Mick McCarthy was delighted that his second anniversary as Blues boss was marked with a 2-0 victory at Blackpool. Strike pair David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy netted in either half to give the Blues their first win in six matches.
"It was a terrific performance,” he said. "It was a solid performance. We had to withstand a bit of an onslaught as well at times and I was delighted with that because we all know about the goals we’ve given away.
"It’s great for all of us, especially the lads playing, that they kept a clean sheet.
"He added: "It’s a nice win. My anniversary or not, it’s a good three points.”
McCarthy believes that the Tangerines have a decent squad, despite their current position at the bottom of the table.
"I pointed out to the squad beforehand in our team meeting, if you look at the players, the two strikers - Nile Ranger and Ishmael Miller - are a proper handful, Nathan Delfouneso as well,” he said.
"Joan Oriol’s a good footballer. They’re no mugs. There are a lot of players there been thrown together at the start of this season, which doesn’t make it easy, but there are some good individual talents there and I think it showed at times. They were a handful.”
He says it was never going to be a case of just turning up and picking up the three points: "Who thinks that Ipswich are that good that we can just breeze up here and beat Blackpool? Not a chance. We’ve had to really put a shift in. That has been a hard game.”
McCarthy had praise for 18-year-old Teddy Bishop, who created Murphy’s goal with a moment of magic, showing quick feet to trick his way past three opponents and put in a low cross.
"The Bish is great,” the Town boss enthused. "He’s a smashing young fella, a really exciting young talent. We started off 4-3-3 and I changed it quickly to 4-4-2 and he did that well.
"But strangely enough he never put a cross in from wide right, it was when he played in [central] midfield and drifted over there that [he created the goal]. Once he gets going he’s difficult to stop.”
Regarding Bishop’s role in the goal, he added: "It was nice, it was in front of our fans, they got a good view of it.”
McCarthy confirmed that keeper Dean Gerken suffered a groin problem in the warm-up, which forced him out of the game, and says there are a few niggles in the squad ahead of the tough matches against fourth-placed Wolves and leaders Watford on Tuesday and Saturday.
"We’ve got two really tough home games and we’ve a few walking wounded,” he added. "Bish has come off with a groin strain, Skusey has come off with a groin strain. Heaven knows what they’ve been doing throwing their legs over.
"Gerks has come off with a groin strain. We’ll have to see how they all are. It’s probably the workload. We used the fewest players in October. We demand a lot out of them, they give us a lot and it takes its toll.”
On Thursday, McCarthy said that Kevin Bru could be fit for the Wolves game having missed the last two matches, also with a groin problem, and he says he’ll know more about the fitness of today’s other absentees Jonny Williams (ankle) and Jonny Parr (also groin) on Sunday.
"I’ll see tomorrow and I’ll find out,” he said. "Jonny Williams, he didn’t really feel it today," he said. "I don’t know about Jonny Parr, that’s not really been my focus, it’s been this and I’ll see them tomorrow morning and find out more.”
Given Parr’s injury, McCarthy says Elliott Hewitt’s loan at Colchester - which ends tomorrow - might not be extended.
"Possibly,” he added. "I haven’t given that too much thought. I’ll give it thought in the week. I’ve spoken to Tony Humes, I told him if I need him, I’ll bring him back. If I don’t, I won’t.”
New Blackpool boss Lee Clark said the result illustrated the tough job he has on his hands.
"I’m obviously very disappointed to lose my first game, but I knew it was a big job when I took the challenge on and that’s obviously reiterated it,” he said.
"I think the big task I’ve got in the short term is rebuilding the players’ self-belief and confidence.
"They seemed to be all right and then when we went 1-0 down I just sensed a little bit [of a lack] of self-belief.