Two-goal Tom Lawrence felt Town’s new additions gave both the players and fans a boost during Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with third-placed Reading. The Blues’ performance was a vast improvement on their display during last Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Derby at Portman Road and Lawrence thought Town were unfortunate not to claim all three points.

Fellow Wales international Emyr Huws, who joined on loan from Cardiff on deadline day, made his debut on Saturday, as did former Newcastle centre-half Steven Taylor, who was signed on a deal to the end of the season, while Toumani Diagouraga was handed his home debut, the loanee from Leeds having previously made his Blues bow at Preston last week.

Striker Kieffer Moore, who joined from Forest Green earlier in the transfer window, was on the bench, along with Jordan Spence, who came on as a sub late on against the Royals, while winger Danny Rowe, recruited from Macclesfield, was in the squad ahead of the match but left out of the 18. New loan striker Dominic Samuel was unavailable against his parent club.

“New people coming in has given us a boost and the fans reacted too,” said Lawrence, who is on loan at Portman Road for the season from Leicester.

“The fans were unbelievable, the best I have ever heard them and our performance showed that.

“Having more players means competition for places, it livens things up and we can only be stronger as a group for that.

“Emyr (below) is a really good player. I know him well as we have played at various levels [for Wales] together and we work well together as it showed.”

Lawrence’s two goals against the Royals took his season’s tally to 10, eight of them in his last eight matches with Christophe Berra the only other Town player to find the net in that time, in the 3-2 win against Blackburn.

“I try not to mess about when I finish,” the 23-year-old added, reflecting on his latest brace.

“I was glad to see them hit the back of the net and I hope that continues. It was a good game and we deserved to win it but could not quite manage it.

“The ankle [injury he picked up against Derby] was fine and I got through the 90 minutes. I picked up another knock, but it was a different injury and it was no problem in the end.”

He added: “Playing with freedom comes with having confidence and I’m feeling good right now. Hopefully that will continue and the goals will continue.”

January saw Lawrence linked with a move away from the Blues with a number of clubs reportedly interested in signing him, but with his loan running to the summer unless all three parties - Town, the Foxes and the player himself - agreed to end it early, something which was never on the cards.

The Wrexham-born former Manchester United youngster says he just concentrated on matters on the pitch.

“I never took any notice of all the talk,” he added. “I just enjoy going out on the pitch and playing football. I don’t worry about the other stuff. I just crack on.”

Despite the positive performance and moving up one place to 16th, the Blues are now only eight points above the relegation places and Lawrence says that can’t be ignored.

“We can’t be too complacent,” he continued. “The teams around the bottom keep winning, so we have to dig in.

“Also, we are just 12 points off the play-offs with 16 games to go, so we will keep on fighting for every point.”

Reading’s debutant goalscorer Jordon Mutch was pleased to make a goalscoring start to his loan from Crystal Palace.

“I’m delighted to score in my first game and really we should have won,” he insisted. “The way we played was really pleasing for me.

“I was impressed at the way we played and how we were with the ball. A couple of errors cost us and if we can cut them out going forward we have a good chance of staying in the play-offs and get promotion, maybe even automatically.”

Meanwhile, Town's U23s are in action against Watford at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm). Tommy Smith is expected to make his return to action having undergone back surgery in September.

Photo: TWTD

Chondzoresk added 06:03 - Feb 6 Thank you Tom for being with us this season. Without you we would have been f@@@ed, big time.
9

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:26 - Feb 6 Biggest boost, Tom, would be for you to stay. But we all know that's not going to happen. If we survive the C-ship this season - and I'm more hopeful now - you will have played a major part. Many thanks for that.
10

battyblue added 07:28 - Feb 6 Good stuff Tom the fans reacted because the new players played how the game should be played with freedom and style,Ward had this when he first came but after a few games McCarthy had inflicted his safety first approach on him ,,,lets hope the new boys inflict their style on him and things will look much more positive for the future. Think the foxes could do with you in the team at the moment lol

8

hoppy added 07:28 - Feb 6 Certainly a goal drought from everyone else at the moment... who else was scoring before these last eight games? Was it Varney that was our most 'prolific'?
4

AussieTom added 07:53 - Feb 6 Positive stuff Tom. Let's hope this isn't just a flash in the pan and we start to build some consistency.
3

Dissboyitfc added 07:59 - Feb 6 Well said tom, Competition for places is great and i hope MM's philosophy of shoehorning his favourites in regardless of form is a thing of the pas! Tom, top man top player!
4

Dissboyitfc added 08:00 - Feb 6 Past!
0

muccletonjoe added 08:14 - Feb 6 Very much hope we can start to pick up a few points to give them the confidence. Maybe by the end of the month they are bedded in and and ready for the local derby.
2

prebsa added 08:16 - Feb 6 What a player really is top quality. Glad to see he still sounds happy let's hope he keeps up this incredible form for the rest of the season!
6

cat added 08:24 - Feb 6 Saviour of our season without doubt, will certainly grace the prem next season. Good luck
5

carlo88 added 09:29 - Feb 6 Pretty sure he'll be playing against us for Leicester next season in the Championship - very have a very severe case of Ipswich Town 2001-02.
2

carlo88 added 09:30 - Feb 6 ^^ They, not very!
0

brittaniaman added 09:36 - Feb 6 I certainly agree with you Tom !! Far, Far better performance all round, it is amazing how a few fresh faces, changed the team completely,left Portman Rd. far happier Sat. even with a point Keep it up Dino and do not revert back to the OLD Favourites ????
2

Lightningboy added 10:43 - Feb 6 Keep thinking that it's a shame Lawrence isn't ours but I guess he'd be off in the summer anyhow even if he was ours - great little player who must be valued at £5m - £10m by today's prices? I hope we can bring Huws in permanently but this is the problem with loanees - if they're a success their parent club either want them back or start asking ridiculous money for them - as great as they can be,ultimately they're never the long term answer. Marcus needs to put his hand in his pocket this summer otherwise we're in for even more of a hard time next season.

5

Kesgraveblue57 added 10:45 - Feb 6 I agree with you Tom fresh faces have hopefully lifted the club a bit,a big thanks to the manager Mick McCarthy, we have people playing for him and the club who have taken a pay cut to come here.
1

Michael11 added 11:51 - Feb 6 Looking at how poor Leicester's attack looks this season, I can't see him leaving anyway. He's a top Championship player and pretty sure he'd be more than good enough to play for a Premier League side. They'd be mad to sell him.
1

StowTractorBoy added 11:51 - Feb 6 Fantastic loan signing but will never be able to get him permanently. Have to give credit to MM for getting him in. Still very worried about our predicament though as although we played well other teams around us picked up 3 points and the fixtures ahead are quite daunting.
1

cat added 12:05 - Feb 6 Stowtractorboy - There are some very poor teams below us, that's what I'm clinging onto anyhow!!
1

stowby added 12:35 - Feb 6 Positivity breeds Positivity!
1

MathieandMarshall added 12:40 - Feb 6 Tom is another Gio Dos Santos. Enjoy him while he is here! - no chance of signing him (unless we go on a crazy run and win promotion which is highly unlikely)
1

jabberjackson added 12:52 - Feb 6 Dos Santos only ever played 8 games for us This lad has been consistently good, sometimes brilliant, and injury free all season
2

Seasider added 17:01 - Feb 6 Cant remember any better loanee for Ipswich,over several decades. Cant remember there being loans in the early days of my support,dont think even one sub allowed let alone three.Loans seem to have been more in vogue over last say 20 years. He is far and away the best although Gio Dos Santos,Jimmy Bullard,Jim Magilton,Ricardo Fuller,Mark Noble,Martijn Reuser, Sixto Peralta and Shefki I recall were all good for us. Of course JB,JM SK and MR all went on to sign permantly,and only Jimmy Bullard who was voted player of the season whilst on loan,didn't live up to loan performances. Whilst Mark Noble is still captain of West Ham.

3

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls