Alan Judge can feel Ipswich Town growing in confidence but knows the Blues should have been performing better prior to their recent resurgence.

The Irishman, who has been excellent throughout the opening two months of 2021, cracked home a stunning free-kick to set his side on the way to a 2-1 victory over Doncaster before James Norwood ultimately scored the winner at Portman Road.

The result caps a good week for the Blues, who drew 0-0 with Oxford and beat Hull 1-0 to fire themselves firmly back into the promotion mix.

Judge knows, though, they should be higher than their current eighth position.

East Anglian Daily Times: Alan Judge celebrates giving Town a 1-0 first half lead from a free kick.Alan Judge celebrates giving Town a 1-0 first half lead from a free kick. (Image: Steve Waller)

“It was big,” he said. “We’re only two points outside now and we can’t rest on it because there are a lot of big games coming.

“We’re had some big players come back for us – James Wilson and Toto (Nsiala) are back and you can’t deny how big they’ve been for us. Kenny (Myles Kenlock) has come in and has been great. We have strength in depth.

“Maybe it’s a bit of back to basics but we should have been doing this earlier on in the season and that’s down to the players.

“We are two points off the top six but we just have to keep taking the games as they come. There’s no point drawing against Oxford, beating Hull and then not taking it on.

“We’re maybe getting that bit of luck – they had two off the line and hit the post – but we had chances as well and looked a threat.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Alan Judge scores from a first half are kick to give Town a 1-0 lead.Alan Judge scores from a first half are kick to give Town a 1-0 lead. (Image: Steve Waller)

On his free-kick, his third goal of the year, Judge said: “I played with Ellery (Balcombe, Doncaster keeper) at Brentford so I was used to putting a few in in training.

“I knew I like to go over the wall and, luckily enough, I side-stepped, went the other way and it went in. It felt like it took an age to go in but it was nice to see it hit the back of the net.

“We have so many games at the moment that you feel you don’t get time to work on them at the training ground but it’s something I’ve always worked on. I’m used to scoring a few and I was lucky this one came off.

“I should have scored more but I just want to keep going and take each game as it comes.”