WE DON’T MIND THE GAP AT ALL
A fortnight without games is perfect tonic for Tractor Boys’ promotion push
IPSWICH v MIDDLESBRO’ Portman Road: KO 3pm
BY IAN WINROW AND IAN MURTAGH
KIERAN MCKENNA says the looming two-week break will give a huge boost to Ipswich’s promotion ambitions.
The Tractor Boys will sign off for a fortnight after today’s clash with Middlesbrough.
Mckenna’s side have no midweek fixtures for the next two weeks and next Saturday’s meeting with Coventry has been shifted to
April 30 because of the
Sky Blues’ FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester United.
The Ipswich boss believes the rest will only help his side’s bid to secure a toptwo finish. He said: “We’re seeing it as a positive. Go back to international week and we had Kieffer Moore (below) and Nathan Broadhead involved in two huge games with Wales, Kieffer playing 120 minutes.
“Five games in quick succession, especially with the level and intensity of the games and the competitiveness of every game, that has been a big challenge.
“A good challenge and we enjoy it, but I’m confident we’ll benefit from the break, we’ll come back stronger. Not just, hopefully, having some players back involved who aren’t available at the moment, but also the players who have been playing lots of games will really benefit from it.
“We’ll try and use the period as well as we can. We’ve got a really clear week ahead of us. And we know it’s three games after that. Three tough games, three good games, but I’m sure we’ll be in a strong position after the break to really attack those games.”
Mckenna is in no doubt about the threat posed by a Middlesbrough side battling to get into the top six. He added: “They’ve got lots of things to admire as a football team and, realistically, where they’re at in the campaign, they know they need to win games.
“They might need to win all their games, so we know they’re going to come here, give it everything and leave it all out there.”
Matt Clarke is adamant Boro’s play-off push still has legs, despite a six-point gap to the top six.
Boro head to Ipswich unbeaten in eight games but having dropped two points at Hull on Wednesday.
Clarke said: “You have to believe the opening is still there for us.
“Everyone expects the top teams to keep winning, but that’s not been the case. We’re on a good streak and we’re desperate to keep it going. We go to Ipswich believing we can win.”