Derby boss Nigel Clough felt his side deserved more from their 1-0 defeat at Ipswich and admitted he considered trying to get the game called off due to their crippling injury list.

Clough has been without a host of players for much of the season and saw his side become the first team to taste defeat against Roy Keane's men this season.

"We were looking into that but obviously if we can get a team out there that's what we have to try and do," said Clough, who has 16 players on the sidelines and could only name five on the bench.

"If at all possible the authorities want you to play the game and we've done that. We don't like calling games off and had faith in the players we had out there to put on a performance and they did that.

"It's a defeat, but it's an encouraging one. I thought we did enough to get something from the game but when you're on a little run like we are things can go against you.

"It was an extremely spirited performance, given we were down to the bare bones, and bitterly disappointing that we should come in on the wrong end of a defeat."