Boss Roy Keane felt his side deserved their 2-1 home victory over Leeds at Portman Road. The Town manager joked that he had told winning goalscorer Tommy Smith, a late inclusion after Darren O’Dea was injured in the warm-up, that he was destined score.

Keane said: “I think it was a good game, a good result and a good performance. The players have done well and I think we just about edged it.

“We gave away a shocking goal but the players responded well and we scored two good goals ourselves.”

The Blues boss confirmed that Darren O’Dea was again suffering with his ongoing knee problem and praised Tommy Smith for stepping in at the last minute: “That’s why it’s important your players are mentally ready and it’s no surprise that Tommy ended up scoring. I said to him beforehand that it would be no surprise if he scored a goal. That happens in football.

“We scored two good goals today and we could have been more clinical when we were breaking two against one and three against one.

“Leeds caused us problems as you’d expect, they’re a big strong team, they’ve got lots of energy and it was a good result for us.”

Keane felt both his centre-halves were to blame for the Leeds goal: “The issue was Tommy and Gareth going up for the same ball. But you make mistakes in games and I’ve no problem as long as they’re honest mistakes and the players responded well.”

The Blues boss confirmed that Smith and O’Dea have both been withdrawn from their international squads due to their back and knee injuries respectively.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson wasn’t too concerned at the break despite being behind to Jason Scotland’s goal, Town's first in the opening 45 minutes in the league this season: “I thought we were quite comfortable to be fair. Even though we were down at half-time, I didn’t think our goalkeeper had had too many saves to make.

“We looked solid as a team, we had a good shape about us, which we needed to have after the other night. There was a response from the team, we just needed to have a little bit more belief at half-time that we could get back into the game.

“I think we’re finding in this division that any time you make a mistake you can get punished. We had possession of the ball for the first goal and we gave it away and the next thing it’s in the back of the net.

“But we got back into the game and we looked like we were more than capable of going on to getting a result, but obviously a few things which happened which didn’t help us to get the result we needed.”

Grayson had no argument with Alex Bruce’s red card: “I think both were probably bookings. I think he was a little bit stupid in terms of the second one - if you’ve already been booked you’ve got to stay on your feet because if you mistime a tackle you can get sent off. And obviously that contributed to our downfall.

“I don’t mind teams opening us up when we’re doing to 10 men and passing the ball around and scoring that way, but we defended a corner and the lad had a free header where we could quite easily have dealt with it.”

The Whites boss felt there was an infringement on Tommy Smith’s goal: “I think Richard Naylor was fouled by Wickham but the other lad was going to head it anyway. We could have got a freekick, but there was no one marking the other lad when it went over Richard’s head.”

Photo: Action Images

grumpyoldman added 19:02 - Oct 2 Yes we were not great, yes Leeds had plenty of the ball, but we won, playing not well and still winning is what we need right now.
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Tillz9 added 19:29 - Oct 2 Good second half performance. Have not been more pleased to beat a team in a long time. There fans are a joke !! Had more Leeds fans next to me in the south stand than Ipswich ones. I see the coin throwing was back again. Can't stand there fans. At least they have a long depressing journey home !!
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BluePing added 19:44 - Oct 2 Tillz9 Couldnt agree with you more. Their fans were a disgrace. Nice to see a load of them were thrown out in the 1st half though! Makes winning even sweeter when there fans are such idiots!
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alfromcol added 19:54 - Oct 2 Quite the best atmosphere at Portman Road for a long time. The team are beginning to believe in themselves. With a bit more composure when in 2 on 1 and in one case 3 on 1, the game should have been rapped up. Can't really blame Jason Scotland for his close in miss, when he hit it over the bar. He was falling backwards at that moment and it was the only place the ball could go. Much more effort in the team this season and a lot more pace. Townsend and Livermore look to be great additions. Great result, bring on Coventry. Onward and upward and lets hope the crowds get bigger and noisier.

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svendust added 20:03 - Oct 2 Agree with leeds fans being idiots but without them it would have been another dull match at pr. Didn't realise how much carp grayson talks until now.
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BlooooCD added 20:13 - Oct 2 A great atmosphere!!! A decent performance and three awesome points! Nice to see Bruce still throws himself into tackles with such gusto! Ha ha! Their fans are absolute scum! (the majority anyway, with maybe a few exceptions!) In keano we gave faith and trust! Bloooooo army!!!!
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petermorris added 20:13 - Oct 2 ignoring tekers - who is obviously mad - good team effort from the lads and what a difference Livermore makes. Good game of footy helped by decent ref - Mr Hill you did well. COYB !!
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Tillz9 added 20:39 - Oct 2 I agree the game would have been duller without the Leeds fans. I just wish they could travel in numbers make as much noise as they do without behaving like thugs by throwing coins etc. They would be brilliant set of fans if they could. On a more positive note I thought townsend was oustanding today. Ran there defence into the ground second half !!
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ChrisBeeston added 20:42 - Oct 2 I thunk tekers has had too many shandies or forgot to take his medication, or both!
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debenturedave added 20:48 - Oct 2 Great result, great atmosphere, back in play off places, 2 weeks until next game unfortunately ! Livermore looks to be a real star in the making and Townsend will surely score a hatful of goals soon.
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ChambersM added 20:53 - Oct 2 can tell the boys towsend and livermoore are from a top prem side they were quality today!! Pace and vision which is what we have lacked for a long time. I really hope clowno keeps the same team as they did a good job today. I dont care about norris or hyam we didnt miss them today so please keep the same team with maybe leaving eastman out he seems out of his depth especially playing out of position. Loved peters in that little hole.

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SurreyITFC added 21:13 - Oct 2 Great result before the International break. Another home game to look forward to after the break. COYB
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legoman added 23:29 - Oct 2 Phew! We have got to stop relying on lady luck soon. Time to get more attack minded!
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Ipswich24 added 23:34 - Oct 2 Townsend was absolute class we have not had anyone like him since bobby petta someone who can run at pace and commit people he had bruce on toast all game sign him up permantly before someone else does we are still playing that bloody long ball to scotland who by the way is very lazy took his goal well but did. Little else we are such a better side with two up front and playing the ball on deck fantastic atmosphere today in north stand was so refreshing let's make it like that every game coyb

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Ipswich24 added 23:35 - Oct 2 Townsend was absolute class we have not had anyone like him since bobby petta someone who can run at pace and commit people he had bruce on toast all game sign him up permantly before someone else does we are still playing that bloody long ball to scotland who by the way is very lazy took his goal well but did. Little else we are such a better side with two up front and playing the ball on deck fantastic atmosphere today in north stand was so refreshing let's make it like that every game coyb

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martleshamitfc added 23:50 - Oct 2 This time last year we were rock bottom, now in the play-offs, so well done to Roy Keane. Glad he is our manager and feel sorry for Leicester City who are about to appoint Sven as their new manager after sacking a good manager after just 9 matches. You read it here first , Sven sacked after less than 2 months in charge and walks away with a large wad of cash as compensation, when will chairman stop giving Sven the tosser a job , he knows F*ck all about football, but knows how to get loads of cash as compensation, he must have a great lawyer!

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unbelievable_tekers added 00:07 - Oct 3 Keane is poo-ey
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suffolksam added 00:29 - Oct 3 if you grew up in leeds as well you would have an attitude problem..important win
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blueboy20 added 01:34 - Oct 3 People say you should wait until 10 games before you start reading into a season and well we've hit that number now. We're only 2 points off Second and are cemented in the top six. Great opening to the season. Shame about the international break as it ruined our momentum last time. If we're still in this postion come christmas then I think ME should put some cash in Keane's hand to strengthen the promotion push! p.s anyone fancy putting an early bet on a Ipswich v Norwich Play-Off meeting haha.

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Back_The_Boss added 08:30 - Oct 3 Good 2-1 win. COYB! Great crowd althougth that was mainly due to the large number of Leeds fans.
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bluelady added 10:02 - Oct 3 Gutted said on here before the game I could see bruce getting sent off, why didn't I put a fiver on it!!
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mripswichtown added 10:08 - Oct 3 unbelievable_tekers do grow up! norwich scummer
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jas0999 added 10:55 - Oct 3 A good win, and surely very difficult for the 100% negative boys not to find a positive after the first ten games? The Leeds fans were indeed a disgrace, but by all accounts all of their coaches stopped at Needham Market from 10:30 where they spent the next 3 hours drinking ... Well done Roy. Great start to the season.
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hogster1970 added 11:22 - Oct 3 well not a bad game at all, thought livermore looked lively and gave a bit more in midfield then norris in the playmaking side, townsend again looks very good when given the ball and loved his ranaldo step overs and still got the cross in . in all good result, and my god sooo glad i got a seqason ticket in the south stand now next to the away supporters, as the over 60\'s were getting well hyped up and i mean that especially after poor leadbitter got coined my they were all standing up chanting at the leeds supporters scum ect . but one disapointment though as a tax payer that is. what bonehead of a copper thought its a good idea to let 2000 leeds supporters out at the same time as the home supporters, is this bloke brain dead or what. rang my mate and the poor bloke was bricking himself coming down portman road from the north stand. i think the word common sense doesnt ring around in his pea sized brain, bit like 2 years ago against the scum when every one from north stand was diverted through a bottle neck through the car park , what a highly payed idiot.

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hogster1970 added 11:30 - Oct 3 oh one thing though why on earth keane didnt bring whickam on for scotland after 60 mins as the bloke was hanging out of his backside, whickam always causes defenders nightmares especially if he is fresh and they aint, it was the same against reading i think scotland has only 60 mins in him at the moment. i would still prefer whickham and prisking start on a 442 or 4 4 1 1 and then bring scotland on as a impact player untill realy match fit , and think also that edwards should be dropped and use livermore on the wing when norris comes back. just dont think he is cutting the mustard at the moment, i can see if we feed livermore or townsend then we will stand better chances infront of goal as the get in good postions and can feed the strikers with some quality ball and thats the main problem, as seen yesturday for scotland goal quality killer pass we dont do enough of it. and fulop used his head a bit better and passed to the back four a bit more all be it at times a bit wayward rather than keep humping it all the time, also his kivcking is rubbish going to the by line is a dangerous way to do itaim for the middle 3rd of the pitch at least it will stay in play. but he does do some quality saves though

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