Ipswich Town's Marcus Harness was a happy man after he opened his goal-scoring account for the Blues.

The 26-year-old striker, who joined Town from Portsmouth this summer, got his first goal of the new campaign at New Lawn yesterday, as the Blues picked up their first League One win of the season.

It was a good result for Kieran McKenna's team, in a game they mainly dominated, after Harness and Sam Morsy had put them 2-0 up at the break. However, there were a few sticky moments for the visitors after Josh March pulled one back midway through the second half for Forest Green.

"It's good to get the first win," Harness said.

"A few of the lads in the group said last season they could see us not taking a win from that game. Obviously I wasn't here last season, but it showed a lot to stay strong in those last nine minutes that were added.

"It's a good three points, I think we can improve in some areas but we are happy."

"Two-nil is a tough scoreline, it's always a fine line between getting another goal and the game being killed, if they get a goal the game can change completely.

"Christian Walton has had to make two amazing saves to keep us in it, and we can see where we need to improve still."

Harness is beginning to settle into life in Suffolk and he knows it's a quality squad he has come into.

"It's been tough for me coming into the team, into such a well-oiled machine where some of the patterns of play are so good, some of the quality throughout the squad is so good, it's taken me a little bit of time to settle in, but today I felt a lot more comfortable.

"The quality throughout the squad and on the bench in this Ipswich team wouldn't look out of place in the Championship, I don't think. There's a lot of expectation and pressure to come in and play well."

But Harness getting his first goal of the season was a nice thing to happen for him.

"Scoring takes the edge off things, definitely," he said.

"I still think I could contribute a lot more than I have done so far, but I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself. Settling in takes time. I'm here for a long time hopefully."

He also paid tribute to the travelling Town fans who made the long trip to Gloucestershire.

"The fans were amazing, it was amazing support coming all this way. It's a pleasure to play in front of them," he added.

"Pressure is a privilege, you have to look at it that way and not let it wear you down.

"Games like today can be very difficult. For them it's a free hit really. There was really no pressure for them to get anything out of the game, it's their first at this level at home so it can be difficult games to come to.

"We have done well to get three points. Last year, the manager was talking how we'd only taken four points from the teams that came up from League Two. Well we've got three on the board from the first game."

Town are at home to Colchester United on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, before entertaining MK Dons at Portman Road on Saturday.

East Anglian Daily Times: Town manager Kieran McKenna at Forest Green Rovers.Town manager Kieran McKenna at Forest Green Rovers. (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976935738)