Watford manager Gianfranco Zola vowed to learn valuable lessons after a below-par performance from his side ended in a 1-0 home defeat against Ipswich.

A last-gasp Michael Chopra goal at Vicarage Road ended Ipswich's remarkable 15-game run without a win against last night's opponents.

The Hornets won their first match of the npower Championship season at Crystal Palace thanks to a late show of their own on Saturday, but they are still coming to terms with their new style of play and the Italian's passing philosophy.

Ipswich were the better side for most of the game and Chopra should have fired them in front before he was in the right place to convert Carlos Edwards' low centre in the last minute of normal time.

Asked if it was a fair result, the Zola replied: "Absolutely, no doubt about it. It is a fair result and the team who played better today has won the game.

"I knew about that [how much work he had to do]. I didn't get under the illusion that the game we played the other day was the solution to everything. We know there's a lot of work to do and, as I said to the players, games like this will help us improve.

"I never said it was easy [to change the style of play]. I said that the first day but that doesn't stop me from trying and I'll carry on. It certainly won't be a bad result which is going to kill my enthusiasm or desire to play football in a certain way."

Watford did improve as an attacking presence as the game neared its closing stages, and Almen Abdi and Nyron Nosworthy both missed fine chances to head the hosts in front.

"We could have won - that is the story," Zola said. "We had a couple of very good chances, maybe three, which we could have scored but honestly, that wouldn't have been fair, so I take it and I will learn from it."

Ipswich boss Paul Jewell was delighted with his side's display, particularly in the opening period.

He said: "We played outstanding, I felt, first half. The only thing that concerned me was we were so much on top, you know that any team at any level is going to come back into it and I just didn't want to see that extra touch and being that bit sloppy in possession.

"We knew they would have a bit more of the game in the second half and that was the case but to score a goal and keep a clean sheet, I thought was the least we deserved."

Ipswich had not tasted victory against the Hornets in any competition since 2004.

Jewell said: "It's been a bit of a bogey team for us over the last few years and it was nice to put that to bed. But it's done now and we're looking forward to the next game.

"I thought we looked crisp and sharp right through the game.

"Obviously when (Chris) Iwelumo comes on and they've got a height advantage with (Martin) Taylor and Nosworthy - it's an area where we lack a little. But we certainly don't lack for fitness and, at times, a lot of quality.

"The only thing that was missing first half was a couple of goals and we've got to be ruthless in both boxes and for all the play we had we didn't work the keeper hard enough."

London Evening Standard