Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with Town’s four-point haul from their two Christmas away fixtures after his side followed up their 3-0 Boxing Day win at Doncaster with a 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth.
"I’m delighted, we travelled to Donny, travelled to Bournemouth and we got four points from two away games,” he said. "I’d be delighted with that whoever we played but we’ve just played a really good team.”
The Blues started the game strongly before the Cherries got on top midway through the first half with the momentum continuing to fluctuate throughout the rest of the match.
"I thought there were spells in the game when they dominated,” McCarthy said. "I thought there were spells when we had it and momentum was gained and lost by both of us.
"They gained it at the end when they got the goal and we’ve had to defend. It was a really good defensive performance in the end.
"I think they’ve got good footballers. They keep playing, whatever’s happening on the pitch they keep passing it.
"They’ve got a really outstanding footballer in Matt Ritchie, and Andrew Surman, I signed him at Wolves and he’s a terrific midfield player. Lewis Grabban was a handful. All round they’re a good side.”
McCarthy says he wasn’t concerned about tiredness with the same XI starting the fifth successive game: "I knew how Bournemouth would play, they wouldn’t be playing 4-4-2, so I would have had to have played a variation on 4-3-3 or one up front.
"The game at Doncaster, without being comfortable, I thought it was one after which we could go again. That was a much harder game today.”
The Blues manager was delighted to see Murphy get on the scoresheet and with Frank Nouble’s contribution to the Irishman's goal.
"There were chances at both ends in the game,” he said. "It was a really good goal, a great ball by Frank. I was giving out to him at Doncaster because he smashed one round the back of the goal. He put a real quality ball in.
"I thought Murph was outstanding, his whole performance. He’s another who goes back and defends that six-yard box for us at corner kicks.
"I’m delighted he got the goal. It doesn’t matter what else centre forwards do, if others keep scoring goals they get the plaudits, so it was nice for Murph to get them today.”
McCarthy was pleased to see keeper Dean Gerken make another vital save when he blocked from Lewis Grabban in the first half: "He’s terrific, isn’t he? He’s been a really good signing. I’m delighted with him.”
As for Bournemouth’s disallowed second-half goal, he thought the referee got it right: "I’m the manager of the team that’s had the decision given in his favour. Stock answer, I haven’t seen it again. I thought he’d given a foul straight away, I don’t think there was any doubt about it.
"I just thought Gerks was going to get it. Did he throw his arm at him, did he knock his arm? I haven’t got a clue. It makes no odds as it was disallowed and we’ve drawn one-all.”
The two Christmas away results have seen the Blues hit sixth spot at the season’s midway point, but McCarthy is remaining typically grounded.
"I never get wrapped up in all that nonsense,” he insisted. ”Let’s see where we can end up in May.
"Let’s try and get into the top six, let’s try and win the league, let’s try and be as good as we possibly can, and then be realistic as to what we can achieve. But we’re on a good run and let’s hope that we can keep it going.”
The Blues are now unbeaten in seven overall and without a defeat in eight games away from home and the Town boss is pleased with that sort of consistency.
"I like to be consistent personally, how I deal with people, my personality, not that up, not that down. On the touchline that’s somewhat different, of course, but in general life,” he said.
"If you’re consistent with people and you put in consistent performances you’ll end up doing consistently well, strangely enough. We’ve just got to keep it going.
"I said to the guys, one bit of brilliance or an outstanding individual might win you a cup competition, might win you a game.
"But all the stuff our lads do gets you points and gets you up the league and keeps you competitive all the time, which sometimes means having to do all the dirty jobs, the professional jobs, the hard work and it was a hard game today, they played well.”
The Town boss confirmed that midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe will be remaining on loan from Manchester United for the rest of the season and will be available for the New Year’s Day game against Charlton.
"Tunners is staying,” he said "He wants to go back and speak to David Moyes and see what his future is and where it lies, but he wants to come back and play. We’ve agreed the deal until the end of the season.”
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe thought his side just about deserved to win: "We’re really pleased with the performance. Again, it was a very high level like the Birmingham and Yeovil games.
"I can’t fault the players in any way. I felt we deserved the three points, I was disappointed we couldn’t force the second goal, but full credit to Ipswich for how they defended the last period of the game. But we’re slightly frustrated.”
Was the referee right to rule out Matt Ritchie’s second-half goal? "My initial reaction was that it was a goal but until I see it again I can’t really give a full opinion.
"I thought the referee had given handball to start with, which I couldn’t understand. But he’s told the fourth official it was for a foul, so I’ll need to see it again.”