Ipswich Town: Leif Davis says Blues wanted revenge on Plymouth Argyle

The Blues finished in second place, just two points behind Steven Schumacher’s champions, who picked up four points from their two games against Kieran McKenna's side last season.

However, Town have adapted to life in the Championship much better, moving up to 34 points with a 3-2 win against the Pilgrims at Portman Road.

“It was a good game to be a part of today,” Davis said after the match.

“I think, because of last year, we wanted to get one over them. They obviously scored a last-minute equaliser against us when we were at home and they beat us away at their place, so it felt good to get the three points and to get the three goals as well.

“They’re a good team, which is why they came up with us as well. They’ve got some very good players.

“As you’ve seen, they went 1-0 up early doors with a great finish. They’re a very good team, but we weren’t at our best in the first half, I don’t think, yet we still created a lot of chances. We should’ve been ahead a bit more.

Davis admitted that Ipswich weren't at their best against the Pilgrims (Image: Ross Halls)

“At the end of the day, we got the three points, however it was.”

Ipswich have carved teams apart at times this season, especially at home, where they scored 18 goals before putting three past Plymouth.

Yet in the first half, they really struggled, looking lethargic against a side who seemingly knew exactly what to expect, which Davis knew would be a risk.

“It’s just how teams come at us,” he explained.

“Teams set up a lot different against us. We still play our nice football, getting through the pitch quick and getting a lot of chances, but I think we just didn’t solve the game plan early on in the game. It took a while to find out what it was.

“When we came in at half-time, the boss was telling us where the spaces were on the screen. When we saw it, it worked in the second half and I think we created a lot of chances.”

There was always going to be a bit of extra spice going into the clash, with both sets of fans building up a small rivalry over the course of last season while battling Sheffield Wednesday for automatic promotion.

Davis praised Plymouth after yesterday's win at Portman Road (Image: Steve Waller)

Davis admitted that yesterday’s win was extra sweet, but in the grand scheme of things, the most important thing was picking up three points to maintain their cushion on the chasing pack.

“We just concentrated on our own game,” he admitted.

“We said yesterday and today that we’d like to get one over them, and we did, we got the three points.

“We just focus on ourselves and the games. Before the games, we don’t worry about other teams, we just concentrate on ourselves and do what the things that we do right.”

The aforementioned buffer is, of course, the big talking point around Ipswich and beyond, as national interest lingers on Portman Road with eyes on whether or not the Blues can sustain their challenge for consecutive promotions.

That interest can often translate into pressure, which subsequently leads to poor performances and results, but Davis isn’t fearful, stressing that everyone at the club is purely focused on the next game and nothing else.

“It’s nice to be where we are in the league, but it’s early doors still,” he stated. “There’s plenty of games to go.

Kieran McKenna is making sure that his players don't focus too much on the league table (Image: Ross Halls)

“We don’t get overexcited with these things. We might have a look at the table, but it doesn’t effect the way we concentrate in training, give everything we do, work hard on the training pitch and work hard out there.

“For me, it’s easy [to block the outside noise]. I don’t really look through social media that much and I don’t think the lads do either.

“We’ve got a great bunch of lads and everyone had their heads screwed on properly. No one comes into training talking about what position we’re in or wherever we are.

“Everyone comes in, wants to graft hard in training and keep learning from the boss. Him helping us will obviously make us fly even more.”

It helps that Ipswich have a player like Davis, who can seemingly register assists in even the toughest of circumstances. The left-back struggled at times against Plymouth, yet he ended up creating six chances, setting up goals for both George Hirst and Marcus Harness, assisting the former.

“It’s always nice to help the forward men score, whoever it is.

“I’m not too bothered about that, I’m more bothered about the three points at the end of the day, if we’re winning games, but it’s also nice to grab assists. I’ve got to do my job at both ends of the pitch.

Davis ranks among the top in the Championship for chance creation (Image: Stephen Waller)

“On the heat map, I might be the highest man at times, but that’s the way we play and that’s how I like to play, getting up and down the pitch, and creating chances for the team.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest role on the pitch, having to run all day, but I really, really enjoy putting the yards in for the team.

“It’s one of those positions where I can pick up a lot of balls and deliver them into the box, just playing nice passes, like I did for Hirsty. I wasn’t even that high for his goal, to be fair, I just saw him move up and thought ‘I’ll clip it, I’ll beat the man’.

“I just put it into an area where I thought he’d get on the end of it, and he got on the end of it and scored a great goal.”

Performances on the pitch are one thing, but having the right support is another.

Fans have packed out Portman Road while travelling hundreds of miles to back the team, and Davis says it doesn’t go unnoticed among the squad.

“They’ve been incredible all year," he said. "They were incredible throughout last season as well.

Town players have regularly cited the club's supporters as a big reason for their impressive form (Image: Pagepix Limited)

“Big credit to them. They come every Saturday and every midweek game, travelling here, there and everywhere, all over the country.

“We know it’s a good shift, even when we’re travelling. They do it on the day and we do it the day before! Fair play for doing that for this incredible club.

“They’re like the 12th man for us, home and away. They sing all the way through the game and keep us there in the game, like today when we went behind. They were still singing and chanting away.

“That’s what pushed us on to get the goals.”