Town midfielder Jens Cajuste feels the Blues have continued to grow as a team since the early weeks of the season following the 2-1 victory over Oxford United at Portman Road.

Victory on New Year’s Day, coupled with Middlesbrough’s defeat at Derby County, means Town have climbed into the top two in the Championship table for the first time this season.

Kieran McKenna’s side have found themselves playing catch-up after a slow start to the campaign, but a fourth straight win on home soil has lifted them to within eight points of league-leaders Coventry City, a gap that at one stage was 16 points.


Cajuste says the Blues learned their lessons from November’s defeat to the Yellows at the Kassam Stadium, and that he is pleased with the current direction of travel.

“We knew from the last time we played them a couple of months ago, it can be tricky and difficult,” he said. “We were prepared for that and this time it went our way.

“A bit of a scruffy win, but three points were massive. The table is looking pretty good and we keep on pushing.

“We need all the support from the fans like we always get. That home momentum, we need to protect it and keep building on it.”

With Town now into the automatic promotion places, the important task in the final 21 matches of the season is to stay there and earn the reward of an immediate return to the Premier League.

“Of course, that’s what our ambition is and we keep on pushing,” Cajuste said. “It feels great but we know it’s tight.

“There’s so many more games to go so we have to stay focused and not look too far ahead, but focus on each game that comes.

“We’ve definitely grown a lot as a team and gotten a lot better since the start of the season. It shows now in our confidence.

“We have momentum, but we have to keep playing with the same ambition and keep getting better as well.”

Jaden Philogene opened the scoring against Oxford, with the winger pulling off a trademark finish on his right foot for his ninth goal of the season after Cajuste regained possession in the final third.

All of Philogene’s goals this term have come on home soil, and the Swedish midfielder admitted that the winger did the hard part after dancing his way into the penalty area beyond visiting defenders.

He said: “Jaden does the biggest part of it, he helps me out quite a bit. The other assist I got was also to Jaden, who did a fantastic job with the finish and dribbling as well. All credit to him.”

The Blues’ second goal, which proved to be the winner shortly before half-time, came courtesy of Chuba Akpom after Darnell Furlong’s deflected low cross fell kindly into his path.


In the absence of injured striker George Hirst, the Ajax loanee started as the number nine for the first time and has been tasked with battling alongside Iván Azón for a starting place.

“Nine, 10, but I think nine is a good position personally,” Cajuste considered on Akpom’s preferred role in the side.

“There’s so many games that we need every player on the squad. It only adds to the team and they feel the same.

“I don’t even know if you want to call it competition, but that ability that when one player is needed to play, they’ll step up. That makes all the difference for a team.

“It was great for him and great for the team, we need that. I’m very happy for him.”

The final fixture in a congested run of four matches in nine days comes at Fratton Park this Sunday, when Town travel to lowly Portsmouth aiming for a third straight victory.

Cajuste said: “We’ve faced every team once at least so we know what’s coming ahead. It’s a tough league and tough games, it’s unpredictable and you don’t really know what the next game is going to be like. I couldn’t predict it just as much as you could so we’ll just leave it at that.

“For me, it’s the first time that it’s this hectic so it’s been a bit of a transition. To be honest, I like it.

“You don’t have time to dwell on games, good performances or bad performances. It’s all gone in a matter of days and you have to focus on the next one, and I quite like that.”

Photo: TWTD