Kieran McKenna hailed Ipswich Town’s response as they bounced back from Saturday’s 5–3 defeat to Wrexham with a composed 2–0 win at Watford.
The manager said the reaction was exactly what he wanted to see, praising the team’s intensity and aggression.
“It was a really strong performance,” he said. “I really enjoyed the way the boys went about it tonight.”
“Our intensity, our duels, our aggression were really good; that’s the absolute starting point for any game in this division.”
Town built pressure throughout the first half and were rewarded when Sindre Walle Egeli fired home after Marcelino Núñez’s free‑kick deflected off the wall.
McKenna felt the tempo and sharpness were key, helped by the surface at Vicarage Road.
“I thought we played with a really good tempo in the first half,” he said. “The pitch helped — probably the best we’ve played on since Coventry. You can move the ball quickly, trust your touch and your ball speed.”
Despite Watford’s back five, Ipswich created enough openings to earn its lead.
Watford improved after the break, but McKenna was impressed with how his side managed the game while still searching for a second goal.
“They were always going to push on in the second half, and you know you have to stand up to that,” he explained.
“We wanted the clean sheet, and we wanted the second goal, but we had to find the balance. The subs really helped with that.”
George Hirst eventually doubled the advantage from Jacob Greaves’ cutback, before Christian Walton preserved the clean sheet with a late penalty save, a moment McKenna called “a great lesson” for the group.
After conceding five at the weekend, McKenna stressed the importance of returning to defensive basics. “It’s really unlike us to concede those goals, but it’s football and it’s the Championship,” he said.
“When you concede like that, you want to get back to clean sheets, and that’s one of the most pleasing things tonight.”
He highlighted the dominance in duels as a key reminder of what underpins Ipswich’s performances.
The win narrows the gap to second‑placed Middlesbrough and restores momentum at a crucial stage of the season.
McKenna confirmed that Leif Davis missed the match after picking up a heavy knock in the defeat at Wrexham.
The left‑back was a surprise absentee, but the manager revealed there was never any realistic chance of him featuring.
“Leif is struggling from a heavy knock just above his knee,” he said. “Absolutely no chance for today, and we’ll have to see how he is over the next few days.”
Jacob Greaves stepped in at left‑back and impressed, providing the assist for Hirst’s goal. McKenna praised his adaptability, saying,
“He did really well. That’s probably two out of three games at left-back he’s done really well in this year. He can comfortably play that position very, very well, and he showed that tonight.”
The manager also offered an update on Jaden Philogene, who has been sidelined for over a month with an MCL injury and suffered a setback last week.
McKenna stressed that the winger’s recovery remains unpredictable.
“It’s not me being vague — it’s day-by-day,” he explained. “It’s a really delicate area, a really tricky injury. He’s made some progress and is back out on the grass, but we’ll have to keep assessing him day-by-day.”
