Goalscorer Grant Ward admitted it was difficult to play in the fractious Portman Road atmosphere during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham but says he and his team-mates have to block it out as they look for the points to secure the Blues’ Championship status.
The visitors' 48th-minute opener scored by Jonathan Grounds triggered boos and chants aimed at manager Mick McCarthy, owner Marcus Evans and MD Ian Milne from an angry and frustrated home support.
"It is difficult to play in an atmosphere like that,” Ward admitted. "But we have to block it out and play your own game. When we are away we get abuse so you just have to deal with it.
"You don’t expect it at home but we all know Ipswich Town is a big club and the fans want the best for the club.
"They may not always express it in the best way but the players just have to take it on the chin and accept it.”
Regarding his 72nd minute goal, his sixth of the season, Ward confirmed that there had been more than a touch of good fortune about it.
"I didn’t mean it," the 22-year-old said. "I was just being positive and trying to make something happen. I have been told to try and whip the ball in with some pace and luckily it went in.”
He added: "It has been a while since I scored. I have been getting in the right places and getting close so it was a case of sticking at it.
"I might try a few more like that and try and get another five or six by the end of the season.”
Town, who have now gone eight games without a win but have lost just once in 10, remain 17th, now six points from the bottom three on 46 with seven games left to play. Second-bottom Wigan visit Portman Road tomorrow night.
Ward, who joined the Blues from Spurs in the summer, is determined that Town shouldn’t still be needing points to secure their survival in the final few games of the season.
"We have to stay focused and pick up enough points to be safe,” he continued. "This might already be enough but we can’t wait until the end of the season. We have to keep picking up points now.
"That’s another season why the Wigan game on Tuesday is so huge. It is a six-pointer for them and we know it is going to be a scrap.”
Birmingham defender Krystian Bielik felt his side ought to have picked up all three points: "We deserved to win because we defended properly. We were solid and scored a really nice goal on the counter-attack.
"We had everything in hand and were much better than Ipswich but they scored a lucky goal.
"We lost to an unbelievable goal because everyone knows he didn’t mean to shoot, he was trying to cross.”
Meanwhile, Town’s U23s are in action against Sheffield Wednesday’s youngsters - who are coached by former Blue Neil Thompson - at Playford Road this afternoon (KO 1pm).