Ipswich Town striker George Hirst believes that his side’s intensity in the first half helped them come from behind to beat Swansea City.
Jay Fulton’s early header put the visitors ahead at Portman Road, but three goals put the Blues into a commanding position, despite a late consolation goal setting up yet another nervy finale.
“We go 1-0 down in the first five minutes and it’s sort of backs-against-the-wall, or so it feels like. Then for the next 40 minutes of the first half, I thought we were absolutely outstanding,” Hirst said after the game.
“The intensity that we showed, the willingness to get back into the game, show what we’re good at and really assert ourselves on the game. That’s what got us back in it, and we go in at half-time 2-1 up.
“Then it’s about really going on and kicking on in the second half.”
The game wasn’t without any frustrations. Town started the game poorly, falling behind for the third time in the space of just seven days.
It’s become a running theme for Kieran McKenna’s side, and Hirst know that they need to fix it if they’re to maintain their impressive run of form.
“It’s obviously not ideal,” he admitted. “It’s something that we have to work on and we have been working on.
“It’s something that we definitely need to get better at because, especially in this division, you can’t afford to go and give yourself a mountain to climb every week or you’ll end up coming out on the wrong side of things.
“The fact that we’ve done that recently and still ended up getting results, with a couple of draws and a win today, shows the character within this squad. I think that’s credit to everyone.”
In a way, it’s been a frustrating season, yet he’s done an impressive job.
He hasn’t been a ruthless finisher in front of goal, yet his work rate and physicality have been immense, leading the line all by himself and doing all the hard yards to support his teammates.
“It probably looks more difficult, but that’s my job, that’s all I know,” he argued.
“For me, it’s my role in the team. It’s a lot of running and a lot of hard work, but then it’s the same for everyone else on the pitch.
“I don’t look at it as being any harder than anyone else’s job. That’s what I’ve been brought up learning and doing.
“For me, it’s second nature at times. If I can go out there and keep putting on performances that help the team, then great.”
That’s highlighted by his output in the final third, as he has four goals and four assists to his name so far this season.
It shows that his role within the team is unique, often holding up the ball to set up a teammate, like he did for Conor Chaplin’s goal against Michael Duff’s side yesterday afternoon.
“It’s probably the most assists I’ve had in a season so far, which is nice,” he said.
“That’s all part of my game. The ball is coming in to me a lot, so I’ve got to be strong and be a focal point for the team. If that means me bringing others into the game to score, then brilliant, that’s me doing my job.
“It’s not just about the goals. I obviously managed to get one today as well, which was nice, but for me, it’s all about the all-round performance.
“If I can keep setting people up as well as scoring myself, then we’re in a good place.”
One interesting quirk within the game was his goal, which came from Town’s first penalty since winning promotion to the Championship. In fact, the Blues hadn’t been awarded a spot-kick since April 25th, when Nathan Broadhead missed in a 3-0 win against Barnsley at Oakwell.
Hirst has been desperate for one ever since, having seen countless clear-cut claims waved away before Jack Taylor was brought to ground yesterday afternoon, presenting him with a golden opportunity.
“I’ve been on pens since the start of the season. It’s probably why we haven’t had that many! If Broady [Broadhead] or Chappers [Chaplin] had been on them, we probably would’ve had a few more, or so it feels.
“I think I’ve been due one. I think I’ve been owed a couple, and today I didn’t even see why we got given a pen! I just turned around and couldn’t have been happier that we did.
“It was just about me. A free shot from 12 yards out. It’s my job to go put that into the back of the net.”
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