Kieran McKenna hails ‘good day’s work’ as Ipswich thump Wycombe

Posted Saturday, April 08, 2023 by PA

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna insisted his side’s 4-0 win over Wycombe was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests.

First-half goals from George Hirst and Conor Chaplin and second-half strikes from Wes Burns and Freddie Ladapo with a penalty earned Town their eighth league win on the trot as they moved above Sheffield Wednesday into second place.

McKenna said: “It was a good day’s work in the end. It wasn’t an easy game. Of course it looks like a comfortable win in the end, but we know as a group it’s all the little details and the sacrifice and the work that goes into winning any game in this league.

“We are just happy to come through it with a good result and a good performance.

“It took us a little bit of time at the start of the game. Wycombe put one or two extra defensive-minded players in the team and set up in a way to make it difficult for us and it wasn’t easy and we had to be patient, trying to find a solution, find the spare man and the ways we could hurt the back line.

“But we did that better as the half went on and of course when you get the first goal from the set-play that’s always a great start at home and from there we pushed on.”

Hirst headed in the opener from a Leif Davis corner in the 38th minute and Chaplin added a second just before the break.

Burns made it 3-0 after 57 minutes and Ladapo made it four from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

Wanderers boss Matt Bloomfield hailed Ipswich as the “best team” in League One

He said: “It was a tough day. I think unfortunately we ran into the best team in the division on a particularly good day.

“Their recent results and performances would suggest that and that’s what happened today.

“I felt half-an-hour into the game we were kind of finding our way, getting a foothold into the game. I thought the shape was working, we were building ourselves into the game, which is what we needed to do.

“I think it would have been easy for us to roll over early on, but I thought we stood firm and obviously the nature of the first goal put us on the back foot.

“Once you give away a goal like that you hold firm until half-time, regroup and come out ready for the second half, but unfortunately we conceded that second just before half-time which takes the game away from you.”