Town midfielder Jay Tabb has echoed the view of manager Mick McCarthy that strike pair Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick make up one of the best double acts in the Championship.
The pair have netted five times between them this season to add to the 29 they scored last season, despite McGoldrick missing the final 13 games when he was sidelined with a knee injury.
Tabb, 30, said: "I can’t imagine it’s much fun to be a defender facing our two strikers.
"Murph is so strong and doesn’t lose much in the air. Didz, whenever he gets the ball, you know he’s going to turn and get at you. That’s what I notice from playing with him.
"A lot of the time he gets the ball in positions and I think if it was me I would just give it simple. But he always looks to take someone on and it usually works. He gets in and creates something.
"They don’t give you a minute’s peace and I think it’s fair comment for the manager to rate them as good as any partnership in the division.”
Murphy was on target in both the recent home wins over Millwall and Brighton, with his goal near the end of the hard-earned victory over the Seagulls one of his best in a Town shirt, even if ex-loanee David Stockdale was widely criticised for his failure to react in time.
Tabb was one of a vast majority of people to be taken aback as the Republic of Ireland international decided to hit the ball first time from Tyrone Mings’s long-distance pass down the left.
He laughed: "Was I expecting that? No, not at all. I was just about to start a run forward because there was a bit of space on the right and I was going to call for him to cross it. He hit it well and it was a great finish.
"Why not have a shot and see what happens? Murph has the talent and as the ball came over his shoulder he obviously had a picture in his head of what he wanted to do and it’s come off and worked for him. Fair play to him, it was a great goal and one I’m sure he was pleased with.
"It’s good to see the strikers scoring. I always think it is important for a team when the strikers get on the scoresheet and do their job, which is what Didz and Murph have been doing.”
Loanee frontman Conor Sammon netted his first goal for the Blues in the 2-1 win at Wigan on Monday providing another option up front.
"It’s another position where we have good cover and competition for places so it’s looking good at the moment,” the former Reading man added.
Tabb missed Monday’s victory over the Latics through illness but could be back for Saturday’s home game against Rotherham.