Town boss Mick McCarthy hailed an outstanding performance from his team as they beat Bolton 2-0 at Portman Road but admitted he was relieved to see the Blues’ seven-game winless run come to an end.
"Thank f**k for that!” exclaimed the Blues boss. "I’m delighted with the performance, we’ve played well at Forest and we played well on Saturday but not really had the result, so of course there’s a bit of relief to get a win after seven games.
"I’d have taken a scruffy shinner, the ball going in off somebody’s knee, an own goal. I would have taken anything tonight to get back to winning ways.
"But it was a really outstanding performance and could have been far better in terms of the scoreline. Their keeper was outstanding, Brett Pitman’s been denied a hat-trick by some really good defending.
"A really good performance, delighted with that, and back to winning ways, thankfully.”
He added: "We had a tough spell in the first half when they had a good bit of possession. We weathered that storm and we defended corners.
"The clean sheet is a team effort but I thought some of the play from the front lads was terrific. I just thought it was an all-round outstanding performance, to be honest with you, I’m really pleased with it.”
McCarthy was delighted to see Daryl Murphy put in an impressive display even if last season’s 27-goal top scorer is still to open his account for 2015/16.
"That was really pleasing, he was back in his pomp, I loved to hear his name being sung, I hadn’t heard it for a while,” he said.
"How he’s not scored a goal, he must have killed an albatross or something, I don’t know what he’s done. He was great, he played really well, he fought his corner, did his hard yards.
"That was him last year and that’s when he got his goals and if he does that every week he’ll get them again.”
The Blues manager also had praise for Freddie Sears who was still running at the Bolton defence in injury time, although joked that he might owe one of his team-mates an apology.
"He might have a word with Didz, who might think his neck was a bit tired because he didn’t lift his head up and roll it to Didzy because he could have put it in the net!” he laughed.
"He’s been great, Freddie. He’s played wide left, wide right, up front, he’s played in three, in a four and he’s never once complained.
"I spoke to him yesterday and he just said ‘Talk to me about where you want me when we’re out of possession and what I need to do’. He’s a great lad, a great professional.”
Pitman also impressed his boss, not least for his goal: "I thought he played really well. He had one hooked off the line, which he still says was in, so I think he thinks we’ve won 3-0.
"He had one blocked after he scored his goal. The link-up for his goal was terrific. He hit it so cleanly, I know it took a bit of a deflection but it was a great goal.”
Regarding the incident when Jonas Knudsen tripped Max Clayton not far outside the area and was shown a yellow card rather than a red, McCarthy said he hadn’t seen the incident again.
"Was he past him? I haven’t seen it, if he’s past him and he brings him down,” he said. "If he’s just gone with the tackle, I think he’s gone with the wrong foot, but I’m don’t know if there was anybody else around, I don’t know if he’s just gone for the ball and brought him down.
"Let me tell you, if that’s my bit good luck, it’s been a f*****g long time coming! Hallelujah! Fan-f*****g-tastic! Excuse my French. We’ve had last minute goals, we’ve had things blocked on the line…
"I always say it’ll turn around, it will turn around, we’ll get something, and if that’s my bit of luck then happy days.”
Ainsley Maitland-Niles was subbed just before half-time with a foot injury: "He’s got a bruised metatarsal. I asked him if it’s cracked and he said no.
"It was funny because he still ran past the defender with a bruised foot. It was great for him to get his goal as well, he’s been great.”
Bolton manager Neil Lennon admitted that Town deserved to win: "I thought we were in the game in the first half but in the second half I didn’t think we competed at all.
"And if you don’t compete in this division, particularly against a team like Mick McCarthy’s, then you’re going to get beaten.
"The two goals were poor from our point of view but we were very flimsy at the back at times. I thought we had good chances in the first half.
"I thought Knudsen should have been sent off, Clayton was in and he was taken clean out on the edge of the box, he was the last man. And we had the same situation on Saturday and that was an important part of the game.”