Town boss Kieran McKenna felt his team got their just rewards after defeating a stubborn Cambridge United side 3-0 at Portman Road, Kyle Edwards netting twice following fellow sub Tyreece John-Jules’s opener, with all the goals coming in the final 18 minutes.

“A good night’s work, difficult game, as we thought it would be,” McKenna said. “Of course, lots of similarities to last year in terms of their set-up.

“They came to frustrate and defend in numbers and did it very well, very well organised, a very athletic team so it was a challenge.

“We needed to be really patient. Of course, if you don’t get the early goal, which we could have got, it’s a night where you need to find a right balance.

“You have to find the balance between being patient but being aggressive by taking risks but not giving the ball away cheaply and bringing the team onto you.

“And maybe most importantly you need to make sure that your discipline is really good at the other end, you don’t give away set plays, don’t give away too many cheap first and second balls and give them opportunities and momentum in the game, and I thought we did all of those things well.

“I thought we managed to keep the energy positive on the pitch, I thought the energy in the stands was good. I thought the crowd understood the context of the game and the challenge that the players had and stuck with it, and we got our just rewards in the end.”

As during Saturday’s 3-2 home victory over Portsmouth, Town’s subs turned the match after the game had gone through a flat spell.

“I think it reflects well on the culture in the group at the moment,” McKenna reflected. “I think the players all know that the players who start the game have the responsibility to lead the team, especially the attackers lead the attack, play at a really, really high intensity on and off the ball.

“And when teams come to defend in numbers, there’s not always going to be lots of big chances and lots of spaces early in the game, but if we play with that level of intensity, aggression and keep working the defenders then it’s really hard to do that for 90 minutes.

“So the players that come on at times will be the ones who capitalise and have a little bot more space and are up against tired defenders and they might be the ones that get the goals.

“And, of course, it proved that way on Saturday with Tyreece playing up front and putting in a really strong performance on and off the ball and Freddie [Ladapo] comes on and then has the opportunity to score.

“And it worked tonight with Freddie who put in a really good all-round performance, thought he led the line on the ball, I thought his counter pressure was fantastic tonight, which really helped us to sustain the attacks and worked really well for the team.

“And, of course, then the boys who came on have got a tired defence and tired players to go against and that makes it easier to find that little bit of space.

“Credit to the group for that for their mindset and strong culture in terms of trying to support the group and knowing that your role will sometimes will be a starter, sometimes will be a substitute and that those roles have equal importance in the team.”

Quizzed on whether Kyle Edwards meant his first goal, a left-footed cross-shot from the right, McKenna laughed: “He’s saying no comment! I’ll stick with his line.”

Edwards has had a frustrating time since joining the Blues in the summer of 2021, having not been involved during McKenna’s early period as boss, then suffering an injury which sidelined him for the final months of last season.

However, the former West Brom man has hit his straps over the last couple of weeks, making a big impression against Pompey, then adding his first goals for the club this evening.

“Delighted for him, there’s nothing better really in the job that seeing players behind the scenes working really hard at their game, trying to develop themselves mentally and tactically and physically and technically, and having to be patient and then getting the rewards that he’s had in the last period of time,” McKenna continued.

“The players are delighted for him because they see how he’s been working and see his performances in training and the increasing improvement in those and he’s a very popular character in the club and in the stands as well obviously from tonight.

“He gives us something different, has different qualities to the rest of the group and we know he can be an important player for us.

“Happy for him and, of course, it’s another positive step but he’ll be the first to say, I’m sure, that it’s about pushing on now and maintaining that hard work that he’s been putting in and trying to keep gaining momentum in his performances in training and his momentum in games and if he can keep doing that, then hopefully we can see him start to fulfil some of his talent and be a really important player for us.”

Cambridge head coach Mark Bonner wasn’t too downcast despite the defeat.

“I’m only disappointed because we lost but our season isn’t going to be defined by nights like this,” he said.

“Anyone who finishes above Ipswich this season will have done well. They’re a brilliant team flooded with excellent players so it’s no disgrace at all for us.

“I thought we worked our socks off in that game and it’s sounds silly to work so hard and lose 3-0.

“We were awkward and it was really difficult for them to create chances and I thought we did that really well and then in the second half we end up a bit deep and they get lots of numbers round the ball, which made it difficult for us to get out.

“The goals were all a bit unfortunate but they came about as a consequence of the pressure they applied.

“Our organisation and work ethic was very good but you know when you come here you are going to have to make quite a lot out of quite a little.

“We had a few big players missing and we weren’t able to gain control for long enough.

“Ipswich got stronger as the game went on and the clock just didn’t tick fast enough in the second half!”

He added: “I hope this doesn't sound too pessimistic but if we come here 10 times we might win once and I think we used that trump card last season.”

Photo: TWTD

FromReuserWithLove added 23:21 - Oct 4 They worked their socks off! Para repeated Phil H.
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Bazza8564 added 23:23 - Oct 4 Bonner is a good guy and he gets it. Our relentless energy paid huge dividends tonight, yes there was a bit of fortune with teh goals but to be fair, on another night and with decent luck and better crossing we could have been 3 up at half time. I loved this performance, I remember Jamie Carragher doing an interview once about how much more tiring football is when you don't have the ball. Thats a massive ingredient for me this season, we really are making teams suffer......

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ipswichboi added 23:24 - Oct 4 Super management. Fkn love KMcK
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churchmans added 23:27 - Oct 4 Honest reply from Mark bonner! If they set up like they did tonight against us when they play pompey,Wednesday,plymouth ect it will bode well for us as I don't think the other teams will break them down like we did tonight
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SitfcB added 23:36 - Oct 4 Fair play to Bonner, respect.
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Gforce added 23:50 - Oct 4 Nice words from Bonner,fair play,unlike certain other managers this season.
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Linkboy13 added 23:51 - Oct 4 A nice team selection headache for McKenna on Saturday. Morsy looked tired tonight but is so pivotal to our success is one player that's not being rotated. Is Edwards best used as an impact player off the bench or can he have the same success starting a game.
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PhilTWTD added 00:04 - Oct 5 _81 Cheers. Amended.
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Wallingford_Boy added 00:08 - Oct 5 Morsy will be missing a game soon through suspension, so keep playing him until that point.
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Mariner1974 added 00:41 - Oct 5 I thought Morsy came alive when Evans was introduced. A real zip in his play for the final half an hour, knowing he could trust Evans to back him up. Not to say Dom Ball didn't have a good first half. Just Morsy has that experience of playing with Evans over time, and knows he's covered. Loved that Edwards got his chance to shine. He looked like our best trickster when he first arrived, so have always crossed my fingers he'd get his confidence back and come good. Can be a great impact player for us.

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Suffolkboy added 01:35 - Oct 5 Not for a long time have I seen ITFC so inventive,enthusiastic, agressive and committed as a unit ! All the first half lacked was goals to complement the fizz and hard work of KM's Bluewarriors : but we couldn't find the determination and sharpness in the box which out- field play deserved . Once again the timing of the substitutions proved perfect ; Edwards showed hunger and athleticism on the left which had been missing ,and Evans brought about a much more effective and dominant partnership with Morsy .We are also technically so so much better equipped ! CU could not match our renewed vigour and invention and it was a true pleasure to have a testing road trip from Kent so rewarded ! Well done everyone ! COYB

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Saxonblue74 added 06:49 - Oct 5 I'm not sure Bonner would be gaining the same respect had we not managed to win that game! More spoiling and time wasting, even at 3:0 down!! 26k+ people plus Ifollowers don't pay to watch that. I get it, they can't set up to beat us, but "win 1 in 10" against us? Not anymore! We're in a different class to them, and a different class to ourselves over the last 10 years+.

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SpiritOfJohn added 07:21 - Oct 5 Bonner makes some good points, but it will be even harder for teams to sit deep against us this season as KM has honed his tactics for these opponents. Also, the possible introduction of five subs has tipped the balance in the favour of the attacking team. Edwards could perform a similar role to Bobby Petta under George Burley - a player who could unlock tight defences.

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BlueRuin69 added 07:27 - Oct 5 Cannot blame Cambridge for parking the bus, if they took us on they would get trashed, up to us to break them down and we did! Coyb
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Ipswichbusiness added 08:25 - Oct 5 We have completed the first quarter of the season and it's looking good. We are in second place, we are the top scorers in the League and our defensive record is respectable. The summer signings have settled in well and the injury and discipline records are good. The only two disappointing results are drawing with Bolton rather than beating them and losing to Plymouth when we should have come away with a draw. I think that the bottom line is that if we can continue to average two points per game (we are exceeding that) then automatic promotion should be a certainty.

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Cakeman added 08:59 - Oct 5 Yes we did get our just rewards in the end but it was touch and go if we did. We just have to get out of this league if that is how the likes of Cambridge are going to set up against us. They basically stifled midfield as the they did not mark players but marked the spaces instead. Almost zonal marking higher up the pitch which made for drab viewing. Thankfully not all teams will do that against us and not so long back I recall unfancied Bristol Rovers coming here and at least they gave it a good go which did provide an enjoyable game. I certainly don't want to see any more performances like Cambridge put up.

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BobbyBell added 10:39 - Oct 5 When teams park the bus they are looking for a set play or a deflected long range effort as their chance to nick the points. How many times has that happened to us in the past. This time we got the lucky break to get our first goal and it was deserved. Cambridge did their jobs well but we just had too much for them. The third goal was the best for me because of the sheer speed with which Edwards ran onto the ball and his skill to place it in the corner. Imagine if all our players attacked a lose ball with such speed.

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docsavage52 added 11:11 - Oct 5 See Bonner didn't waste a lot of time on his interview, unlike his team.
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PhilR added 16:55 - Oct 5 Sensible remarks from both Managers. Quite right that our possession wore them down and created space later in the game. An excellent performance by the team. KM is right that there is a balance to be struck between caution and risk taking in attack - my feeling is that sometimes we are a little too reluctant to take players on or put balls in behind the defence, preferring just to keep possession. The first goal, which changed the game, was about the first time the winger really got behind the defender, with defenders retreating facing their own goal at pace, and that is what got us the goal. Excellent though, and lots of very winnable games coming up.

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