Blues boss Kieran McKenna was pleased with both the three points and aspects of the performance as Town beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 at Portman Road in his first game as manager.
Asked what he made of his side’s display, he said: "Really pleased. Obviously the three points is the main thing at this stage of the season and the position that the team is in and the results as they’ve been lately.
"But aspects of the performance we’re really happy with. We knew it wasn’t going to be a pretty game, we knew it was going to be at times the game that Wycombe wanted it to be with them putting pressure on us and trying to play direct and put balls in our box.
"I thought our organisation, our attitude and our resilience to defend those moments was really, really good.
"I thought we had a goal threat all night. In the first half with some good play and in the second half with a big threat on the counter-attack and we looked like we could get the second goal.
"Lots of good things, but lots to improve upon. There are things that we absolutely have to do better and we’ll look at the game back, we’ll show the players what they can improve and we’ll look to improve on that in the next few games.”
The 35-year-old said he saw things in the performance that he and assistant Martyn Pert had been working on at Playford Road in the fortnight since they came to the club.
"In the first 25 minutes, I thought some of our build-up shape was good,” he said. "We managed to find the spare man and step out from the back with an extra defender and get through the pitch in quite a constructive way.
"That was pleasing. We’ve spoken quite a lot about the backline and staying out of our box and squeezing high and trying to keep the ball away from our goal when other teams are playing long balls. We managed to do that well.
"Our organisation on set plays was really good, which we knew we’d have to work on before this game because Wycombe are such a threat.
"There were bits of the game that were pleasing, spells in which different aspects of the game went well.
"We weren’t able to maintain it throughout the game but we know that if we show the same attitude and the same work as we have over the last week in training, that we showed tonight, then we’ll get back to the training pitch and we’ll improve.”
Regarding the reception he received from fans as he made his way from the tunnel to the dugout, he added: "It was fantastic, a big thank-you to everyone who came here tonight and supported us so well and who has received us to the club.
"It’s an amazing club, for sure. To have a turn-out like this in the Christmas period with the pandemic, with everything that’s going on, is just a credit to the fanbase.
"It wasn’t just the case that they were here, they were really here with the team, especially in the second half in the difficult moments when the boys were tired and they needed that little extra boost, the fans were a big, big part of helping us get it over the line, helping us get the clean sheet and helping us get the three points.
"In the end it’s not just a win the for the players, it’s a win for the fans, it’s a win for the whole club and that’s how we want to move forward and build the club.”
McKenna stuck with the outfield players who started the previous game, the 1-1 draw with Sunderland a fortnight ago under caretaker John McGreal.
Quizzed on whether that was a simple decision to make, he said: "It wasn’t easy because there have been other players who have really stepped up in training and put themselves up for selection.
"But in the end I thought the first half against Sunderland showed the base ingredients that we require from the team - it was aggressive, it was front foot, the team worked together as a team, especially off the ball and the players who played in that game have also trained well.
"In the end we said it wasn’t right to leave any of them out. We tweaked a few things positionally, we tweaked a few things tactically within the same personnel for the game and ways in which we could hurt Wycombe and also defend against Wycombe, and those things worked out well.
"The XI who played, credit to them, but there’s a strong squad here, there are other players fighting and champing to play and that’s what we want.
"We have good competition for places, we want the players that are lucky enough and privileged enough to play for the club to have to know that they have to give everything they’ve got for the shirt and if they don’t then there’s a hungry and capable player willing and ready to take the shirt.”
The man who dropped out was keeper Christian Walton, who McKenna confirmed has been suffering with Covid.
"Cameron Burgess is also off with illness at the moment,” he continued. "We’ve had a few cases, as everyone has in the country and thankfully nothing too serious and no major outbreak yet.
"It’ll be good to have those boys well and hopefully we can keep the cases low and everyone can stay as safe as possible over the next few weeks.”
McKenna’s centre-halves bringing the ball forward was an aspect of the performance which he was happy with.
"Definitely. I was pleased with the three of them tonight,” he said. "Obviously Janoi [Donacien]’s playing right centre-back/right-back and his role is a little bit different to George’s on the other side.
"But yes, we want to build attacks from the back better. We think that’s going to help us control games more, but also penetrate more.
"With the three boys that played tonight, with JD, with Woolfy [Luke Woolfenden], with George [Edmundson] as well, they’re all capable on the ball.
"We want to improve it, we have to make it better, but it’s important for us as a team that we build from the back, that when teams come and press us we can take the ball and play through that pressure and hopefully attack quickly in the big spaces.”
Regarding Saturday’s game against Lincoln, which is in doubt due to Covid cases at Sincil Bank, McKenna says the Blues are treating it as if the match is going ahead.
"Yes, 100 per cent,” he said. "Obviously we want to play the game. Lincoln have been in touch and they want to play the game as well. They’re saying that they’re keen to get it on, so we’ll prepare the game, we’ll be ready but at the moment with the way the world is everything’s one day at a time.
"We have to prepare the game as if it’s going to go ahead and hopefully it does. That’s what we’ll be ready for.”
Reflecting further on the win, the Northern Irishman feels it was important to help get some momentum after a spell in which the Blues had gone six games without a win in all competitions.
"I don’t know how many games it is, but it’s a while since the boys have had that feeling so it’s nice for them tonight to enjoy that feeling,” he said.
"We want them to enjoy it tonight with the crowd and the atmosphere. For sure they have all enjoyed it, it’s a good night for them.
"But the next game is going to come around quickly, it’ll be back to the training ground tomorrow, look at what we have to do better, feet on the floor.
"We’re not going to have too much time to train before Lincoln, so we have to recover well, be clever with how we can show the players things to improve and make sure that mentally, physically and tactically we’re ready to go on Saturday.”