Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says his side's 2-1 comeback home win against Sunderland 'felt like a big victory' given the circumstances.

The Blues went into this game winless in five Championship games, out of the top-two thanks to Southampton's win earlier in the day and without four key players in Cameron Burgess, Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo and striker George Hirst.

Jack Clarke smashed the Blacks Cats in front from the edge of the box (26), but Kayden Jackson's cool finish (33) drew things level before captain for the night Conor Chaplin headed home the winner from a Leif Davis free-kick delivery (75).

"It feels like a big win and, honestly, that's nothing to do with the fact we drew three games in a row over Christmas," said McKenna.

"There's going to be a spell where you don't win games. That's normal for any team, certainly a newly-promoted team.

"But it does feel like a big win because we've gone from having a really settled 11 for over 12 months to making a lot of changes. In the QPR game here we had maybe seven players stepping in who hadn't played very much and some of them playing out of position.

"Again tonight, we've got a left centre-back, two pivots and a striker - that's basically your spine, your central connections on the ball - all gone.

"So it feels like a big win because we're missing players who've played regularly. We've got other people stepping into roles who are trying to develop.

"We weren't at our absolute most fluent on the ball, we're playing against a really good side and we go behind in the game. So when you come out of nights like that, showing the spirit that we did, on the right side of a hard fought game it feels like a big victory for sure."

Reflecting further on the action, the Blues boss said: "I thought it was a really good game, a tough game, against a good side with lots of talented players of a really high technical level.

"A really hard-fought, strong and committed performance was needed to get the win and that's what we gave. 

"It wasn't our smoothest performance in terms of some of our build-up and connections through the pitch, but that's normal and to be expected. Throughout the season you're not always going to be at your best, but obviously with the players we have missing things aren't always going to be as smooth as they are with players who have great familiarity.

"When you're not at your absolute highest level you have to show all the other ingredients - the commitment, the intensity, the running, the work rate for the team. We certainly showed all that, both from those who started and from those who came on.

"I thought we carried a threat throughout the game and had the better of the chances. It was great to get the winning goal from a set play.

"Overall, it was a good night, a good performance. Of course there are areas to improve, but that's natural and understandable. 

"It's really nice, of course, for the group and for the supporters to get the feeling of a victory. We've got nine days now back on the training pitch (ahead of a trip to league leaders Leicester a week on Monday)."

With Chaplin's headed winner having come from a Davis free-kick delivery, McKenna said: "The level of this game it was always going to be fine margins. When games are tight, so often set-pieces are the thing that makes the difference.

"We haven't scored one in a little while (in the league). And the only two games we've lost since August - Leeds and West Brom away - have been games where we've conceded early from a corner.

"So we know in big games set-plays make a massive difference. To win the game in a set play tonight is a big boost for the group."

When it was put to McKenna that it's unusual to see a 5ft 6in player score with his head, the Blues boss quipped: "I think I'll give him 5ft 7in! Look, Conor's a smaller player but he's really good in the air.

"He scores such a variety of goals - he can score from distance, he can score scruffy goals. A lot of the time he does like to stay out for cut-backs, but we've been speaking about him getting on the end of ones like that.

"I've seen him score headers for Portsmouth, Coventry and Barnsley. He can head a ball well. It's not always about size, it's about timing and movement and he's got that.

"It's great for him as captain tonight to step up with the winning moment."

On Massimo Luongo's absence, McKenna explained: "He rolled his ankle in a really unfortunate incident on Thursday. He'll be having scans this week to see the severity. We hope it's not very severe. There's certainly some swelling though and we was nowhere near it tonight."