Man-of-the-match Mustapha Carayol admitted he was relieved to score his winning goal during Saturday’s 1-0 win at Preston having spurned another chance earlier in the game.
The full debutant netted the game’s only goal in the 21st minute during a first half in which he ripped the Lilywhites’ backline apart, causing their manager Alex Neil to take the unusual step of making a double tactical substitution with seven minutes of the first half still to be played.
"It was more of a relief after I missed the first chance, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy that it ended up winning us the game,” Carayol, a deadline day signing following his departure from Nottingham Forest reflected after the match.
"I’m just glad to be able to be out there and get some minutes under my belt.”
The Gambian international, who had made one sub appearance for the Blues prior to Saturday, had appeared set to open his goals account in the eighth minute but Preston keeper Declan Rudd did well to save his first effort then Carayol stabbed the rebound wide.
"To be fair, the guy on the line kind of put me off because I was planning on bending it round [the keeper], but I saw a bit of a white on the side,” he recalled.
"It probably wasn’t the right finish and obviously when it fell back to me I thought I was unlucky, I was just thinking, ‘Just poke it under him’.
Great composure from Mustapha Carayol to net his first #itfc goal yesterday! âš½ï¸ pic.twitter.com/lM7r7V1URL– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) February 25, 2018
"But, as I said, I’m glad that I got another opportunity and I just made sure I just concentrated on it and got a good connection.”
He says his exciting, pacy first-half display typified what he likes to bring to a game: "That’s the style I play. I always try to be positive and try to get on the ball.
"Some days it’s not going to happen, which is the same for every attacking player, but I always try and be positive and try and make an impact.”
The 29-year-old says he’s made a habit of scoring on debuts throughout his career, netting on his league bow for Middlesbrough having come on as a sub against Town at the Riverside in a 2-0 victory for the Teessiders in September 2012.
"I’ve actually scored a few in my time,” he added. "Hopefully it’s the first of many and we look forward to Hull next week.
"Hopefully we can put a performance in for the fans because I know they’ve been frustrated at home. Hopefully we can put in a good performance, get a few goals and give them something to shout about.”
When Carayol signed for the Blues at the end of last month he said he was looking to bring goals to the Town team but he says creating goals for other people - which he came close to doing for Martyn Waghorn and Dominic Iorfa at Deepdale - is his primary role.
"I don’t want to jinx myself, but yes,” he continued. "This is a good start and hopefully I’ll get a few more starts under my belt and I’ll be able to make more of an impact and help the team.
"I’m more for helping the strikers score a lot of goals but obviously if I can contribute goals along the way then it’s good.”
Carayol’s goal was right in front of the 474 travelling Town supporters on Saturday and he was pleased to get the chance to celebrate with them.
"It’s always good, obviously they travel a long way and they’ve probably had a tough week and I felt like we probably deserved a little bit more [from the Norwich and Cardiff matches],” he said. "I’m glad that we could send them home with something to cheer about.”
Carayol was been set to start the Cardiff match on Wednesday but missed out at the last as he was unwell. Was he back to full fitness on Saturday or was he at 80 or 90 per cent?
"I don’t really want to say anything because the gaffer asked me if I was 100 per cent fine and I said yes because I was desperate to play.
"Wednesday wasn’t too good for me, I was ill, but I had a 45-minute session on Friday and felt a little bit better, I got some food down me so I’m happy that I was out there and managed to help the boys along the way.”
Gaffer Mick McCarthy subbed him at half-time at Deepdale as he felt he hadn’t sounded confident enough in his fitness ahead of the second half, the winger having expected to play until at least the hour mark.
"To be fair, I thought I was going to get at least another 15 minutes, maybe get another chance to try and score a second,” he added.
"But at the end of the day it’s a team game and obviously the result’s what matters and the gaffer felt that it was right.
"He knew that it was going to probably be a bit of a scrap in the second half and I probably wouldn’t have got as many touches as I did in the first.
"He made the right decision and we won. If we hadn’t got the right result I could probably have knocked on his door on Monday and said, ‘Gaffer, you’ve got to give me another 15!’. But I’m cool.”
Having won at Deepdale against a Preston side who went into the game having been defeated only once in the league since they lost at Portman Road in November - New Year’s Day’s 3-2 loss at home to Middlesbrough - does the new signing believe the Blues can make up seven places and six points and finish in the play-offs?
"It was a tough game, before they were saying that they’d lost only one in 17 games,” the wideman said.
"We were aware of that but I felt that we put out a really positive team and we took the game to them in the first half.
"I think we take every game as it comes. I don’t really look at the table. I’m just more worried about how we pick up three points every game and if we pick up enough points to put us right in the play-off hunt then so be it and we’ll enjoy it.”
He says he's happiest playing on the left, as he did on Saturday: "I’ve always kind of played on the left. The first game I played for Town the gaffer brought me on on the right and I was a bit frustrated.
"I was glad that I was able to play on the left today and I hope the fans and everyone else sees me play off the left a lot more because I feel like I’m more effective when do play on the left.”
He said he was champing at the bit to make his full debut having got his first taste for the Blues as a 60th-minute sub in the 0-0 home draw with Burton Albion.
"I spoke to the gaffer before and the formations and during the tight game at Norwich I wasn’t able to come on,” he said. "And obviously I was unlucky on Wednesday because I was meant to start.
"These things happen and sometimes you’ve just got to count your blessings and just say maybe it wasn’t the right time for you to play.
"I managed to play today and did well and managed to get a goal, so I’m happy and just hope that I get a lot more starts from now until the end of the season.”
Carayol is enjoying playing for McCarthy and says the Blues boss was why he moved to Portman Road.
"For me, he was the reason why I came here,” he continued. "Everyone I spoke to just said he gives the attackers the freedom to play.
"Since I’ve been here and training he just encourages me to do what I do and I’m really enjoying it.”
Carayol’s contract with the Blues only runs to the end of the season, but he says he’d definitely be interested in a longer term stay.
"Yes, definitely,” he added. "Obviously you never know in football, but you always want a little bit of security and to just make yourself at home.
"For now until the end of the season, I’m just concentrating on hopefully doing well enough for the gaffer to sit me down and see what we can sort out going forward.”
Meanwhile, Town’s U23s are in action against West Brom in their final Premier League Cup match at Portman Road this afternoon (KO 2pm).
Entry is via the Hall of Fame bar on Portman Road, doors will be open at 1.30pm, with the only centre section of the lower tier of the Cobbold Stand open.
Gerard Nash’s side are currently third in their Premier League Cup group and have only a slim chance of reaching the next phase if they win this afternoon.
They also require Villa to beat Sheffield United in the other fixture - which was due to be played today but has been postponed - as well as a five-goal turnaround.