IT was always going to be the month that tested Ipswich Town’s mettle.

A daunting eight games in four weeks in March was meant to make or break Paul Jewell’s improving side.

Well it has certainly been the former with the Blues unbeaten in five this month going into tomorrow’s match at Watford (3pm ko).

Home wins against Bristol City, Peterborough and Burnley have been supplemented with decent draws at Southampton and Hull City to leave fans looking towards a top-ten finish at the end of April.

Some have even dared to dream of gate-crashing the play-offs and while that might be beyond the Blues, Jewell believes his in-form side have coped admirably with the demands of March.

Asked how he thought his side was coping with the gruelling fixture list, Jewell said: “I think when you are winning matches, you have less injuries because no one wants to get out of the team. If you are in a struggling team, injuries tend to mount up or the niggles become bigger things.

“We are going to get aches and pains this time of year and there are a few aching bodies. But I get the impression that everyone is lively. We have hit form and we want to continue that right up until the end of the season.”

Town face three more games before April kicks in – the visit to Watford followed up by home matches against Middlesbrough on Tuesday and then Barnsley next Saturday.