Town boss Mick McCarthy felt the Blues got off to a dream start with 16-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy netting the first goal in their 4-2 away win at Brentford within the opening minute.
"It was a dream start, it changed the dynamic of the game from 18 seconds,” McCarthy said. "You get a start like that against a team which has been really dominant here and it gives us the advantage.
"Brentford I think are a really good team, a really good footballing team. They were trying to get back in the game and certainly when we went to 2-0 they were taking chances leaving Murphy one-v-one. That’s always a problem.
"I think we capitalised on the fact that we got the early goal, they’ve had to press to try and get back in it and we’ve punished them. But that’s not always the case, we were clinical today, whereas on other days we’ve not been.”
He says his side take the same overall approach on their travels as they do at Portman Road: "We don’t play any different away from home.
"We’ve come and played 4-4-2 against their shape and thankfully ours has won over today.”
Asked about Town’s constant pressing of the Bees throughout the game, he added: "Of course, that wasn’t by accident. We worked at it, we planned it.
"It’s risk versus reward, that. You can press and get played around but if you do it properly, if you nick it back you’re in a good position.
"And let me tell you, they press from the front as well. That’s what we’ve seen them do when we’ve watched them.”
Regarding the criticism his side have received from some opposition bosses, he said: "I think there are all sorts of ways of playing football and all sorts of various footballers that play the game the way they play it.
"I think we’re a good team at the minute because we are at the top of the league at the moment unless Bournemouth are up, I’ve no idea, but they’ve got to win their game.
"I’m not really interested in what people think. I look at everybody else and I respect Bournemouth for what they’re doing and I certainly respect Mark and Brentford for what they’re doing. And if they don’t us, I’m not bothered really.”
Striker Murphy took his goals tally to 16, prompting the now weekly questions on what’s made the 31-year-old so prolific this season.
"Confidence always helps, maybe we’re creating more chances for him,” McCarthy said. "Ask him, we have all this every week now, he’s just in a good vein of form, let’s hope he can keep it that way.”
Quizzed on his concerns regarding possible interest in Murphy in January, McCarthy repeated his now familiar line when asked about January offers for his players.
"That doesn’t bother me at all, there’s nothing I can do about it, is there?" he said.
"At the moment we’re top of the league, he’s scoring goals with us.
"If somebody comes in and offers us bonkers money and him bonkers money it’ll upset the apple cart, but that’s what happens and I’ll have to deal with it if it does.
"Me dealing with it, like we dealt with David McGoldrick when we turned down £7.5 million and £3.5 million for Tyrone Mings.
"I think you’ll find Marcus Evans has got a chunk of dough, he’s not skint, he can back the club and that’s the support I get, he supports me in terms of not selling my best players. Why would you when you’re top of the league?”
While Murphy’s goals are now a very regular event, centre-half Tommy Smith won’t have scored many better than his goal.
"The lads were just saying that he’s not known for chopping it back and bending it into the top corner with his right foot,” the Blues boss continued.
"But he has contributed with goals this season, he’s more likely to win a header. That was great because it might have been a nervy finish otherwise.”
McCarthy says that left-back Tyrone Mings should be fit for Tuesday’s home game against Charlton: "He should be all right. I hope so.”
Asked whether he had any special message for his players given that they are in the top two at the halfway stage of the season, he said: "Well done!”
Brentford manager Mark Warburton was left bemoaning defensive mistakes: "We dominated possession but we were 3-0 down at half-time. We went a goal down after a minute and made three errors, and we have to learn from it.
"I don’t mind mistakes but we’ve got to look at the errors and what we can do better. Other than that, we’ve conceded four in 90 minutes and I can’t remember another save Butts has had to make. Even at 3-1 we’re back in it but to concede the fourth was sloppy on our part.”
Asked whether there was a trip on Tony Craig on Town’s second goal he said: "Maybe, that’s how our guy feels, and you understand it, but the fact is that it has’t been given.
"We played it forward to a striker, it hasn’t stuck, it’s a hopeful punt down the field and we’re left one on one and exposed there. It looks like he clipped his heels but the fact is the goal’s gone in and we’re two down.”
He said he was impressed with Town: "They’re a strong team, they’re well organised, great work ethic, we knew that. I think there were two teams on the pitch with a very good work ethic who went at each other.
"We know that Mick McCarthy is very, very experienced and they’ve got the likes of McGoldrick and Murphy who play well together and they’ve got a real desire around the team. It was a good game today.”