Smith: We Need to Keep Emulating Burnley Monday, 10th Nov 2014 06:00 Goalscorer Tommy Smith says Town are starting to pick up the type of results which saw Burnley beat the odds and win automatic promotion to the Premier League last season. Smith slammed home his second goal of the campaign seven minutes from the end of Saturday’s 1-0 home victory over Watford to see the Blues up to fourth in the Championship going into the international break. "Last season the gaffer kept comparing us to Burnley and saying we weren’t far off them,” Smith said. “The difference was they were nicking the 1-0 results and we have got one of those. "We don't have any stand-out superstars, we haven't spent a lot of money but there is that real togetherness in the squad. "We know that in this league anything is possible and anyone can put a run of results together. It is about consistency, and we have had that consistency this season. Long may that continue.” He says it’s a big boost having beaten fellow promotion contenders Wolves and Watford at Portman Road in the last week. "Over the past couple of seasons we have faltered against the sides in and around us,” the central defender continued. “It was something we looked at and needed to improve and I'm glad we are doing that now. "It gives us the confidence to go on but if you look at the points we had dropped, it could be even rosier for us. "We are not the finished article by any means but we are working hard to put together results." The 24-year-old says the squad have learnt lessons from last season: "The group of players is virtually the same as last year and we have built from the experiences of last year when we fell away. "We have told ourselves we don't want that to happen again and you can see the effort and determination we have in stamping our authority on teams early on. That has taken us into the top six and we want that to continue and go further." Town’s centre-halves have started the season impressively in front of goal with Smith having scoring twice and Christophe Berra four times. "Me and Christophe have been chipping in with goals and it was nice to score but the main thing was the three points,” Smith added. "Where we are in the league, these are the games we need to win if we want to stay up there, so we were delighted to get the win. “It was great to score the winner, and in front of the North Stand. The fans have been brilliant, they were really good for us, very noisy, long may it continue.” Smith has come back into the side in recent games following a spell out of the team with manager Mick McCarthy having used Jonny Parr at right-back, until he picked up a groin problem, and skipper Luke Chambers alongside Berra at the heart of the defence. Former academy player Smith says McCarthy spoke to him about the switch: "The gaffer took me to one side and explained he wanted to try something with one right-footed centre-half and one left-footed combination. "I took it on the chin, went about my business in a professional manner as I always do and took my chance when it came. Hopefully I can keep my place in the team. "Maybe getting dropped from the team was a rocket up the backside but it just shows you can never take anything for granted in football and you need to be at it 100 per cent all the time. "There are peaks and troughs in football, I had to come through it and I did, now I will be stronger for it." Smith is now off on international duty with New Zealand for friendlies against China in Nanchang on Friday and Thailand in Bangkok on Wednesday 19th November. The centre-half had planned to take the season off international football to concentrate on helping Town into the Premier League but having been out of the Blues side opted to change his mind. “Maybe later in the season when the body is tired and you feel the fatigue, that is when it takes its toll but I have not played that many games here this season so I feel fresh and don't think it will hinder me at all,” he said. "There is a new coach [Anthony Hudson] so I will go and see what he wants, but I imagine I will be playing centre-half. "I have been to China a couple of times but not Thailand so that will be a good experience." Watford frontman Troy Deeney thought Saturday's match was a hard-fought game, just as he had anticipated. “It's what you expect when you come to Ipswich,” he said. “There are no airs and graces. “We defended really well. Their goal was a bit fortunate - a ricochet dropped nicely for them - but we did all right. “We had good chances of our own but we need to put them away. They're a good side and will cause people problems so we've just got to keep going.” Did he feel that the Blues were guilty of taking an overly physical approach with his fellow striker Fernando Forestieri? "He's been in English football long enough to know you're going to get a kick every now and again," he added. "I don't think anything was over the top - just old school tackles. "Sometimes you have to defend yourself and if you don't do that they're going to pick on you, aren't they? It's what happens." The 26-year-old, whose second child, a daughter, was born in the early hours of Friday morning, believes Town are very much amongst the division’s contenders along with the Hornets: “Definitely, with how organised they are, you know what you're going to get. “In this league Burnley have proved that if you have a good, solid team spirit and work hard you get your rewards. “No disrespect to Burnley, but these have got some better players than Burnley had the year they went up, so they'll do all right. “They've got a good front two in McGoldrick and Murphy, but also at the back they don't look like they're going to concede many. They're a solid team.” Meanwhile, Town's U21s are in action against Crystal Palace at Playford Road this afternoon (KO 1pm).
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