Ipswich manager Paul Lambert continues to find life difficult at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship table.

After the latest defeat, 2-1 at Aston Villa,  the former Villa manager was far from happy with two crucial decisions.

After Tammy Abraham scored twice for Villa, before Freddie Sears pulled a goal back for the Tractor Boys, Lambert had mixed feelings.

His team conceded a fourth penalty in their last five league games and the Scot believed his team should have had a spot-kick themselves.

He explained: "They were two very poor decisions. It was not a Villa penalty while it was a blatant handball when we should have had a penalty – but some of the decisions were strange.

"The referee missed two big moments in the match and that was my big gripe about the game.  You make your own luck but you do look for things to go your way."

Lambert had no criticism of his team, adding: "I thought we were really good.

"After they scored early in the game through Tammy Abraham we played very well, particularly in the second half.

"I was proud of the way we played and there are still a lot of points to be played for between now and the end of the season.

"We do not look like a team at the bottom of the table. There is a great spirit and it is a great club to be at.  We are now moving forward.

"The performances have improved since I've been at the club and I honestly love watching us in action."

Villa boss Dean Smith was relieved after a belated home win, although his side had more than enough chances to have won the game more comfortably.

Fortunately, in Abraham they possess an outstanding goalscorer. He came up with another two goals, including a second-half penalty, to take his tally to 19 for the season.

In the last six home matches the England international has scored 11 goals – but this was the first one of those in which he has finished on the winning side.

Smith said: "We could have won 5-0.   It didn't matter as it was about getting a win at home, which we thoroughly we deserved.

"It was comfortable at 2-0 until Freddie Sears stuck one away in the top corner. Then we had a five-minute spell when there was a bit of panic trying to get over the line.

"I was disappointed it wasn't emphatic as it should have been. Tammy should have been walking away with his 21st and 22nd goals of the season, while John McGinn should also have scored a couple.

"We had a number of chances and had we been more clinical we would have made the game more comfortable.

"But Abraham is enjoying his football. He always has a smile on his face and he has proved again that he is a Premier League goalscorer playing in the Championship.

"It would have been nice to have kept a clean sheet as I feel we have conceded too many goals – particularly at home."