IPSWCH team captain Gareth McAuley today revealed that the Blues needed no motivating for last night's 3-1 Championship win over outplayed Bristol City at Portman Road.

Elvin King

IPSWCH team captain Gareth McAuley today revealed that the Blues needed no motivating for last night's 3-1 Championship win over outplayed Bristol City at Portman Road.

“We watched a replay of Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Norwich City and it was even more embarrassing than it seemed at the time,” said the 29-year-old central defender. “It was a real video nasty.

“We watched it together at the training ground, and like a number of players I took a copy home and watched it again.

“We owed it to ourselves to improve on that. There were so many things that we did not do and it was not nice looking at it.

“It told us a few home truths and could prove a turning point.”

Three goals in seven minutes early in the second half from Jon Walters, Pablo Counago an own goal by Liam Fontaine saw Ipswich hit back after going behind to a fourth minute Stern John goal.

The one black mark was a straight red card for Alex Bruce - his second dismissal of the campaign - that will see him having to sit on the sidelines until the New Year as he serves a four-match ban.

Striker Counago was the star of the show for a Town side that failed to score in the opening half despite having 11 shots on target. And McAuley says that the Spaniard is the best striker in the division.

“I have played against him and he has always been a handful,“ said McAuley. “On his day he is the best of his type in the division and he was our star man last night.

“He took his goal so well although he took the ball off my head to do so. He could not have placed the ball any better.”

And McAuley was pleased with the way his team fought back after conceding an early goal.

He said: “We kept on playing and their keeper kept making great saves. In the end we ran out fully deserved winners.

“The attendance figure was down on the normal figure, but that was to be expected and hopefully we can attract more for Saturday's game where we must carry on in the same style.

“We showed dogged determination and a high tempo, and mixed things up with the odd long ball as well as passing through the middle.”