Nathan Broadhead says Town need to remain humble and keep working hard, despite the Blues’ outstanding start to the season which sees them second in the Championship going into the October international break.

Broadhead was among the goalscorers as Town opened an eight-point buffer over Preston North End in third after beating the Lilywhites 4-2 in yet another goal-fest at Portman Road.

But the Welshman conceded that the Blues, despite scoring at least three goals for a sixth successive home match, were not at their brilliant best, particularly in the second half.

“It’s amazing to score four goals again, but we need to keep on going,” he said.

“To get three goals before half-time was pretty good. The beginning of the second half wasn’t the best.

“It wasn’t our best performance, to say the least, but to score four goals and win the game is the main thing and the three points is massive in this league.

“Someone told me [the points gap] downstairs. It’s a good accomplishment at the moment, but we just need to keep on going. I love playing for Ipswich. The way that we play, I love it.”

Town are now the top scorers in the division with 25 goals, while Portman Road has become somewhat the entertainment capital of the country with 33 goals – 20 for and 13 against – in the last six games on Suffolk soil.

“That’s what fans want,” Broadhead said. “To perform and score goals makes everyone happy. We’re doing that at the moment and hopefully we can do it more.

“We didn’t really have an expectation [at the start of the season]. I think the main thing was to stay in the league, at first. But we need to stay humble, keep our heads down, work hard and perform.”

Conor Chaplin opened the scoring, finishing off a neat corner routine from Leif Davis – Chaplin’s fifth goal and Davis’s fifth assist of the campaign.

Broadhead said: “I don’t know how they never noticed it. We worked on it yesterday in training and it worked in training, so to get it done today is good.”

After the Blues were pegged back, Brandon Williams restored the lead when a sublime solo run from inside his own half ended with an impressive strike in off the post.

“It was a hell of a goal, wasn’t it?” Broadhead recalled. “He showed his engine and got himself forward. He’s a massive player for us and to score two goals in a week is massive. Good on him.

“The lads have taken him on board. He shows his challenges, gets the crowd going and lifts us up as a team. He played well today.”

Broadhead scored his fifth goal of the season right on half-time, tapping home from a matter of inches after George Hirst’s header kept the ball in play at the back post, but revealed he is more focused on team success rather than his own goal tally.

He said: “I’ll take a tap-in all day long, I’d rather them than the long-rangers. I enjoyed that one. It was good link-up play in the air and I’ll take it. I haven’t got a goal target. I just want to win things, to be honest.”

On the fourth and final goal of the afternoon, which saw Kayden Jackson finish a move with all five substitutes involved, Broadhead added: “That’s his second goal this season and hopefully he can keep on scoring.

“The way that we play is relentless, so everyone who is on the bench needs to be ready for the way that we press and play as it’s so intense.

“Keeping our heads was the main thing and to then score a goal with the substitutes was massive.”

Broadhead admitted that the excellent start to the season has altered belief in whether the Blues can outscore anybody in the division, something the 25-year-old says would not have been considered ahead of the campaign.

He said: “At the beginning of the season, we wouldn’t. But the way we’re playing at the moment creates a lot of chances for us strikers, and that’s what we want. Our aim is to score goals, but I didn’t expect it, no.”

On whether he feels Town have the biggest goal threat in the league, Broadhead added: “I don’t know, it’s tough to say. There’s a lot of good teams in this division and we’re one of them. But we create chances, as everyone has seen.”

Broadhead, along with teammate Wes Burns, will now head off on international with Wales, looking to add to his five caps to date. The Dragons will face Gibraltar in a friendly and Croatia in a European qualifier, both at home.

“Hopefully I can get some minutes on the pitch, stay fit and come back strong,” he said of the upcoming camp. “Hopefully I can get two goals in both games. That’s the aim.”

Photo: TWTD

Suffolkboy added 10:18 - Oct 8 Autumn is here ,winter is coming BUT there’s undoubtedly spring in everything at ITFC right now ! The squad is revealing unexpected depths of focus and talent ,harnessed almost effortlessly , it seems, by a wonderful Management team who are drawing the best out of each and all regularly . The fluidity and positivity and belief runs throughout the playing group and the entertainment value is just OFF the scale ! KM and Co bought well , selected with care and are making everything gel !What a Club ! COYB

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barrystedmunds added 10:59 - Oct 8 It’s not far off a year that I was at Portman Road watching the Cheltenham game (which we should’ve won by about 4 or 5 - 1. We didn’t and came away with a point. I would suggest the signs were there but it just was not “clicking” . What a transformation, and for me highlights how these things take time to build. As supporters we want our teams to be winning and winning in style and boy are we doing that just now. The additions in January were massive ( this lad in particular) and our activity close season was excellent, KMcK has to take the credit for that and the way he’s integrated those guys into the club and also for giving us our club back.

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therein61 added 16:55 - Oct 8 Sir Bobby and Sir Alf will be looking down at the boys and enjoying every minute seeing similar exciting football to the sides they created bless em.
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MK1 added 17:31 - Oct 8 This is the most exciting side we have had since Sir Bob. Unbelievable achievement to be where we are so soon. Players are playing with so much confidence. The break for those not on duty will only make us stronger. Keep it going boys, we are so proud of you all.
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LegendofthePhoenix added 21:20 - Oct 8 "The way that we play is relentless, so everyone who is on the bench needs to be ready for the way that we press and play as it’s so intense." The way we are playing, dare I say it, has similarities to how SIr Alex's Man Utd played. Just wave after wave after wave of attacks. I'm not comparing us to that great team, they were the best team in the world, but I think McKenna has brought that mindset here, to just attack relentlessly. What a joy to watch.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:30 - Oct 9 I guess if we have a weakness, it is that we let in a lot of goals compared with many other sides in the division. But as long as we also continue scoring more as well, then we'll be ok. This might be an area K McK wants to look at further in the future, but I think it's more down to our attacking approach than a lack of quality in the individuals. Davies, Burgess, Woolfie and Williams are all good quality players at this level. Sometimes our drive for goals will leave us exposed at the back; but as I said, as long as we are scoring more than the opposition, then it's not really a problem. And it does make for exciting, attractive football for us, the spectators.

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Rubens added 11:27 - Oct 9 These are happy days though I reckon we need to continue this run of form for a good while yet to rival the Burley side that finished 3rd (so nearly 2nd!) in the Championship in 2000 with Magilton, Holland and of course Marcus Stewart. That team went on to hold its own high up in the Prem for a bit too. Still, loving these free-scoring times at packed out PR, we deserve this after the last 20 years of mediocrity, thank you K McK!

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algarvefan added 14:46 - Oct 9 I don't know anything about Axel Tuanzebe that we have signed, but if he was good enough to be spotted by Villa and Man Utd then he must have something about him. Has he been signed as a potential answer to a weakness at the back? Our defending on a few occasions recently has been poor, or maybe it's the return of 'We're going to score one more than you' Either way in K McK we trust.

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GrasmereBlue added 18:08 - Oct 9 Absolutely amazing. KM is creating something really special and I've not felt so excited in over 40 years ( perhaps 2000-2001 excepting). He's putting together a fantastic team, manages and analyses every match brilliantly. I hope he will be with us for a good while and won't have his head turned by a "bigger" club. I'm sure Sir Alf and Sir Bobby will be smiling from above and, who knows, maybe the only team he manages after us will be England.

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ArnieM added 18:13 - Oct 9 It’s brilliant to be scoring goals by the hatful. This team has goals in it. But as I’ve said countless times our central defenders aren’t quite good enough. Left snd right bank are fine. It’s central defending IN the box that has always concerned me. Can they improve or will McKenna seek an upgrade in January?
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cfmoses added 20:09 - Oct 9 Come on guys. Burgess is imperious with his head. And he was humble enough to admit the first goal conceded was down to his hesitation. Woolfie goes from strength to strength and knows when to make his forward runs. We have the best 2 fullbacks in the Championship with Clarke in reserve. When you sub your front line at 65 Mins and then see most of those replacements to combine to score a fourth that is something really special. Injuries permitting MCKenna will take us up.

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Linkboy13 added 13:39 - Oct 10 Said on here few weeks ago there was two positions in defence that needed strengthening right back and centre back Williams has solved one of the problems and i expect the centre half position to be sorted soon. All successful teams are built on good defence's.
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