Boss Mick McCarthy hopes the Blues’ 3-0 home victory over Charlton will persuade those fans who were back at Portman Road for the first time in a while to return for future games. A crowd of 26,157 watched second-placed Town defeat the Addicks, their biggest home gate in almost four years.

“It’s a happy day, it was great, wasn’t it?” McCarthy said. “It’s nice when you get that backing from the supporters and that trust starts to come back that you don’t let them down when you get 26,000 in.

“When you get a little bit of trust and a bit of faith shown to the team, I’ve been there, you get a good crowd and suddenly they get beat and everybody goes ‘It’s the same old, same old, same old’. Hopefully they’re not saying that and they will come back.”

The win was Town’s ninth at home this season, but McCarthy points out their excellent form - they’re unbeaten in 11, winning eight of those games - also extends to away matches.

“We’ve had good results away from home as well,” he added. “The home form has been good but we have to travel everywhere, I’ve always said we’re geographically challenged when we have six, seven or eight-hour trips to get to Bolton or Burnley last year.

“We have some long trips, but they all have to come here, they all have to make their way down, however they get here. And it’s a schlepp for them and so they’ve got to be ready when they come here.”

With Portman Road increasingly a fortress, McCarthy says opposition clubs will inevitably become wary when visiting Suffolk: “I think we’re getting a bit of respect from people, and if we’re not after having the results that we’ve had there’d be something sadly wrong, wouldn’t there?

“It’s certainly not a partizan, nasty place to come and play, Ipswich. I’ve been here and I’ve played here and I’ve managed teams here.

“But you don’t have to have that, you have to have a decent team and at the moment we’re playing all right.”

The Town boss says everyone was delighted to see David McGoldrick net his first goal in open play since November 1st late in the match having hit both posts and the bar earlier in the match.

“I think we were all as happy for him as he was for himself,” McCarthy said. “He was relieved, he’s had a couple of chances and I think even at the end Murph tried to slot him in again to get another one. It was lovely he got his goal because he’s been playing well.”

McGoldrick, who has now scored seven goals, has played second fiddle to 17-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy this season, but McCarthy says the Blues’ number 10 isn’t doing too much different.

“It’s just the way it is, isn’t it?” he added. “They always get you goals. I think Murph was a willing accomplice for him last year when he got all his goals and it’s just changed. But he’s got one tonight and that might signal him scoring a few goals, let’s hope it does.”

Tommy Smith scored his fourth of the season (although he is also still claiming Christophe Berra’s goal in the Leeds match) and his second in two games and McCarthy says he knows what’s motivating the New Zealand international defender.

“We all had a sweep and they had to say how many goals they’re going to get and had to stick in 100 quid,” he continued.

“They get their money back if they get their goals. If they don’t, it goes to charity. And he won’t want to give that 100 quid away, that’s what’s going on, let me tell you!

“He might be there now, I don’t know, I think he put himself down for seven or eight maybe, I’ve no idea.

“It was a bit of fun, I’m kidding. Tommy, I know he scored with his foot today, but he’s one of the best headers of the ball I’ve seen, technique-wise he’s outstanding.”

The Blues boss was delighted with the way Smith handled being dropped earlier in the season, fighting his way back into the team as soon as he got his chance to do so.

“As a manager I can’t ask for anything more than that from a player who was quite clearly upset and annoyed about being left out,” he said.

“That’s OK, it’s how you deal with it. You train properly and then when you get your chance you’ve got to be ready to go because the worst thing is that if you don’t do it properly and you get your chance and you play like a chump, you’re in trouble.”

Regarding Tyrone Mings, McCarthy added: “Tyrone was fit, but he’s had three days training in 17 since we played at Bolton. That’s not really preparation for a game like we had tonight.

“I have to wonder if Ty would play 46 games this season anyway. He’s still an outstanding left-back and I’ve no doubt he’ll get in the team at some stage, but it’s a team game, they’ve all got to play their part in it.”

Overall, the Blues manager was pleased with the display and result: “I just thought it was a good, solid performance against a good, solid side, who played well.

“They had their chances and we’ve had to tough it out at periods in that game. But overall I think we deserved to win.”

Told Town have now lost just once in their last 20 games, he added: “That’s great, I didn’t know that.”

Charlton manager Bob Peeters was disappointed to lose American international defender Oguchi Onyewu to injury in the warm-up: “We started well, we better in possession but you know Ipswich are all about set pieces and corners.

“Every set piece, every corner was dangerous and they have six players who are very strong with their heads and you can’t do anything about it.

“That’s why we wanted play Oguchi Onyewu but he pulled out five minutes before the game with a hamstring injury and you lose a very good header of the ball.

“And they scored from the set piece, they scored from the second ball and you knew it was going to be difficult. We had the ball cleared off the line.”

He added: “We said at half-time we were still in the game, but we needed to push it a little bit higher.

“I think we started well again, we had better possession but again from a second ball after a set piece they scored to make it 2-0 and that second goal cut our legs.

“And then at the end we were playing with only two at the back, we wanted to attack and we conceded the third goal.”

Photo: Action Images

Marcus_Evans added 10:40 - Dec 31 Just checking, but Peeters does know we had almost twice as much possession as them? In what way is that Charlton dominating?!
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runningout added 11:01 - Dec 31 don't do taking in opposition coaches views, as I'm sure our own coaches comments are ignored or sniggered at... Good end to 2014
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PhilTWTD added 11:01 - Dec 31 jabberjackson Good thinking, wasn't quite sure what he meant but think that's right. Have amended.
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50yearsablue added 11:15 - Dec 31 Not sure where you got your stats Marcus_Evans but the ones I saw gave Charlton 57% possession. Brentford had even more. However, both of them played mostly in front of us and were not causing problems - much how we used to play so stats can be misleading and doesn't necessarily mean domination. From our lesser possession, we have scored 7 goals and it doesn't matter if some of those were from set pieces as they all count 1 and it's pressure which leads to those situations. I confess I was more nervous about Charlton scoring than Middlesbrough and Brentford but all credit to the team as this was the type of game we didn't used to see through

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afrodids added 11:45 - Dec 31 We weren't at our best but still won 3-0 could have been 6! Signs of a winning team. COYB Beating Derby will be our chance to pull away from the rest however last night's result was just as important to keep the run going.
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blueherts added 12:07 - Dec 31 This just shows how far we have come - a 'below par performance' - by our recent standards and we win 3-0 !! Cannot remember last time we looked so clinical - and had a striker who every time he is near it scores ... We have a great defence and great front two We have an excellent young player in Bishop in midfield and some real alternative options on the bench Hyam , Bru , Hunt , Ambrose - Anderson and Tabb have deserved their inclusion - and are so much better than last season . Hyam and Skuse can alternate - not sure where Henshall and Stewart are in reckoning so maybe a midfielder is a possible addition as well as a Striking back up ? I would put our defence and strikers up there with the best in the division - Not only from the attacking perspective either !! MM has team pressing and closing from the front like we havent seen for a while It is hard to keep doing that - especially in busy schedule like XMAS So , whilst yes , as a performance we have had better - 3-0 is convincing Bring on Derby ... Soton is a nice day out with nothing to lose Interesting to see who he plays ? Thanks MM and TC and players for best first half of season in YEARS !!! HNY !

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dawoolah added 13:09 - Dec 31 Great 3pts and an excellent way to end 2014. We have nothing to lose at Southampton at the weekend but not bothered if we go out of the FA Cup as we don't need the distraction. Our closest rivals (Bournmouth and Derby) both have to come to FPR in the New Year after we went to theirs and took points. The link with Chris Woods is positive as I think he has more about him than Noel Hunt (Thanks for the Charlton goal though Noel and best of luck for the future) and with Cameron Stewart coming back to fitness, it will be like a new signing (albeit one that is already settled and at home with the squad!) The future is looking bright blue! Happy and prosperous New Year to all the ITFC Family!

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roytheboy added 16:07 - Dec 31 Thanks to Noel Hunt for those precious three points at Charlton, amazingly he almost scored with his first touch last night, even though he was only on the field for a minute or so, it would be nice to have him playing for us again, it is a pity that he is going back to Leeds, it is wonderful how Mick has turned us into such a skillful and hard working team, I'm delighted that McGoldrick scored, it was a great goal, I feel that his confidence will now start to return and he will be wanting to catch up with the brilliant Murphy.

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Razor added 12:30 - Jan 1 You can try and prove anything with stata----in the end they dont mean much. It is how effective you are with your posession that counts,nothing else, and I am getting fed up with yet another blind manager virtually insulting us and not giving us the respect we have deserved and earned. Derby------not worried about them, we ran them off the pitch in the second half at Pride Park with half a team and they struggled to beat Leeds the other day and needed an own goal to help them. Lets all enjoy our day out on Sunday and I hope MM plays his strongest team and really gives it a go---there are 5,500 reasons why he should!

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BlueSince93 added 17:38 - Jan 1 If you knew we are all about set pieces you should have prepared your team better! Pint of bitter for Bob Peeters please.
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samemeny added 08:37 - Jan 2 He should be delighted to please the crowd whatever the size. Funny how we're doing well and people go back. I fully support the approach MM and TC have to the game. Direct efficient football, if it gets us promoted then fair play. They know what works at this level. Don't expect too many flair players that previous managers have tried and failed. A squad full of hard working dedicated professionals willing to go the extra yards for the cause. At the expense of free flowing football. Spending money on big name players does not always work. Look at notts Forrest, Wigan, Norwich. So far we have a squad bought for £110,000 playing their hearts out pleasing the fans. I myself am travelling round australia so can only see highlights but keep in touch with the guys back home. Bottom lime is when we are doing well the fans get behind the team, I was a season ticket holder during the royale, magliton( club legend), Roy Keane and the first part of the jewel era in charge. Long may this run continue hope to be celebrating come may.

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