Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna knows today's dramatic 3-2 home win against Championship promotion rivals Southampton is a game that will live long in the memory.

Portman Road was a cauldron of noise as, quite remarkably, the Blues once again came from behind and scored at the very death to edge a high-scoring thriller on Suffolk soil.

Town had led through Leif Davis' stunning strike, went into the break 2-1 down, hit the post through Ali Al-Hamadi, equalised through Nathan Broadhead, saw Saints defender James Bree dismissed and then won it through Jeremy Sarmiento's finish in 90+7.

"It was another brilliant day," beamed McKenna, whose side are back at the top of the Championship table ahead of a six game run-in that starts with a trip to Norwich City this Saturday.

"It was really high level match to be involved in. It was two teams that did so many good things. When you win it with a last minute winner like that it's a moment to really cherish.

"The winner was a great moment. I think everybody got a little bit lost in it - subs, staff. My radar still thinks there's 30 seconds still to go and that we have to get organised again. We've had it happen to us (conceding twice in stoppage-time at Cardiff), we've done it to Rotherham here a month ago (scoring a stoppage-time winner after being pegged back late on). You still have to see the last ball or two out. 

"It's a wonderful moment for everyone involved and one I'm sure everybody will remember for a long time.

"Scoring late is a good habit. It doesn't happen by chance. I've spoken about that before. A lot of work goes into it and it's a nice way to win a game."

With goals from Che Adams and Adam Armstrong having initially turned this game on its head, McKenna reflected: "We were pretty calm at half-time. I thought both teams gave each other problems. We gave them problems all game, especially with Leif on the left hand side, and they were giving us problems down our right hand side, overloading us really well.

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"We worked our goal well. They executed fantastically well on their two goals. We had a blow with Kieffer (Moore) coming off and that probably gave them the momentum for 10 minutes or so, but I think the feeling in the dressing room was there wasn't too much wrong with the performance and we just needed to regroup. There were some details we needed to adjust with our set-up and how they set-up against us. There were some details we needed to help Ali (Al-Hamadi) with.

"We knew we were in for a really good second half. We knew there were still going to be spells, and there were spells, where Southampton would be in the ascendancy  and we would have to defend our goal and block shots and make saves because they're too good of a team not to have spells like that. We also knew we would have a threat, would be capable of scoring goals and that the subs would be able to make an impact and our fitness would carry through to the last minute. 

"The half-time was relaxed, focused and we knew we still right in the game."

On Sarmiento's winner, which came after he initially lost his footing in the box, the Blues boss joked: "He had a few slips when he came on, so he'd probably have been getting criticised about his footwear if he hadn't have toe poked that in! He reacted really, really well.

"One of the big targets for him in this loan was to get in the box better and find a way to make his goal tally better. He's come up with a few big moments for us."

Town have now won nine of their last 10 games, this result coming fresh off the back of a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Blackburn on Good Friday.

"It's taken an incredible effort," said McKenna. "It was a tough game away to Blackburn off the back of international duty. We were late back Friday night, Southampton are a really, really difficult team to prepare for, I have to say. This was one of the most thorough preparations we've had to go through. Then they can still give you different problems in different ways. 

"It took a big, big effort from everyone over the weekend staff-wise to prepare the players physically and tactically. For the players to keep the energy, keep the spirit and keep the focus and go again was massive too."

Asked how significant beating a promotion rival, in this fashion, at this stage of the season, might prove to be, McKenna replied: "Honestly I've not thought about the table apart from everyone asking me about it since the game ended! 

"A full stadium, terrific atmosphere, fantastic team, going toe-to-toe against a team who were in the Premier League last year, with the trajectory that we're on... that's a day to enjoy in itself.

"The effort, the performance, scoring a last minute winner. These are things to enjoy and cherish in isolation. Everything else can take care of itself. We know we've got six more really difficult games. I just want to enjoy this one for now. Come tomorrow we'll be getting ready for the next game."

With striker Kieffer Moore going off injured midway through the first half, McKenna explained: "I haven't had the medical report. He got a firm hit in his back. I think it all locked up, so that's not great. We'll have to see how he is over the next few days."