Blues assistant boss Terry Connor was full of praise for strike pairing David McGoldrick and Aaron Mclean after Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough at Portman Road. Both frontmen opened their Town goals account during the second half.

Connor, who was in charge for the day with manager Mick McCarthy unwell, said: “Everyone knows I was a member of the strikers’ union and everybody knows that you need to score your goals early on in your career when you join a new club, and it’s nice for David and for Aaron to score their first goals.

“They can play well [and it can get lost]. Last week, David played equally as well and it was lost in the result. This week, he’s played just as well and scored a goal and everyone talks about the performance that David gives.

“It’s nice for him to get the goal and get the rewards and I think the team know they’ve got a player they can rely on to hold the ball up and to do the all-round play, but also to get amongst the goals as well.”

Regarding Mclean, the one-time Leeds, Brighton and Bristol City frontman added: “Aaron has worked really well in the last two weeks in particular.

“He’s worked hard to regain his match fitness because that’s what he’s lacking at the minute, but for 60 or 65 minutes he ran his heart out and he thoroughly deserved his goal.”

Town have confirmed that Mclean will be here until the end of the season as planned despite Steve Bruce having said he was considering recalling him last week. There is no provision in the agreement between the clubs for such a recall.

Saturday's result moved the Blues up to 19th but still only four points away from the relegation places. Connor fully expects the dogfight to last the rest of the season: “Absolutely [it’ll go down to the wire]. You can’t take your eye off the ball for one week.

“In this league, top can beat bottom, bottom can beat top on any given day, any given surface. You’ll always have a game on your hands.

“All we’ve asked our lads to try and do is focus on working hard, sticking together and in every game giving a good account of themselves

“If they can do that for the next 16 games, then we think we’re capable of picking up enough points to make sure we’re in the Championship next season.”

Meanwhile, former Blues skipper and coach Tony Mowbray was happy enough with his one-time Town team-mate Kieron Dyer’s performance on his Boro debut, despite the disappointing result: “He did what he’s here to do, he kept the ball for us very well, I don’t know what his statistics were today.

“We couldn’t get the ball to him in the first half, to be fair, but that’s a credit to Ipswich, the way they pressed us and closed down all over the pitch.

“I think in the second half his ball retention [was very good]. That’s what he’s here for really, to make the right decisions, to educate some of our younger players that sometimes you don’t always have to hit a 30 or 40-yard pinpoint pass, you just keep it moving.

“And Kieron does that by nature and I’m sure that will help us as we progress forward. But it’s obviously not ideal for him to come back to Portman Road and lose so heavily on his debut."

Dyer admitted that it was a disappointing return to Suffolk: “Ipswich took us by surprise. Although they have plenty of good players, for us to lose 4-0 was especially hard.

“This is the worst place for me to get a hammering like that because this is still my home town and my mum still lives here so it was pretty humiliating.

“In fairness, the Ipswich crowd has been so special for me down the years, but you can imagine the grief I will get.”

Mowbray says his side's overall performance was one that they will have to put behind them and that they are better than they showed on Saturday: “We’ve got a good team. You never saw that, but we’ve got a good team and we’ll be fine.”

The man known as Mogga said Boro haven’t had a particular problem conceding from set pieces, Tommy Smith having netted twice from corners, and that he would look into how those goals came about on the coach on the way back to Teesside.

However, he had praise for Smith: “You have to give the boy some credit, he looks a big, powerful boy coming in and attacking those balls.”

Mowbray, a former central defender himself, was reminded that he scored one or two similar goals during his Town career and he recalled one in particular that he has displayed on his wall at home: “Remember the one at Wembley in 2000? Let’s talk about that, eh?

“Jim Magilton took a corner, it got cleared out to him, he put it back in and I rose like a salmon at the back stick!”

Photo: Action Images

Len_Brennan added 06:13 - Feb 4 McGoldrick looks like he will be a very good signing for us. I just hope the provision for the deal to become permanent at the end of the season is watertight & we don't lose out to a rival with a fatter chequebook.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:53 - Feb 4 Steve Bruce talking the price up perhaps ? And as for the salmon leap, oh happy days :-) . If we could only find consistent form, we could be right up there next season. ITFC has not had a consistent team for years ! actually i take that back and i hate to say this, but we have had sustained periods of consistent rubbish from our team in recent seasons.....COYB
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MattinLondon added 08:14 - Feb 4 His reminder of that day at Wembley brought a smile to my face....please let it happen again very very soon. I know some people in Ipswich take the easy way out and support Arsenal or Man U. But I know for a fact, that no matter what those teams win, those 'fans' will never feel the pure estastic emotion that we all experienced on that sunny day.
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mikeybloo88 added 08:43 - Feb 4 MattinLondon, I'm with you, what a header that was, and what a day. Who on earth has marked you down for that comment?
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MattinLondon added 09:06 - Feb 4 @mikeybloo88 Maybe someone who doesn't know the difference between a up and down marker?
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gazmangaz added 09:21 - Feb 4 Mogga was in the twilight of his career when at town but but he won every header he went for all over the park, an awesome defender !!
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gazzmac4 added 09:25 - Feb 4 It was a great result at the weekend. DMcG and AM looked like they are forming a good partnership which is excellent. I was also happy to see Wordsworth get on and get his debut. When he was on he looked hungry and always wanted the ball. How i wish hed crowned it with that thunderbolt that only just cleared the bar. Im also really happy for the back 5. Smith and Chambo are starting to look more solid and i cant speak highly enough of Cressy. By his standards he has had a poor first 3 months of so of the season but he seems to getting right back to his best. His final delivery from corners and deep crosses gives us somethign extra. Im not sure on the injury to Lee Martin but even if he does come back in i would keep Azza taking the corners. Hopefully we can start looking up again rather than down. COYB's!

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billlm added 10:12 - Feb 4 agree gazz with all,, thought ndaw needs a mention to thought he broke there play up well and his distrubution is getting better boro like to play short with 1 2s but he done his job stopped that,happy now the front 2 have netted mc goldrick has very quick feet good to watch
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Guthrum added 10:17 - Feb 4 Great to have two of our new strikers open their accounts for Town. And good to have a photo of Connor looking pleased - hope for many more of those!
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Trigsy added 12:02 - Feb 4 (Return of the Mack theme) Retun of the mac, McGoldrick, Return of the mac, McLean, Return of the mac, Mac Attack, my god, You know they're gonna score
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RaymondovicBlue added 12:17 - Feb 4 Glad the strikers are scoring. .. Tommy is solid at the back but even he won't want to be in a team with the top scorer being a Centre Back! ! Now how Bout a goal from midfield eh guys?!? COYB
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JackITFC96 added 12:19 - Feb 4 I thought nouble looked a spark
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kevtblue added 12:55 - Feb 4 Still not out of danger yet but Oh how nice it is to thrash Boro and really enjoy a game of football at home for a change. Really enjoyed McGoldricks perfomance he worked so hard showed great positional sense and the Boro defense never new where he was going to turn up next nearly forgot what a great goal as well LOL. Nice to see Tommy attacking the ball so well in the opposition penalty area he deserved those two goals a great game from him too. All round great performance well done to the team and TC. Long may it continue CYOB.

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bohslegend added 13:06 - Feb 4 Absolutely love hearing Mogga himself recalling my personal favourite ever moment as an Ipswich fan! I was lucky to be there at Wembley that day and I honestly think I levitated into the air when that header went in! Pure joy!
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bluelady added 16:33 - Feb 4 billm totally agree.. not sure what game Stuart Watson was watching as he gave the big man a 6 and said he was one of towns quieter players!! I really liked Wordsworth when he came on, he looks an intellegent player, his work off the ball was very good and that fantastic pass over to the left wing was what we have missed! lets hope he can put in a 90 minute shift like that. Mclean has got some stick recently but actually i see him as a younger Jason Scotland, he is very strong on the ball and his goal (although deflected) was as a result of not letting the defender getting the better of him. As for Lee Martin, actually think we look far more balanced without me. yes he has speed and runs around a lot but his delivery is poor and he very often loses posession for us. he doesnt seem to have that technical ability to pick out a good pass, too many times he holds onto the ball then looses it rather than bringing other players in. Still buzzing from saturday!!

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brian_a_mul added 17:12 - Feb 4 "I rose like a salmon at the back stick!” What a great line! Its great to see young Tommy Smith has the same commitment to attacking balls as Mogga had. The praise from Mogga will surely fill Smith with more confidence! Great to see Terry and Mick getting a potent attack for our team. As they say the attack is first line of defense. And with McGoldrick ably holding the ball up front, it gives mid& def that little bit of extra time to re-organise and/or support the play.

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EatonBlue added 21:00 - Feb 4 he shops where he wants he shops where he waaaants Aaron Mclean he shops where he wants
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bournemouthblue added 00:24 - Feb 5 Mowbray what a legend @Eatonblue: Good song choice :)
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