Kieran McKenna was delighted with his Ipswich fighters after their first win in five Championship games kept their hold – just – on the automatic promotion slots.
The last few weeks have been tough for McKenna’s side. It has certainly been his most difficult spell as a Championship manager.
Injuries played their part in a run of four league games without a win and after last season’s promotion from League One, some began to wonder whether the Ipswich juggernaut had run out of steam.
But while there was little of the free-flowing football we have come to expect from them against promotion rivals Sunderland, they ground out a win thanks to another goal from stand-in captain Conor Chaplin – who headed from a free-kick from assist machine Leif Davis.
‘It feels like a big win but nothing to do with drawing three games over Christmas,’ said McKenna. ‘That’s normal, especially for a newly promoted team. There’s going to be a spell where you don’t win games.
Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich moved back up to second place with a hard-fought win
