Town’s 10-goal top scorer Martyn Waghorn has revealed video games have provided the inspiration for his goal celebrations in the Blues’ recent home matches.
The bargain-of-the-season £250,000 buy from Rangers lay on his chest and mimicked firing a gun towards the Sir Bobby Robson Stand after scoring in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday and then sat on the ground and mimed driving after netting Town’s key third goal in Saturday’s 4-2 win against Nottingham Forest.
"The first celebration last week (below) was Call Of Duty and this one was Super Mario Kart, as we had a marathon session of that this week during the trip to Derby,” Waghorn explained following Saturday’s match.
"We will have to look at something different for next time. Perhaps it will be another Super Mario celebration if I get on the goal-sheet again.
"Given the amount of time we spend travelling we get plenty of opportunities for games.”
Reflecting on Saturday’s victory, he added: "It was a really good gritty team performance. We let them back in twice when we had scored good goals but the character and goals we showed in the second half meant we could kick on and looked comfortable at the end.
"They have a lot of good players and they made it hard for us but in the end we frustrated them and caught them on the break so the game plan worked brilliantly.
"We frustrate teams and they leave gaps at the back so players like myself, Bersant Celina and Grant Ward can exploit that and we have a powerful attack.”
Waghorn’s goal came after he put Michael Mancienne under pressure as he chased a Callum Connolly ball into space, the Forest skipper slipping as he looked to play back to his keeper.
"I live off bits like that,” Waghorn added. "The defender was a bit short and you have to take chances when they come because you don’t get many.”
That goal was the South Shields-born striker’s sixth at home since his August move and the 27-year-old claimed another assist on Saturday to take his total to four - although arguably the total should be five, he additionally played a pivotal role in David McGoldrick’s goal against Sunderland - three of them at Portman Road.
"I’ll take that,” he said when told his assists tally. ”Sometimes stats just go over my head but it is good to know I’m contributing to the team like that. We are on the back of two really good wins and we have to keep that going.”
Waghorn’s set pieces have become an increasing threat in recent games. Town should have made more of his deliveries at Aston Villa a week ago, then Callum Connolly flicked home the winner at Derby in midfield.
On-loan Everton man Connolly again profited from Forest keeper Jordan Smith only being able to palm away Waghorn's seventh-minute freekick effort at goal on Saturday.
"I believe in my ability and a couple were overcooked but we have a really good presence in the box so if I can deliver on the money then they will finish,” the Blues frontman continued.
"I probably overcooked a couple but we are a real threat and it was good to see a couple work for us.
"We are in a good area looking forward. It is busy schedule but if we can keep picking up points like this and quietly go about our business then we can get right in the mix.
"We are bit thin as a squad with injuries but we have good players and we can keep going.”
He added: "I’m really enjoying myself here. I couldn’t have asked for a better start so I obviously want to keep that going."
Forest midfielder David Vaughan felt errors cost his team in the second half after they had battled hard to level twice before the break.
"We scored two great goals, which we worked hard to score but we then conceded silly goals,” he said.
"Mistakes have cost us this game and we can’t keep doing that or we will be looking over our shoulder instead of upwards.
"We are still a work in progress but there is only so long you can say that. We need to stop making mistakes and conceding soft goals.”