Town boss Paul Jewell was delighted with his side’s performance as well as their win after West Ham were beaten 5-1 at Portman Road.

Jewell said: “It’s nice to get a result but when you get a performance as well, it’s all the sweeter. They’re a good team, West Ham, they’ll get promoted, I’ve no doubt about that.

“We started the game well, although we rode our luck from one or two set plays. I think it was a victory for hard work and determination. We worked exceptionally hard.

“Our last two games against Blackpool and Leeds, we were the same — we hunted in packs and we set about West Ham. We didn’t want to give them any time on the ball, we closed them down, we harried them from all over the pitch and at times played some good stuff ourselves.”

He says even though Town were well ahead at the end of normal time, there were still a few nerves: “We were 4-1 up and when the four minutes went up the groan around the ground showed you that we’re still not safe, so it was nice for us to get a fifth goal, it was a terrific goal.”

Jewell wouldn’t speak about turning points, but felt it was a result which will do everyone good: “It’s a great tonic for everybody - players, manager, staff, owner, supporters, even the guys who ask the questions every week, it’s a nice feeling.

“But we’ve had a few false dawns before this season and we know we’ve got a really tough game on Saturday but at least we can look forward to that game with a bit more confidence.”

Jewell had praise for midfield duo Andy Drury and Luke Hyam: “Andy’s got quality on the ball and it would have been nice if he could have stuck one away.

“I think he showed a calm head at times and him and Luke have done terrific in there. They’re keeping senior players out of the team because their performances in the last three games.”

He says the inclusion of Michael Chopra was a last minute thing: “It was a late decision. Sometimes as a manager you get a gut feeling, sometimes you get it wrong.

"Chops has been sharp in training for the last couple of days and I made the late decision today to play him. Jason was a bit unlucky, but it was a terrific first goal.”

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce slammed his side's defending: "I was bitterly disappointed. I didn't expect us to put on such a poor performance defensively.

"That's been our ultimate strength this season, especially away from home, but as a defensive unit we just disintegrated.

"Ipswich came out of the blocks quicker than us and exposed the gaping holes we left in our back four. When you do that you get punished.

"We were very, very poor in that department and that's why we lost the game.

"Even when we clawed our way back we didn't have the organisation or communication to make sure we got through to half-time, so I could sort one or two things out.

"Ipswich were great and took full advantage of us not being on song.

"They stuck their chances away when they came their way, so from a football point of view it's been a shock and a really bad day."

Photo: Action Images

whippet added 23:25 - Jan 31 dreadful transfer window, great performance. defensively suspect yes, but JET, Drury, Cresswell, Hyam, Martin were superb. did anyone else notice the workrate of our midfield? we kept a very defensive back 4 breaking forward at speed which gave us (in effect) 4 defenders, 4 defensive midfielders a freeroler (martin) and striker. our midfielders turned into centre halves and times and wingers/midfield attackers when we broke forward. exactly what was needed when we have such weak defenders at the back. good game by superman and cresswell, impressive today.

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marshallmania added 23:26 - Jan 31 COYB, score didn't flatter us, apart from them hitting post in first 10 mins when was there great danger of conceding, the boys did their job brilliantly, got to be happy:-)
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Paulc added 23:32 - Jan 31 Phenominal result. Really important to build on it. Confidence growing will do wonders. COYB
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milliem added 23:32 - Jan 31 Shocked. And stunned. Very stunned.
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bobble added 23:34 - Jan 31 this is the last straw sack jewel
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RedDust added 23:35 - Jan 31 Can anyone tell me if it was a full house?
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rosseden added 23:38 - Jan 31 just under 23k, 3k hammers
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shaunminx added 23:38 - Jan 31 Redust 22185 there tonight.
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RetroBlue added 23:39 - Jan 31 get in x2 decent CBs on loan until end of season and Town will just fine. In the likes of Drury,Hyam, Martin, JET & possibly now Stevenson we have the nucleus (at last) of decent vibrant MF. We just decent CB's and we are up and running. Make no mistake we played a premiership team off the park tonight. WELL PLAYED LADS!!! - now do the same to Coventry next saturday !

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WickedBlue added 23:41 - Jan 31 'Boot Evans out'?!?! Let me point out he OWNS the club and he decides who is the manager and if Clegg stays or goes. Not any of you, the only choice you have is whether to continue supporting Town or go else where.
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ClassyCranson added 23:45 - Jan 31 Fantastic result tonight and there is no reason why we can't build on it. Glad the Pompey lads didn't join, I only want players coming in if there is a real desire on their part to play for the football club.
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michaeldownunder added 23:51 - Jan 31 Great result Still feel we need a c/half and full back
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WarkyWonderLand added 23:53 - Jan 31 Don't think anyone could have predicted that. Finally seeing the real lee martin and jet getting better and better. Drury and hyam give us so much more in the middle and weren't overawed by Nolan et al. It's clear that the players are playing for jewell and the support tonight was spot on. We have a nucleas of a decent young team if we can become more consistent. No way back in for lead boots or bowyer on that showing and great to chops score a strikers goal. Coyb

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Infineteregress added 23:57 - Jan 31 Gabor Gyepes would be a solid signing IMO. Strike while the iron is hot PJ!
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pitseablue added 23:59 - Jan 31 Just got back from the game. Great night ! Great game and some great goals as well. Makes up for the many nights I have driven back thinking never again !!!! COME ON YOU BLUES !!!!!!!!!!
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RedDust added 00:03 - Feb 1 I went to the West Ham away game were we won 1-0 and I was euphoric after that and the fans were giving everything!! i live in london by the way... academically if I went to this match and saw town beat West Ham 5-1 I would be going F*cking ape sh*t after this yet all I seem to hear is quite muted responses to a brilliant result... Does this indicate the difference in home support to away support? can someone tell me?

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Garv added 00:10 - Feb 1 Speak up Jas0999. Anyone care to credit Jewell for sticking with Murphy? He played a big part tonight, plus I believe he scored a goal! Funnily enough I don't think Carson would have scored that! He also showed he can beat a player and put good balls into the box. I can't pick out a player who had a bad game. Drury's quality on the ball is second to none at the club, balls for the second, third and fifth goals were top class. I think maybe we've all underestimated Smith, maybe? Time will tell but he was more or less solid tonight, and what a leap to set up Murphy for the second! Lee-Barret was a star and as I've said many a time hasn't deserved all his criticism. Cresswell class as ever. Sonko had a great game and was great to watch the battle between him and Cole. Edwards for the most part solid, his ability to jink away from players is fantastic and very useful from right back. Hyam good again, gives the ball away a bit but you know he'll go to hell and back to win it again, superb tackler! Martin, well what a star! Wasn't in the slightest bit confident with him taking a penalty but kept his cool and kept it low - I could just see him blasting it over. Runs his heart out! JET - thought he was quiet in the first half (only JUST about saw him set up Chopra as I was a tad late) but second half came to life, what a goal and what I thought was a lovely finish late on (could have scuffed it?). I always had the opinion that he was an investment and he is starting to show why we paid a good fee for him. Murphy as I've said I thought was very important and as Jewel has said gives us that height and strength that Carson doesn't. His ability to rescue every wayward Lee-Barret goal kick alone makes him man of the match! Chopra - so good to see him score a goal again, and a proper strikers finish at that! Have been a big critic of him recently as he's been poor, but over the moon to see him shut me up! Should've done a lot better with his chance second half though, hit it early! Scotland - usual consistent self, held the ball up and set up a few chances late on on the break which was great to see. Nice assist as well. Unbelievable night, couldn't believe my eyes. Felt like a reverse of the N*rwich game. 4-1 is a good beating but 5-1 is a thrashing and I was hoping so much to put the icing on the cake with a 5th! SHOULD help us push on, but this is Ipswich town we're talking about. COYB

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StowTractorBoy added 00:12 - Feb 1 Phew where did that come from I'm staggered and so relieved that we picked up all three points. Can't really fault anyone tonight although ALB gives me the jitters. Hyam is once again a breath of fresh air and thank goodness we did not sell Drury to Crawley he was excellent. JET showed us the real potential he has and what a goal he scored. Lets build on this now and not go and lose at Coventry where the stadium will be very empty with little atmosphere. Well done lads who certainly played for the Manager tonight. As for Portsmouth if there is any justice they will be docked 15 to 19 points and get relegated. How they have been allowed to trade heaven knows.

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BrettenhamBlue added 00:16 - Feb 1 40 posts when we win well. 200 posts when we lose badly. Where have all the posters gone? Reddust, I simply don't know. Maybe we've got a few too many "half glass empty" people on this forum. A friend of mine told me it was down to unrealistic expectations. Pre-Season many of the supporters on this site built up our promotion hopes unrealistically. Those of us who were more realistic knew this was going to be a difficult season so our expectations were much lower (preseason I would have been happy with 6th from bottom at the end of the season but with new young players in place who can take this club forward). When we signed Chopra, Bullard etc a few too many people thought the promised land had arrived and there were a few posters who have now disappeared (victorywillhappen etc) who said we were guaranteed a great season. Since then we have obviously struggled (as we were always going to struggle). Some fans don't regard a successful season as avoiding relegation. More realistic expectations may have helped. I hope for an avoidance of relegation this season and a mid-table safe finish next. Maybe the season after we can then start to think about breaking into the top 6. Real building takes time. Personally, I like most of the players Jewell has brought in (Ingimmarrson and Ellington wouldn't be included on that list). Bullard and Bowyer will get stronger now that they are not expected to play every game. Their fitness levels are never going to be as good as the youngsters. They were becoming fatigued and burned out. Only confusing decisions I have seen this season are the free transfers or releases of O'Connor, Lavery and McKeown. Personally I would have kept them all and developed them as utility players. Don't know why we ever signed the Duke, maybe Jewell has seen the future and knows that he will score the 90th minute winner that seals our championship future on the last day of the season....

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yun added 00:18 - Feb 1 Another bizarre result in a crazy season, but a huge relief all the same. I think fewer than ten teams have scored more Championship goals than town and a half-decent centre-back or two on loan will see us safe and climbing. ALB may not be a big name 'keeper, but he's rarely done badly by us. Onwards and upwards you blues!
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carsey added 00:29 - Feb 1 Where the F&%k did that come from? Makes a change to have the ground buzzing the crowd singing and the players working their nuts off. Yes West Ham had a couple of chances but we too could have scored more so all in all great performance. Even Big Fat Sam didn't complain and that has got to be a first.
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BrettenhamBlue added 00:38 - Feb 1 Garv- About Murphy. I am in agreement with you on this. He has height and is a very different player to Carson. I like the fact that we have the choice between the 2. I wouldn't mind seeing him permanently in a blue and white shirt, I think he has a lot to offer this club and he must like it (2nd time round afterall). I would have liked to have seen a new centrehalf and fullback, but more importantly than that we need to get the players we have to sign new contracts. Leadbitter and Kennedy aside, we should be making sure that they want to sign on the dotted line. Only other thing I would like to see is a new regular Captain. Leadbitter has had his chance and (in my mind) has failed. Maybe we will see a better Leadbitter if we take the responsibility of Captain from him? Looking forward to seeing Stevenson in his first game for town. Hopefully they will give him some time to settle in and give him a home debut. Players like that are our future.

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algarvefan added 00:38 - Feb 1 Look let's keep things in perspective, of course we are all delighted with the win and most if not all of us would not have seen that coming. We've played well in 3 games now and but for 'schoolboy errors' would have seen 3 wins on the bounce. However we have yet again failed to attract new players to a club that has been in freefall recently, I have always said I thought we had the players to succeed but they either weren't in the team or not performing, I still maintain a couple of good signings will make us play off contenders again (not this season though), maybe we'll have to do with loans, but PJ please keep a winning team and start to look at what you have got...oh and keep Richard Wright, he and ALB are fine!!! Cropper will be back soon hopefully! COYB

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SitfcB added 00:56 - Feb 1
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garethch added 02:21 - Feb 1 Great result, but for goodness sake please do it again on Sat against a team at the other end of the table. Not that anyone could have predicted this scoreline, some of the comments written below the match preview look rather silly, but for those who openly hoped we got thrashed tonight...hang your heads in shame!
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