Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side deserved their 2-1 victory over Fulham, despite some nervy closing moments after Tim Hoogland had pulled a late goal back for the visitors. Earlier, Daryl Murphy and the returning David McGoldrick had been on target for the Blues.
"It was a nervy end but I think we deserved to win it overall,” McCarthy said. "Gerks hasn’t had a lot to do, not that I’m saying that their keeper has been diving around making saves either.
"I thought they had a lot of the ball in the first half without hurting us and we certainly scored a good goal on the break. I think we deserved it overall.”
The Town boss was delighted to see McGoldrick get back on the scoresheet so soon after returning from his lengthy absence with the knee injury suffered against Blackpool in January.
The 26-year-old had made only fleeting appearances in two friendlies before coming on as a sub just prior to half-time against the Cottagers.
"If he was fit I would always fancy him to get on the scoresheet,” he said. "But I didn’t know whether he was going to be fit or not.
"I think that’s down to his diligence and his professionalism to get himself fit, he’s worked really, really hard and he was desperate to get back playing. It’s lovely to get him back because he’s real quality.”
Would Town have made the play-offs last season had McGoldrick remained fit? "We would have been better placed to have compete for it but whether we would have got there or not, I don’t know.
"We have a better functioning team when David McGoldrick is fit and playing, we’re more likely to score goals when he’s fit and playing.”
The Town boss was pleased to see Daryl Murphy score with his right foot, something he felt was a result of his work with assistant manager Terry Connor: "He practises. I saw the session yesterday morning that TC put on and TC works as well as anybody I’ve seen with strikers, the sessions he puts on are excellent.
"I think any striker who has been with him and has worked with him will know he improves them. He makes them take it on their right foot. It was a fabulous finish, especially as he’d had to run past him at full tilt as well.”
McGoldrick replaced debutant striker Balint Bajner shortly before half-time and McCarthy outlined his reasons for withdrawing the Hungarian frontman.
"Absolutely bollocksed. Bollocksed Bajner, his name is! Or Badger, as he’s affectionately known with the lads,” He said. "He was just tired. That was a welcome to the Championship for him.”
The Town boss also explained why Luke Hyam came off towards the end: "He got cramp in the end, he ran out of juice and he’s the fittest lad I know.
"He was a big part of the first goal. He broke it up and we hadn’t been doing that really. We’d been making them kick it, we’d been winning the first headers but they were picking it up.
"Luke took it upon himself and went and nailed someone and won the ball and we were on the front foot and we scored from it.”
McCarthy says Cole Skuse, who was replaced by Anthony Wordsworth, suffered a knock: "He got an injury, he has a sore foot, we’ll see how he is.”
The Blues boss says he’s not taking too much significance from the game: "That’s welcome to the Championship for some of their players. But they knew what my team would be like because Peter Grant works with them.
"I played with him at Celtic, he’s one of my good mates in football and I’ve managed against him. He would have been under no illusions what to expect here, so it would have been no surprise to them.
"I don’t think it has any significance other than that it’s a good three points for us. I watched the game last night, Blackburn and Cardiff, and when it ended in a draw the two managers were shaking hands.
"Not being negative, but I would have taken a point on the first day, you just don’t want zip-a-dee-doo-dah because you’re looking at it then with no points and we’d be going to Reading. So, it’s nice to get points.”
Fulham manager Felix Magath was pleased with his side’s display, despite their defeat: "I’m glad, I’m not very glad, but I’m glad about our performance today and it has shown that in my opinion we are on the right way.
"We knew before that it was a very difficult game for us, a very tough game and we expected the Ipswich team, how they have played, and there was always a balance in the game.”
He added: "In many periods, especially before the first goal, we had control over the game and we were playing well, we had the first chance to score, but after [the first goal] we were a little bit nervous so we lost our game-plan and unfortunately the second goal came too early in the second half.
"At the end I’m glad with our performance and I think we are on the right way and I don’t worry about the future.”
Magath was unimpressed with the way the game was officiated - "The referee has not his best day” - believing his players should have received more protection: "We have a lot of young players and our players from the youth academy are not used to being tackled as they were today, so they have to get used to it.
"It was a good learning session for them because the referee let things go on, so we lost some tackles and therefore, in my opinion, we lost the game.”
Responding to his opposite number’s comments, McCarthy added: "Only 45 to go, tell him!
"It’s the Championship. I thought the game was played in a good spirit, I thought there were some really hard tackles but I don’t think there were any really nasty fouls.
"There were three bookings but no really nasty tackles. There are plenty more of those games for them to come.”