Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy believes tonight’s 2-0 home win over newly-relegated Burnley shows just how far his side has come in the last two years.

Freddie Sears and David McGoldrick scored quickfire second half goals – in the 64th and 71st minutes respectively – to settle a closely-contested match in which both teams had nullified each other.

It maintained Town’s unbeaten start to the campaign, seven points from a possible nine putting them top of the early Championship table ahead of Saturday’s trip to Preston and further fuelled belief that the club can improve on last season’s sixth-place finish.

“It was a good result and a good performance,” said McCarthy. “We got away with them hitting the post (in the seventh minute), that could have made it a whole lot different and was fortunate on our part.

“I think it was two good, solid, strong, powerful teams going head-to-head and it was a case of who blinked first.

“Eighteen months ago we had the same here (against Burnley). I thought we had a good share of that game, but we lost because (Scott) Arfield scored with a header. It was the one bit of quality from them, but tonight we’ve shown that – certainly with Freddie’s goal.”

Informed that his side had gone top of the table, he quipped: “Forty-three to go! Roll on May! It’s better to be there than bottom of the league, but there are still a lot of games to be played.

“We haven’t got a squad of 24/25, I don’t want that anyway, but what I’ve got I’m delighted with.”

It could have been a perfect start, had it not been for those two goals conceded in stoppage-time at Brentford on the opening weekend of the campaign.

“I haven’t forgotten that,” said McCarthy. “I’ve got to forget it but I can’t. Middlesbrough were pegged back late on tonight (at Derby), it happens, and we’ll do it to someone else at some point. I hope it doesn’t happen to us again though because it’s a real sickening feeling.

“The pleasant thing is that we’ve won three games since then so it didn’t affect us.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy revealed that Ryan Fraser and Daryl Murphy were substituted with a jarred knee and tight calf respectively and will be fully assessed tomorrow.

On Fraser, he said: “Hopefully it will settle down overnight.”