Manager Mick McCarthy says he’s delighted with his strike partnership David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy, despite neither of them having netted since the season began a fortnight ago. The duo were prolific in pre-season, Murphy grabbing five and McGoldrick four, but the pair are yet to get off the mark during 2013/14 proper.
"I thought they were excellent last Saturday,” McCarthy said. "They really gave us a platform that we could play off.
"They worked their back four. I know the first goal was an own goal, but I think it was from the pressure that we put on them.
"Cressy did well, we got bodies in the box and they couldn’t deal with it. I do think that the two of them were terrific last week.”
The Town boss is confident that the senior strikers at his disposal, McGoldrick and Murphy plus Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor, are capable of scoring the required goals: "I hope so because we’re not doing a great deal else, are we? We’re not going to go out and sign [anybody]. Where are we going to find goals from?
"We’ve tried to provoke them and cajole them and get them in the box and make sure that we get into positions. And we’ll continue to do that and try and get goals out of the players that we have.
"I was talking to them in training the other day, trying to give them targets to get. Set your sights high. If you set them for 10 and you get six, then that’ll be better than last year.
"They’re working hard at that, at trying to get bodies in the box and good deliveries in the box and we’ll see what happens.”
He says the quality of set pieces is very important: "If you get good freekicks and corners in and make people defend properly, you’ll get one at some stage.
"If you keep hitting the first man, no. If it goes ballooning over the far man, there’s nothing more frustrating, especially as a centre-half.
"You come running up, you’re relying on somebody to put it anywhere near you and they miss you by miles. It’s a long way back shouting abuse at them, I can tell you. Been there, done that!”
McCarthy was also pleased with 19-year-old right-back Elliott Hewitt during the 3-0 victory over Millwall: "I thought he played well at the weekend.
"He had 90 minutes [for the Wales U21s on Wednesday], which isn’t great for him with him having to play again on Saturday.
"He did well. I was quite pleased with him at Reading. He played against some good players there and once or twice he got done, but he stuck at it, that’s what I liked about him. He just kept going and I thought he was better on Saturday.”
Hewitt underwent two hip impingement operations in the summer of 2012 and is yet to play three games in a week since he joined the Blues, but McCarthy expects him to come through without a problem.
"I hope so,” he said. "He’s never done it. You’re never quite sure until you see them.
"At 26-30 you’re at your most battle-hardened, your toughest, your fittest, you know how to manage yourself and manage games.
"Elliott hasn’t got to that yet but I was pleased with him last week. He’s come in and he’s had his massage and his ice baths and his recovery work, he’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, former Blue Jaime Peters is currently back in Ipswich, having left Portman Road by mutual consent a year ago.
Since departing, the 26-year-old Canadian international has spent time on trial with the likes of Leyton Orient, one-time loan club Yeovil, MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps and more recently clubs in France.