Joint-leading scorer Conor Chaplin has emphasised that Town’s late goal heroics this season – Monday’s 97th minute clincher against Southampton on Monday firing them to the top of the Championship table – are not simply coincidental.
Chaplin is tied with Nathan Broadhead on 13 league goals for the season and Brighton loanee Jeremy Sarmiento’s goal that saw off the Saints was the latest in a long line of dramatic late winners scored by the Blues in a memorable campaign so far.
Statistically speaking, Town have banked 31 points this season from losing positions, while they have also netted 25 times beyond the 76th minute, and Chaplin was asked what that said about the team’s fitness, staying power and self-belief.
Chaplin, 27, said: "It says a lot. We’re a fit group and we knew we were a fit group coming into the season. Another thing about it is that mentality and belief are huge. You don’t score the late goals that we have by accident.
"This may sound silly, but when you actually score late goals, it helps the ones that come in the next few weeks. The belief you build up through scoring late goals really does help the mentality to keep going and keep running, whether that’s running off your man or running back in the 92nd minute for a recovery run. It’s whatever running you have to do for the team.
"Yes, that’s built on fitness to allow yourself to do that physically, but to then have the mental capacity to not be fatigued, to keep going and pick the right options in the last few minutes of a game is a big plus for us as well.”
Town fans will immediately recognise what Chaplin has highlighted and after Sarmiento’s last-gasp winner earned a huge three points the next challenge is Saturday’s trip to Carrow Road for the second East Anglian derby clash with arch-rivals Norwich City, a fixture in which Town have been waiting 15 years to record a victory.
Asked if what happened on Monday to send a packed Portman Road wild with delight made Chaplin and his teammates believe this is going to be their year, he responded: "We’ve had a lot of late goals this season and occasions when we’ve come from behind to win games. I think it’s just another example of how good this group is.
"One, we can deal with setbacks, and, two, the mentality is just to keep going and to run more than the opposition. It’s a massive thing and it’s the identity, the DNA, of this group.
"I don’t think it’s anything more than that to be honest with you; it’s just another example of why this group of players is so special to be a part of and to play with.”
Looking back to his first experience of the derby fixture, when the teams drew 2-2 in December at Portman Road, Chaplin was asked if it felt like the one that got away. "Yes, probably in the aftermath of the game,” he agreed. "Watching it back and analysing it, we had a lot of chances that we missed in the game.
"I thought we played really well for a derby game, which is tough, because it’s tough to get a good strong foothold in the game and I thought we managed to create that at home.
"It’s not easy to get that in derby games because it’s usually really frantic and I thought it was like that at the start. But I thought we got control really early in the game, so we were pleased with that, and probably a bit disappointed off the back of the game that we didn’t get all three points.”
Prior to the game four months ago, Town gave fans’ group Blue Action permission to stage a red-hot welcome for the team bus, with thousands of supporters lining the streets as it approached the stadium, a repeat of the amazing scenes that preceded the 6-0 win over Exeter in the final home game last season when promotion back to the Championship became a reality.
Chaplin continued: "You could tell that [it was no ordinary game] because the drive-in was completely different to a normal game. We’d been lucky enough as a group, with players who were here last season, to experience the bus journey before the Exeter game, and it was probably beyond that as well.
"It was incredible – that’s the real difference – but within the team and the changing room it’s very much job as normal. I don’t think you can get carried away with those extra feelings because that’s when things don’t go to plan.”
What is he expecting from his first derby experience on Norfolk soil? "Same again, hostile and a really good atmosphere from the away end,” he said.
"They’ll obviously be up for it as well; it’s two teams in good runs of form, two really good teams as well. So, yes, looking forward to it.”
Play-off hopefuls Norwich have won their last seven home games and Chaplin was asked if he felt they would be even more difficult to beat than back in December.
"Yes, probably,” he agreed. "I think they are a really good team anyway. I think they have really good players, they’re set up well and they have some great athletes in the team as well.
"I think they are a good side, they’re a good team no doubt about it. But we’re a good team as well and we’re looking to go there and impose ourselves on the game.”
Turning back to the special occasion that was Monday’s vital win over promotion rivals Southampton, Chaplin added: "It was a great night, for the club, the fans, the support staff and the players to enjoy.
"You don’t get many moments like it, with last-minute winners and feelings like that, so you need to enjoy them. It was probably a case of coming back down to earth on Tuesday and then back in for training on Wednesday to get going again.”
He was asked if the atmosphere felt as good, if not better, than the 6-0 trouncing of Exeter that confirmed the club’s promotion from League One last season and replied: "In terms of a one-off feeling, yes. We’ve had a lot of good times here but a last-minute winner is a big moment and a big release of emotion, for sure.
"I don’t think we’ve had loads of last-minute winners and I think that’s an anomaly in itself. We’ve scored a lot of late goals but for it to be right at the death and in a big game, it was a release of emotion from probably everyone in the stadium.
"After something like that it’s harder than normal to sleep just because of the adrenaline and things like that. As fans you can probably enjoy it for the rest of the week but as players it’s our job to wake up the next day and be back in recovery and ready for the next day’s training, and then the game on Saturday.
"Without a shadow of doubt, in terms of our preparation for Norwich, it has just been a normal week. This group has been great at that. I saw, probably in the press, the boss put it exactly how it is – our job is to do, not to dream.
"I think that’s perfect in terms of the way that you could sum up the group. Everyone was focused on Wednesday and Thursday to go again for the game coming up at Norwich.”
Meanwhile, Chaplin wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear that Town boss Kieran McKenna has been nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award alongside Daniel Farke of Leeds and Hull’s Liam Rosenior, with the winner being announced on Sunday, 14 April, at the annual awards ceremony in London.
He said: "It is thoroughly deserved as well, and I think we could have called it a while ago that the boss would be nominated.
"He’s been incredible since he’s been here, not just this season, and he would tell you himself that it’s probably a by-product of the performances on the pitch and the work day to day that gets individual accolades.
"Definitely, it’s one that we are all proud of, but it doesn’t change too much in terms of the day-to-day work and day-to-day business.”
Chaplin was unconcerned that no Town players feature among the nominees for the Player of the Season accolade, with Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Crysencio Summerville of Leeds and Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics the three contenders.
"No, I don’t think we’re too fussed about that,” he said. "Last year, this year, I don’t think we’re too fussed about anything like that. This team’s the best I’ve been part of in terms of everyone being together and it not being about individuals.
"I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelid at that. It’s for other people to suggest who’s been the best player in the league, not for people like us.”