Kieran McKenna says there was ‘a lot of tension’ in Ipswich’s first-half display

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna admitted his side struggled to get going before running out 3-1 winners over crisis club Sheffield Wednesday.

Goals from Cedric Kipre, Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke lifted Town up to third place in the Championship, with Liam Cooper replying for Wednesday.

The hosts took advantage of Millwall and Preston dropping points earlier in the day, while Middlesbrough’s defeat at Bristol City left Ipswich five points off the automatic promotion places.

Kipre’s header from a corner after 33 minutes was all that separated the sides at the break and McKenna said: “The two halves were different really.

“The first half was certainly a lot of tension in the performance.

“I thought the first 10 minutes were pretty positive and we had a chance with George (Hirst) and then we made a couple of mistakes to bring them back into the game.

“There was a succession of set-plays that they have the ball where we don’t want it to be, close to our goal, and we struggled to get rhythm and confidence in the game at that point and it was a tense first half.

“Good to get the goal from a set-play. Really good for Cedric and for the group and of course that puts us in a good position going into half-time.

“We knew we had to play better in the second half and I thought we did and I thought for the most part we played really well, created lots and lots of big chances, should have had more goals.

“But there was a spell in the second half where we missed some big chances for the third goal, then we concede a big chance and a goal straight after on a set-play and a game that you should have killed off is alive again.

“You can never be confident at 2-1 so everyone is happy to see the third one go in and happy with the three points and lots to take from it.”

Henrik Pedersen was delighted with Wednesday’s performance.

He said: “I am really, really proud. To go to Ipswich, I think they are the best squad in the league, and to give a performance with this courage, this belief, this discipline, with this togetherness, then I can only be proud.

“How we played first half, it was one of the better halves we have played this season.

“Second half it was a tough period, but we are coming back after (going) 2-0 (down), we stayed together and had courage for our press and had courage to play with risk, but to beak a team down like Ipswich you have to play passes with risk and this cost us two times today.”