Jordan Spence believes the midweek win over Wigan has acted as a tonic to the Town squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Fulham.
While defeat at Portman Road on Tuesday has made the Latics’ task in avoiding relegation more difficult, Fulham are still in the thick of the promotion race and will see Town’s visit as an opportunity to boost their chances of playing in the Premier League next season.
Asked what the win over Wigan did for the group as a whole, Spence replied: "It got us a much-needed three points. One thing I’ve found quite positive about this group is that when things haven’t gone particularly well, or when things have gone really well, we’ve managed to stay pretty level-headed.
"I think that’s the influence, most certainly, of the coaching staff and the manager. One of a few mantras that I have is that you’re never as good as they say you are and you’re never normally as bad as they say you are.
"After winning the other night we’re just back to work and looking for a positive result at the weekend.
"The sun’s shining, we’ve got three points and I’d certainly much rather be in our position than in the position of those clubs who didn’t win on Tuesday night — so it’s all good.”
Spence sees no comparison between Town’s current situation and the relegation battle, subsequently lost, in which he was involved with MK Dons last season before being released.
He added: "It’s very different to a year ago because this football team isn’t expected to be involved or embroiled in a relegation battle.
"To be honest I don’t like to use the terminology ‘relegation battle’ for the situation we were in — for me that wasn’t a relegation battle.
"It was an awareness that you are closer to the bottom than the top of the league table but it’s not a relegation battle.
"What happened at Milton Keynes last year, unfortunately, did turn into a scrap and one that the club at the time wasn’t able to get out of.
"Was I worried about suffering a second successive relegation? No — and I try not to worry about anything to be honest. I just put my boots on and go out there, run around and play football.”
Nor does the 26-year-old Londoner feel happier at the prospect of playing away from home, rather than Portman Road, where the atmosphere has reflected Town’s struggles to put together a run of results capably of taking them towards the top end of the table.
He explained: "I don’t want to sound like a robot and not a human being but I’d be lying if I said you can’t tell the fans aren’t over enamoured with how the season has gone.
"But I’d also be lying if I said that it felt like a hostile environment and one that made me glad I was playing away from home. In truth, playing at home just means that I can sleep in my own bed.”