Only a week after saying he needed to add goals to his game, Sam Morsy grabbed his first for the Blues in yesterday’s 2-0 away win against Fleetwood and the Town skipper spoke about it after the game.

The 72nd-minute strike came after another frustrating goalless first half, but Morsy's opener was followed by a second from Kayden Jackson nine minutes later to keep Ipswich in touch of sixth place going into the final ten games of the season.

Town manager Kieran McKenna spoke about the importance of playing their own game in the build-up to the match and it is the repetition in training and composure that Morsy credits with his goal.

"It's been coming because I'm getting in those positions, the way we play and the way we prepare for games,” he said

“In that advanced role, I have had chances and it's just about finding that composure. It was a great ball from Wes [Burns] on which to try and get some clean contact, and I was delighted that it went in.

“Wes has got great quality and because of the number of men we get in the box, naturally defenders run back, and the cut back is always on.

“It was a great ball by Wes, he's got that real quality and he's picked me out so many times, and it was a good finish.

“We practise that phase of play a lot in training, it hasn't just been sprint in the box and the ball has landed in, I've scored a goal that I've probably got 500 times in training.

“But it's nice for it to come off and in that role I'm confident I'll score goals and hopefully I'll score a couple more.

“I should be on a couple now. But I've just had to keep going and not lose belief. Keep believing in what you're doing, repetition and keep going, and it comes off for you. That's life, you keep going and keep doing the right things, and good things happen.

“The way we're playing, I've had one or two good chances every game and it's always that first one that gives you a bit of a lift. So, if I keep getting in the positions and I've got the quality for the pick out, I'll hopefully get the goal.”

Before the opening goal, the Blues looked to be stuck in a familiar pattern of dominating possession without converting. It was at this point McKenna made a substitution to replace Joe Pigott with Tyreeq Bakinson, a decision Morsy thinks could have been misunderstood as being negative at the time.

“The manager switched it up with a really, really clever substitution, and you could argue bringing a defensive midfielder on for a striker would be a negative,” he reflected.

“But it was actually a really positive move and it created two goals. Even for the second one, Santi [Bersant Celina] was in a different area of the pitch for the through ball, so a really good substitution.

“We practice cutbacks and things like that so delighted to score but more importantly delighted to win today."

Two other talking points from the game were the solid 66 minutes put in by Pigott and the poor condition of the Highbury pitch.

“It's everything, really,” the Egypt international said regarding the impact of the the pitch. “It's harder to run, and it's harder to control and all the little things.

“But it's the same for both teams, you can't complain too much and I'm sure they won't want it either. You have to take extra care, you have to accept you're going to make mistakes, the ball might go over your foot or might go under your foot, but you've got to get on with it.

“There won't be a worse one than that all season, but it's hard for both teams and whoever plays and you just have to keep going, be brave, trust yourselves and we did that in the end, and they were two really well-crafted goals.”

Regarding Pigott, he added: “He's played really well today, Joe's best performance.

“He’s played well with his hold-up play and it's good to see his great quality runs. He's hit the post but delighted with his performance.

“We believe in him, when the goals come I don't know, but I'm sure they will come. And they might come at a crucial time.”

That crucial time could only be days away with Town's next game against Lincoln at Portman Road on Tuesday night.

Still ninth, Town need a win to keep sixth place in reach, yesterday’s win having closed the gap to five points, and Morsy believes the recent training regime has them perfectly poised to take their chance.

“It's a long trip back. We had a really good training week and I'm certain no one in the country will train as hard as us,” the summer signing from Middlesbrough continued.

“It's nice having the three-game week, but we'll go again and again to another big game. We know the fans will be there in full force and if we can put two wins together, we can close the gap even more.

"We just have to keep doing what we're doing and I think the Morecambe game performance-wise was probably the best of the season in terms of clear-cut chances, creating and the way we played.

I think after that game people were sort of saying ‘Did Morecambe defend well?’. We cut through them so many times with so many good chances it was just a mix of the keeper having an amazing day and poor finishing, really.

“Today again, we just kept trying to do what we do and trust in what we do, and it came off.

“Training's really tough and really demanding. But to be a big team, there's no easy way around it and there's no magic pill. All the best teams in the world will work really, really hard and train and that's what we've been doing in training and in the analysis room, and I think it's coming off.”

He added: “You can see that we push on in games. Even after we scored the first one, it's not a case of we're just trying to sit in and see the game out. We're trying to get another one, we got the second one and with a little bit more we could have got a third one.

“Fitness is vital in football and we're in really good shape. Kyle Edwards might be back for the back end of the season, and Evo [Lee Evans] is back in the next week or two. So it's good, a fully-fit squad and long may that continue.

“The team is playing really brightly, everyone did well, we dug in, it's a tough place to come, in the last five results they haven't lost here, the gaffer was showing us. It is a tough place and you have to dig one out, and it's great to get the win today."

“We need to win a lot of games, there's no doubt about that. Regardless of any other teams, we need to go on a run and we need to put wins together, which we feel we're capable of doing.”

Photos: TWTD/PagePix

MickMillsTash added 10:43 - Mar 6 Good finish on a rubbish pitch, great performance Practising the quality of crosses, cut backs and getting men in the box is not ground breaking but at this level we do not need to be. Hopefully see some improvement on the left in the next matches, Thompson seems reluctant to get in behind the full back but there was space there and a number of times we had a number overload opportunities.

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Linkboy13 added 11:20 - Mar 6 Been saying for a while now that the Egyptian Magician should be getting forward more often he's such good technical ability. Pleased to see Jackson get another goal a quality finish too. The striking situation is a big concern at the moment with Jackson being the only one with pace and mobility to make forward runs. Pigott has now missed three easy chances in his last four games. Norwood looks like a pub player and Bonne seems to have lost two yards of pace and is waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen.

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Suffolkboy added 12:19 - Mar 6 Let's just focus on the positive and let our very able Manager eliminate the negative ! He is doing pretty well all round right now ,and we would be churlish to ask for more ; the finishing touches will come ,BUT Rome wasn't built in a day ! COYB
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Monkey_Blue added 13:29 - Mar 6 I know the draws have been seen as a negative but what we are now is consistent. We are also very difficult to beat. If we'd not been left so far adrift this kind of form would have us fighting Rotherham and Wigan. I have far more confidence on a match day now and also believe in the long term vision and development whether we get up this season or not.
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ringwoodblue added 13:49 - Mar 6 Really hope it is the first of many including the winning goal in the playoff final against Sheff Wed.
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Bazza8564 added 16:00 - Mar 6 Wes' crossing at the beginning oi the season was excellent, Bonne scored a number of times from them, but of late they have been a bit wayward. Clearly a training ground thing and as KM said in his interview, getting a second and third option in the box plus good delivery pays off
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Maltster added 16:07 - Mar 6 I can't see why Thompson keeps his place. Kane VY ins much better and doesn't take risky throwins. Even Penny is better than Thompson
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 16:34 - Mar 6 McKenna and Morsy both speak well of Pig, his overall contribution, useful work rate and hold up play. I don't think Norwood or Bonne bring any of those things, and currently not goals either.
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budgieplucker added 18:00 - Mar 6 There were some on here slating Sam just before KMac arrived, but in my mind he has always tried to give his best even if he had one or two poor games. I think all can see how much the team missed him when he was serving his recent ban. As much as it was frustrating that he picks up so many disciplinary points and subsequently misses matches, to take his fiery nature away would change him as a player. In some sense I would compare him with a Roy Keane style of player, we all know how good he was as a leader. Sam, if he continues his form of late and remains consistent could end up having the same sort of impact on this club as Marty Holland did. Just watching some old reruns from his Wigan days he certainly popped up with a few goals now and again. Certainly not a Skusey who couldn't hit a barn door from 5 yards!!! Well done Samy, keep it going son you could become a future legend!!!

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