IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell is keeping the secret of his success to himself.

He leads his side into Championship action again Hull City at Portman Road today (kick-off 3pm) looking to gain his 16th point from the last six games.

Compared to the results his predecessor Roy Keane achieved prior to a change of manager in early January it is a complete transformation with talk having switched from Ipswich being relegation candidates to having a chance of reaching the play-offs.

When asked what secret formula he has Jewell replied: “I’m not telling you.”

But what Jewell has done is to put a smile back on the faces of everybody at Portman Road – supporters included – and he expanded on the reason for the upward trend.

“There is no magic formula,” he went on.

“When you are getting results confidence increases and this is not down to me but the players.

“We have perhaps enjoyed some luck since I’ve been here –and you can say that you earn your good fortune.

“I’ve tried to get the players to enjoy their football and to look forward training and to games.

“And when you are winning you do that.

“The players showed character to come from behind to beat Doncaster at home and Derby away, and also to get over a last-ditch equaliser at Barnsley and achieve a 6-0 win at Doncaster.

“At the interval on Tuesday we were 3-0 ahead yet the players were debating amongst themselves what had gone on the pitch.

“And this is what I want to bring – a desire and a professionalism.

“I’m pleased with the progress an increase in confidence has brought, but there is a long way to go.

“The pleasing thing is that the players feel the same way.”

One player who has come in from the cold to play a leading role is Lee Martin with Jewell adding:

“Lee has perhaps had a chance that he had not been given before. I called him back from Charlton where he was on loan and he has given us something different – pace that we never had at Millwall in my first game in charge.

“He might not be the best tackler in the world but Lee has a terrific work rate.

“I ask all my players to work hard and lee has the legs and the energy to get up and down the pitch.”

Jewell is trying to bring in a couple of players on loan, but experienced Aston Villa defender Habib Beye decided he wanted to stay with the Premier League club having been targeted by Jewell.