Boss Kieran McKenna felt forward Conor Chaplin fully deserved his first hat-trick for the club as the Blues hammered Charlton 6-0 at Portman Road.
Chaplin took his total for the season to 25 in all competitions and 22 in League One, second behind only Peterborough’s Jonson Clarke-Harris.
The treble was the 26-year-old’s first in a competitive game for the club and only the second of his senior career having previously bagged a matchball in Barnsley’s 5-3 victory over QPR in December 2019.
"It was a good performance,” McKenna said reflecting on Town’s biggest win under his management. "Lots to enjoy.
"We started the game with a great intensity, got the early goals and were pretty relentless right the way through from those who started to those who came on.
"A really good performance, a day to enjoy for the club, of course, with the Foundation Fixture, and another full stadium, and an enjoyable day.
"But it’s only three points. We’ve said that downstairs, there’s no bonus points for a performance like that, it’s still three points and it’s a step in the right direction, but we have to back it up on Tuesday. That’s the focus now.
"Enjoy today, enjoy this evening with their families but everyone be ready on Sunday and Monday to get ready for Port Vale and back up that performance.”
The Blues out the visitors under pressure from the off, winning three corners in the opening minute and 15 seconds.
"It was a really good start,” McKenna reflected. "We try and start every game like that, especially the home games when you have the crowd behind you as well it’s really important to get that energy up.
"We were happy with the start. Of course, the opposition dictate that as well and Charlton came to play, they weren’t wasting time, [manager] Dean [Holden]’s trying to develop that team and develop the culture of that group, so they’ve got to find out where they’re at. They came for a match, which not everyone does.
"We got off to a really good start, that’s important, and I think the start probably reflects the mindset of the group at the moment.
"We’re enjoying the journey, we’re enjoying each game and we just want to keep attacking games and trying to deliver performances.”
Chaplin had scored twice six times this season but had usually been subbed before he had a chance to get his third.
"He got in there in time!” McKenna laughed. "Delighted for him, he deserves it, he deserves everything he gets because of the character that he is, the energy that he gives the group every day, he deserves all the good things he gets.
"He’s such a good finisher, great work from the team to create the chances, two really good goals. The first goal was a really, really good team move that he finished off as expertly as he does.
"The second goal, a wonderful pass from Nathan [Broadhead] and the third was a really enjoyable goal too because we were so alive from the set play.
"A great ball from Massimo [Luongo] and Nathan was really unselfish because he could have lashed at it himself from that area but put it on a plate and Conor gets a lovely moment for him, his first hat-trick for us and everyone’s happy for him.”
Why is Chaplin such a good finisher? "He definitely works on it. He’s a really good practicer. He studies, he loves scoring goals. He studies other strikers, he thinks about football, he talks about football a lot, he lives and breathes it.
"There’s probably a natural bit in there to some of his instinctive moments in the penalty area.
"But there’s also a lot of practice and he’s a really good finisher off of both feet - and also his head as well - and he doesn’t need much backlift to do it and that make him a really dangerous player in the box.
"It’s up to us to keep trying to create good chances for him and it’s up to him to keep doing his job for the team in all aspects and put those things together and hopefully he can keep scoring and we can keep performing well.”
McKenna says he and Chaplin have spoken about his role, the former Portsmouth player having developed since the Blues boss took charge in December 2021.
"He was obviously a striker in his younger days and we spoke a lot, especially in the first six months when I arrived about his evolution as a player,” McKenna reflected.
"When he arrived at the club he still saw himself as a striker and then he was playing more as a 10 in a typical 4-2-3-1 and we spoke a lot about evolving his game and evolving his position and I think always see it that he’s a forward player and can play in different roles.
"He’s scored when he’s played as a left 10 or a left-sided forward for us, he’s scored goals from that position, he’s scored goals from the right.
"When he scored [a hat-trick] against Tottenham in the friendly he was up front in the nine position, which he enjoyed as well. He can score anywhere across the frontline.”
The Town manager was also pleased for Freddie Ladapo, who came off the bench to score twice, taking his tally for the season to 19 in all competitions, 15 in the league.
"Delighted for him, everyone’s delighted for him,” McKenna continued. "I think that’s probably the best bit of the day for me, just the feeling of togetherness between the whole club first and foremost, but in the squad you can see how happy they are for each other, how they’re supporting each other.
"Of course, everybody’s pushing to play but everyone’s pushing for the team first of all to help the team be successful and Freddie came on with a really good attitude, really good intent. Two great finishes, defended well and he keeps contributing as he has all season.”
Despite the Blues moving back into second, a point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday with a game in hand on the Owls, McKenna insists he’s taking no notice of the league table.
"No, still not looking at it,” he said. "If we had two weeks off maybe I’d have a look, but we’ve got Port Vale on Tuesday.
"The next five league games come in the next couple of weeks, so there’s no time to reflect, no time to look at anything, we just need to keep attacking each game.
"Of course, we’re on a good run but it’s an incredible season in the league, we’re going to need a lot of points at the end and the way to do that is to keep performing and the players have shown today the frame of mind they’re in, how they’re enjoying the games, are attacking each game and that’s what we need to keep trying to do.”