Town boss Kieran McKenna felt the Blues came through “a big, big challenge” and believes winning games such as this evening’s 1-0 victory at Burton is very important.

Marcus Harness’s 60th-minute goal saw table-topping Town to the three points and their third league win in a row.

“Really good three points, probably the challenge was exactly what we thought we’d face, it couldn’t have been more different [from Saturday’s 3-0 home win against MK Dons],” McKenna said.

“A very difficult match, I think they’re going to take a lot of points off teams here on a Tuesday night. I know they haven’t started well but with the aggression and the directness that they played tonight, they’re going to take points off teams, especially on a Tuesday night.

“It was a big, big challenge. The first half was chaotic really. We didn’t manage to impose ourselves on the game at all, but we showed spirit and dug in and managed to keep it out of our net and we still had chances to go and score.

“And in the second half I thought the performance went up a gear and we managed to break the pressure, adjusted a few details, we spoke about that at half-time, and were good value for the goal.

“We still needed a big save from Christian [Walton] at the end but it was a really hard won and deserved three points.”

Are hard-fought wins like that important? “Very important. It’s three points. We spoke about it a lot before the game, we’re going to face this at different times this year, this is the first time we’ve had a game like this, certainly this season.

“You can’t replicate that in pre-season. Bolton, Forest Green, MK are different types of teams, so this was the first time we’ve had this challenge in a while and I thought that took us a little bit of time to adjust to in the first half, some fundamentals that we didn’t quite get right, but we came through that and improved as the game went on.

“It’s three points but it’s also a good learning curve and a good one to get through because this isn’t going to be the last time that we face a team that come with that sort of a game plan and we have to stand up to it again and again.”

Town picked up their second successive clean sheet following Saturday’s victory over the MK Dons.

“Happy with the clean sheet,” McKenna said. “It’s a very difficult clean sheet. They scored four on Saturday, they could have scored six on Saturday. Tonight, to be fair, they could have had one or two but we could have had three or four as well.

“A good clean sheet, some real resilience, a little bit of a luck and Christian producing one big save that I can remember. Back to back clean sheets and we need to keep that going. If we do that we give ourselves a good chance to win.”

Regarding Harness’s third goal in three leagues: “Really pleased for him. It was a difficult game in the first half for him, it was very hard for him and Sone [Aluko] to get into the game, they had a lot of pressure from behind whenever it was going into them, so it was hard to get his flow but he kept going.

“Second half, he managed to find his way into the game a little bit more and then he’s done what we know he’s capable of doing and he’s shown it now in the first few games that he’s capable of scoring different types of goals and producing big moments for the team, and he’s produced one tonight and I’m delighted for him.”

McKenna made three changes, Aluko, Kayden Jackson and Greg Leigh coming into the side for Conor Chaplin and Leif Davis, who dropped to the bench, and Wes Burns, who missed out due to a minor groin problem. He says in part the changes were as a result of the weekend exertions in the heat against MK.

“Yes, definitely partly that,” he said. “One was a little bit more enforced with Wes, a little niggle and other than that it’s a really long season and we’re going to have to keep the boys fresh.

“As you could see tonight, there aren’t going to be many easy games, there are going to be a lot of different types of game but big challenges and we’re going to need everybody and we’re going to need the squad and we’ve managed to use a few different players tonight and that will help us going into Saturday and we’re going to have to do that throughout the season.”

Asked whether Burns will be OK for the weekend, McKenna said: “We’ll have to see over the next couple of days. Nothing very major, a little injury he actually picked up in the warm-up on Saturday, so credit to him for being able to play the game, he felt OK in the game but was a bit sore afterwards. It was too soon for tonight but we’ll see how he is in the next couple of days.”

McKenna was impressed with Jackson’s performance: “I thought he did really well, very difficult in the first half, we didn’t manage to get any structure or order to the game, it was chaos really, but within that he showed his attributes and he showed why we trust him and showed what he can bring to the game.

“And I thought in the second half he was a massive threat, showed his versatility in a role we’ve been working with him on in the training sometimes and I thought it was a good performance.

“Sone came in and managed to grow into the game as it went on as well and helped us get that control in the second half and Greg will be pleased coming in and being part of the clean sheet as well.”

Town hadn’t won three league games in a row since February 2021, which was something which he says had been talked about over the summer and going into the match with building momentum and confidence significant.

“It’s important, we spoke about it,” he said. “We were aware that in my short time here that we hadn’t managed to do it yet, I didn’t know how long it was for the club.

“It was something we spoke about in the off-season and something we spoke about in the build-up to this game was that to get consecutive wins we’d have to show a higher level of humility and a higher level of commitment and concentration than we managed to show last year.

“The games in this league are very difficult, certainly for Ipswich Town there aren’t going to be any easy games and if you come off it at all, you’re not going to get consecutive wins, you’re going to drop points.

“Pleasing to get a couple wins in a row, I think Saturday-Tuesday is always nice to win because you can accumulate points very quickly, but it’s onto the next game now. Beyond that, it’s a couple of wins, but we have to go and do everything we can to win Saturday.”

Did tonight’s battling win in a game which wasn’t of Town’s ideal type please him more than Saturday’s more fluid victory over MK?

“It’s so different,” he reflected. “I enjoyed them both, to be honest. I think it’s just a highlight for everyone of how difficult the league is and why you can’t take anything for granted. We have no divine right to win football matches, we’re going to have to battle every week.

“Saturday was a footballing game against a team at home who came to play us in a football match and tonight was completely different away from home against a team who wanted to make it aggressive chaos and they did it very, very well, and credit to them for that, [Burton manager] Jimmy [Floyd Hasselbaink ] got a fantastic performance out of his players, they’re going to be absolutely fine and pick up lots of points if they do that again.

“It’s a great one to experience so early in the season, to feel the challenge of that type of game because we’re going to have it again and it’s the first time we’ve had it in quite a while, so to come through it 1-0, in many ways is as pleasing as a controlled and smooth performance on Saturday and a 3-0 win.”

The Blues boss felt the Town support played a big part in the win in the second half in particular.

“Brilliant, one of the best in my time here,” he enthused. “The away support is always fantastic, but tonight both in number and in voice, it was a step up and I don’t think we would have won the game without it.

“It was a massive help in the first half whenever we were having to defend our penalty box a lot and in the second half, I always felt at half-time going towards our supporters that we’d get the goal and they would give us the encouragement we needed to go and win the game.”

Albion manager Hasselbaink felt his side's performance warranted a point at least.

“Our game plan was really good,” he told his club's official website. “We deserved more out of the game and that’s where we need to improve as we need to take the chances we had, and we had some really good chances.

“Gassan [Ahadme] was absolutely magnificent again today after Saturday, but he needs to score and reward himself for that kind of performance.

“I have told him that he has done ever so well and that his work rate was magnificent but now when you get a chance when you play against a good team like Ipswich and you might only get one chance, you need to take it. If he does that, he will be a top, top striker because he has everything you need.

“But I’m really happy with the performance. The boys are gutted that they haven’t got anything out of the game but the performance is really encouraging.”

Photo: TWTD

KMcBlue added 23:23 - Aug 16 Legend in the making.
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BurleysGloryDays added 23:30 - Aug 16 Tough, tough game of football - definitely feel we'd have drawn or more likely lost this last season and even worse, looked clueless in the process. Tonight we always looked like we were trying to play, always looked classier and weathered their storms while asserting ourselves as they fired from an exhausting first half. Massive credit to the players, who put in a massive shift in 34 degrees on sat and worked damn hard in pouring rain tonight. Rest! Then we go again!

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rogie_dog added 23:36 - Aug 16 Best manager we've had in years
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SuperBlue69 added 23:48 - Aug 16 Ipswich are top of the league and deservedly so…The hard work and professionalism of everyone at the club is already bearing fruit. With all the woes in life we are facing this shouldn't matter but it really bloody well does so thank you Kieran, the players and coaches…ITFC Forever!
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ipswichboi added 23:50 - Aug 16 In his post match interview, KMcK said that Burton will take a lot of points off teams at home on a Tuesday night. Burton play pompey and Bolton at home on a Tuesday night. The man knows. Utter class.
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Gforce added 23:56 - Aug 16 Certainly rode our luck at times,but another brilliant performance from Walton kept us in it.They say a quality goalkeeper will save the team 10-15 points a season,Walton is definately already on course to achieve that this season. An excellent 3 points all the same,well done guys.Now please repeat on Saturday!!
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tobymeadz91 added 00:00 - Aug 17 Fantastic manager I've been a season ticket holder for over 20 years and I'd love to know what the managers all see in Jackson… I just don't see it!!
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Bluedocker added 00:18 - Aug 17 The only concern I have at the moment is these passes around the back going astray.. only 1 has cost us so far this season against col u..
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WINNERWILNIS2 added 00:22 - Aug 17 toby91 jackson put in a great shift out of position tonight and looked dangerous when he went up front towards the end of the game. fantastic manager indeed COYB!
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Eeyore added 01:48 - Aug 17 I am sure Jackson will continue to ‘look dangerous', as he has for the last three years. He will also continue to never score, never get an assist, never get a cross beyond the first defender …..
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Karlosfandangal added 02:06 - Aug 17 Would like to see KMK spoke about in the same way as Sir Alf and Sir Bobby are. But I think that is at least 10 years away. Very good manager IMO Jackson did well playing out of position, Ladapo ran and ran closed players down and had a good game, but I still feel we need a striker For me I have no idea why Chaplin does not start every game as always looks sharp Aluko had a good game some lovely balls forward. Love Celina but feel Harness and Chaplin are better Number 10's

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martin587 added 06:32 - Aug 17 Calm influencing manager talks sense and is taking this club in the right direction.I trust him 110% in every decision he makes.
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Saxonblue74 added 07:02 - Aug 17 I'm not Jacksons #1 fan, but have to disagree with any negative comments from last night's game. He grafted, challenged in areas not expected and particularly in the 2nd half looked a threat. We did most certainly ride our luck at times, and playing out the way we do requires more concentration. Walton is class, not just keeping the ball out of the net but distribution is superb. Some of his passing from feet was better than anything from any Burton player!

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:05 - Aug 17 So refreshing to have a manager who gives a balanced analysis of a match, totally unlike the usual drivel - "We were unlucky, it was definitely a penalty, it was definitely not a penalty, we deserved to win, they were lucky," etc. etc. etc.
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Burley4ever added 07:07 - Aug 17 From what I've seen so far this season K Mck is the best manager this once great club has had since Burley. The players seem to want to play for the club instead of recent year's when it seemed a chore. Since the change of ownership and the inspirational appointment of KMck town look more like a team that want to go as far to the top as they can.
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MickMillsTash added 07:40 - Aug 17 McKenna says that we have to show some humility to get 3points - So much sense, this league has many teams who will put the 'My garden shed' teams to the sword if they turn up thinking the 3 points are already in the bag. Burton came to play, they had a surprising high line and caused us problems - but we were overcoming them after the first 30 Great win - some learns.. Be Lucky, the opposition can not press all game, keep hold of the ball for a few minutes when we are under pressure. Walton is playing 2 leagues below his level. some top defending by Donacien. Liked the pass we played from Walton to Harness in centre field that was played a few times and got us on the turn.

4

Bazza8564 added 08:02 - Aug 17 McKenna is pure class. The game has moved on so much since the Ramsey and Robson eras, we are lucky to have him, the abiloty to get the best out of sides in games like that is quality. We haven't seen that in generations. One game at a time but there is no doubt we are building something special
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SpiritOfJohn added 08:05 - Aug 17 Brilliant interview. When did we last have a manager who could influence a game so much by making a few alterations at half time? With Kieran in charge I feel that the 5 sub rule is going to help us more than any other team in this league, as he has the players and the tactical nous to take full advantage. Still early days, but signs are looking good for us. This manager will keep the players grounded, but us supporters can dare to dream we could finally be on our way back...

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ringwoodblue added 08:12 - Aug 17 Very intelligent summary of the game from McKenna as usual. He didn't take Burton for granted despite their poor start to the season, he knew exactly how they would play and set us up to counter it. We rode our luck and nicked a winner which is all that matters. My only question is why play Jackson out of position? I thought we had recruited players who could play in a number of different positions to cover injuries and suspensions so why not put in a player who is more suited to replace Burns - like KVY or Harness and play Jackson or Chaplin more centrally? Jackson needs goals to build confidence and playing him out of position is not going to help him.

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Ipswichbusiness added 08:22 - Aug 17 Jackson played well for us last night and worked his socks off. However, he is a striker, not a right wing-back. If Burns isn't available for Saturday, I would start with KV-Y and bring Jackson on at 70, either along side Ladapo or in place of him, to use his pace against tiring defenders.
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dyersdream added 09:04 - Aug 17 Under other managers we would have lost that game
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Jugsy added 09:06 - Aug 17 A well contested game where we were good value for the win by the end. A typically Tuesday night fixture that we have normally struggled with and we had to play out of our comfort zones. I'd like to see Jackson lead the attack on Saturday given his second half showing. Ladapo battles, no doubt, but his touch is always heavy and he can't play with tight feet. Missed his 1 on 1 chance, looked more like a CB with a nose bleed in front of goal. The pressure is building for him unfortunately. Again, would love for him to be a success but you have to field your best players and for him, Jackson should play over him.

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IpswichToon added 09:35 - Aug 17 We only managed 2 wins in a row once last season, and here we are, 4 games in and already have 3 wins in a row under the belt!
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JewellintheTown added 09:49 - Aug 17 Wow, I thought we played Burton tonight but from the sounds of it we played Barcelona! This mentality of "tough" games really needs to be upped by players, club and fans if we ever want to survive in the Championship or even Premiership. If we keep on expecting to have a "tough" game and patting ourselves on the back we got a "good" result at 1-0 against Burton, then we really are going to struggle against actually tough teams in mentally tough situations. Forget previous seasons and excuses about "we'd have lost this last season" nonsense, we have progressed much more than that and should show respect to better players and team & manager by expecting our team not to lower their expectations so much. This is the best team we've had in years and more than capable of banging 4 goals in at Burton, not scraping a scrappy 1-0 win. I appreciate KM is trying to mentally build them all slowly and solidly, so I'm very happy with the direction he's taking us in and progress, but I do hope he can raise the bar of "toughness" and expectations as this potential quality team really should be expecting to give a stronger display and result. This isn't arrogance or disrespect to Burton, its respect and praise to our squad and their capabilities. Feels like from what's being said we're putting the youth out sometimes, not grown adult highly paid professionals with years experience and highly focussed skills. Win is great, but I'd like to see a raised bar from expectations leading to better results. We're doing great, but really can do so much better.

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yorkieblue62 added 10:04 - Aug 17 Not sure we can do much better than we are. Unrealistic to think you can beat all bottom half teams 4-0 every time. The important thing is we keep adapting to different types of game but essentially use the strength & versatility of our squad to impose our own style on other teams as much as possible. Every indication the manager will ensure this happens but there will be the odd blip. As long as it's just a blip!!

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