Anthony Wordsworth was still a Colchester player when Mick McCarthy saw his team crushed 5-0 at Selhurst Park in what was only his second game in charge.

But the midfielder, snapped up by McCarthy in January, is only too aware of how much that result affected his Ipswich colleagues. He revealed: “I’ve listened to a few of the lads discussing that heavy defeat and it clearly hurt. They want to put one over Palace and feel they owe them one so I can see it being a good game against them.

“A win would be great and you’d like to think that might be enough to ensure we are safe. But in this league you never know what is going to happen. We don’t want to keep looking at the teams below us, just collect as many points as possible between now and the end of the season. Hopefully we will pick up a lot more than three.”

Palace boast the Championship’s third best scoring record, netting 67 times in their 41 league games to date, and Wordsworth is a big fan of attacking trio Wilfried Zaha, Glenn Murray and Yannick Bolasie.

He added: “They are probably the three best players in this league and will be difficult to stop. But our defending has been brilliant with lots of clean sheets — nine in our last 13 it is now — so the Palace lads won’t find it easy either.”

Meanwhile, Wordsworth has spoken about the step-up from League One and his desire to hold down a first team place with Town next season.

He said: “It’s a big step. There are better players and the quality is better. It takes time to get used to it but it’s a really good league and I’m looking forward to being a regular part of it.

“I thought it would be a case of getting more time on the ball. Watching games from the Championship on TV that was how it seemed, but since I’ve been here that doesn’t seem to be the case at all.

“Every time you get the ball there is someone in your face. I think the players are a lot fitter and they get closer to you a lot quicker. You think you’ve got time but you really haven’t.

“It’s going to be difficult to force my way into the team next season because there are a lot of good players here and you don’t know what’s going to happen in the summer with the manager bringing in new players.

“We’ll have to wait until pre-season and see what happens but I definitely think I am good enough to play at this level.”

Photo: Action Images

bluefeast added 11:38 - Apr 16 Get this season over please with safety. Hated the stress.
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wkj added 11:55 - Apr 16 Just got a Town shirt with "Wordsworth" on it; chuffed. now win 3-0 vs palace for my 30th and ill be a happy blue!
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hampstead_blue added 12:07 - Apr 16 Most of the trash will be gone come summer so there will be plenty of room for a young talented midfield play-maker. AW it's time to step-up and make the place your own.
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ChrisMakin2012 added 12:29 - Apr 16 Woody?? Really... Stupid nickname
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BrettenhamBlue added 14:16 - Apr 16 Incredible comeback really. Well done to him. Shows so much spirit and commitment. Hope to see him as a first team regular next season. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22155744
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PhilTWTD added 14:23 - Apr 16 Someone who knows more about Colchester than I do told me he was known as 'Wordy' but Joe Dunne's Irish accent led to it developing into 'Woody' as the Col U players mimicked him. Whether that's the truth, we'll have to ask at a later date!
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