a really good job on us. We have to find a way to work through that when it happens."