Town midfielder Lee Evans is 100 per cent up for the challenge of resurrecting the club’s promotion dream over what remains of the season.

The Blues are 11 points adrift of the play-off places with 22 games left to play and it could well be a case of now or never as far as their hopes of gatecrashing the top six are concerned.

Last week’s 1-0 home win over Wycombe Wanderers was the confidence-boosting result needed to kick-start the new era at Portman Road as former Manchester United first-team coach Kieran McKenna kicked off his management career with a much-needed win.

The hope now is that 11th-placed Town can go on the sort of run needed to overhaul at least five of the teams above them in the League One table — and the next four games against Gillingham, Bolton, Accrington and AFC Wimbledon could present an ideal chance to close the gap.

Evans, 27, said: “With the result against Wycombe, we go into Saturday’s game full of confidence. Every game in this league is an opportunity but you only have to have watched the results coming in last weekend to see that anyone can beat anyone in this league.

“That’s what is so entertaining for fans in this league. It’s a tough league to call but it is probably about time we got on a run if we can and we’ll try to carry on from what we did last week going into the weekend.

“You’ve got to believe or there’s no point. We’re 11 points off. We know with the players that we’ve got that if we can get on a good run then anything is possible. We believe.

“It’s going to take a really good run but why can’t we be that team that sneaks into the play-offs?”

Only 11-goal top scorer Macauley Bonne has appeared in more league fixtures than Welsh playmaker Evans, who launched his career with hometown club Newport County following the disappointment of being released by Bristol Rovers at the age of 15.

While the on-loan Bonne, without a goal in his last 10 appearances, has started 21 league games and come off the bench in a further two, Evans has made the same number of starts and been used as a substitute on just the one occasion.

He added: “You can see why the fans are getting excited. For us, it’s about adapting to how the manager wants us to play.

“I think we’re doing that with every training session we have. He’s getting new ideas across, new ways of playing and different ways of playing to the old regime.

“The New Year’s Day game against Lincoln being called off was really disappointing because we just wanted to build momentum from that home game against Wycombe.

“But it gave us more time on the training ground to practice what the new manager wants from us. Hopefully, it works to our benefit at the weekend.

“There are going to be a lot of Saturday and Tuesday games now coming towards the end of the season.

“I’m sure everyone will be playing their part. For the ones who are playing on Saturday, it’s then about keeping your place, keeping the team spirit and trying to get on a run. It’s all about trying to get on a run now. That’s what we’re going to try and do.”

While the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a lot of games cancelled in recent weeks — Saturday’s rearranged fixture at Gillingham was originally scheduled for Boxing Day — Evans is hoping Town’s forthcoming fixtures will go ahead as planned.

He said: “To be totally honest, I’m not too concerned about it. It’s more something for the older generation and for us it’s just about getting on with our job.

“We’ve got the measures in place at the training ground, which are designed to try and keep us safe. We have to just keep following them and keep as many games on as possible so they don’t pile up towards the end of the season.”

But the postponement of the Boxing Day trip down to Kent did produce one silver lining for family man Evans, who would have been training and travelling to the team’s overnight hotel on Christmas Day had the game gone ahead.

He smiled: “The Boxing Day game was off so we had a lot more time at the house on Christmas Day. It was a really enjoyable time. On Christmas Eve, I got into my Santa costume for the kids and they loved it.

“It’s a magical time for them so it was nice and we had a really good time. We had a really good day or two at home but now it’s just about cracking on with the football.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Tufty added 07:33 - Jan 6 I believe
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BlueySwede added 08:10 - Jan 6 True. I have never written of a season until something is mathematically impossible. But make no mistake. We need to go on a winning streak sooner rather than later, and the players need to show their qualities as well as putting in the sorts of efforts as they did against Pompey, Sunderland and Wycombe. COYB!
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Bazza8564 added 08:24 - Jan 6 A good win Saturday and then revenge on Bolton, it's obviously unlikely to go on a 10 game winning streak but Man City do it regularly, so it's far from impossible. Somebody on this division will go on a daft run, and they will be hiccups at the top…….
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BobbyBell added 09:40 - Jan 6 This squad should be capable of putting together a winning run of 8 to 10 games and that is what is needed. Good sides will go 20 plus games undefeated and if we can do that with 15 or 16 wins then we will be in with a chance. I believe that we have the players to do it in this league.
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Edmundo added 09:53 - Jan 6 Time to be the 12th man for this team every minute of every game. I think we can do it, and the players have the qualities.
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Barty added 10:34 - Jan 6 We will need around 50 points from our remaining 22 games to get into the play-offs. A very tall order but who knows and yes it is right to remain positive but it will need one helluva run to achieve this.
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JewellintheTown added 10:52 - Jan 6 Too many times I've been lead to believe "this" time is different, and we're really going for it, genuinely, sincerely going for it from the payers and staff. Too many times we've all been let down as soon as pressure is on to REALLY perform. The clichés and excuses follow by the players, managers, staff etc. Everyone speaks as if they're not part of the problem and its everyone else fault and their responsibility to "step up". Its really easy as fans to be disheartened, yet again, because of so many false dawns. We all really need a REAL push from players, staff, fans, a bit of luck and a sincere desire to reach not just the playoffs, not just finals, but promotion and stability in the Championship. I'd like to think optimistically this time is for real, but I'm still not convinced the people who can make it happen really believe that. Time will tell, and I'll be supporting as if they do, but I'm not sure how many more excuses, false dawns, clichés I can take before I reluctantly admit the moaners and "told you so" brigade were yet again right and acknowledge that the once great club we're all proud of, will never have the same high expectations and results we'd all like it to have. Over to you IFTC. False dawn or make us proud again?

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Karlosfandangal added 18:15 - Jan 6 We had a little run of something like 2 defeats in 12. But too many draws. Need to win the next 4 games and see where we are, then I will believe we have a chance this season
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