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Gerks Pleased With Clean Sheet Hat-Trick - Ipswich Town News

Keeper Dean Gerken was pleased to have kept a third successive home clean sheet as the Blues defeated Rotherham 2-0 at Portman Road on Saturday.

"We were strong at the start of the game and getting two early goals really helped us,” the 29-year-old said. "They put up a good fight and that second half was difficult. People will see 2-0 and think it was easy but they made it hard.

"Our back four are so strong and the midfield two are solid defensively. The gaffer expects that from us.

"We had our backs to the ball but we kept our nerve and to keep three clean sheets in a row at home is very good.”

The victory moved the Blues up to fourth in the table, their highest position since briefly topping the table on the opening weekend of the 2011/12 season, before Wolves pushed them down to fifth following their 3-3 draw at Reading yesterday.

"It is brilliant to be top six but it is early doors,” Gerken continued. "Hopefully we’ll stay in with the pack.

"There wasn’t too much wrong before the four wins, we made slight mistakes here there and we were getting caught out.

"Sometimes the rub of the green does fall for you. We had a tough start but we have come on leaps and bounds after the international break. We have shown again what a solid team we can be.”

As for striker David McGoldrick’s stunning second goal, the former Colchester United and Bristol City man said it came as no surprise to the players: "We see that in Didzy every day in training.

"He is a class act and we were lucky to keep him, hopefully he can continue to propel us up the Championship.

"Daryl Murphy is brilliant too. Didzy must love playing with him because Murph takes all the bashes and bruises and he looks the flair player.

"There can’t be a centre-half who wants to play against him because he is tough and he has a great touch. His build-up play is excellent.

"We have only conceded seven goals, so it was just about tightening up in all areas. There wasn’t much wrong, it was about making just tweaks.

"We go out to win every game, if by nine games from the end of the season we are still winning games then we can be there or thereabouts.”

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