Table-topping Ipswich Town boss admits Peterborough United made it difficult for his side

Posh goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom can't stop Conor Chaplin (not pictured) opening the scoring for Ipswich Town with a neat header. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Two Conor Chaplin goals either side of a Frankie Kent header gave the Tractor Boys a 2-1win. They lead the division by a point after away draws for nearest rivals Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday, while Posh remain sixth despite a fourth straight League One defeat.

McKenna told the Ipswich Evening Star: “We played against a Peterborough team who had, by my count, 10 of their outfield starters having played in a Championship side that finished last season with a 5-0 win against Blackpool.

"We played with a squad heavily depleted by injury, a team with two academy players at the heart of it, Luke Woolfenden at centre-half against the best forward in the league by most peoples' reckoning (Jonson Clarke-Harris) and a 19-year-old midfielder (Cameron Humphreys) who, alongside everybody else, is giving absolutely everything they can.

"I can't be prouder of them and the effort they give. I thought they deserved the three points against a really difficult team.

"Our reaction to the equaliser was really good. That was a difficult moment. They've not had a serious shot until that point, not had a set-piece in our third, and the first one they get they score from.

"A weaker group of players might have gone into their shells at that moment, but we responded well at the end of that half and into the second half.

"The players are doing fantastically well against some really, really strong teams in this division and our performances, in my opinion, have been very good.

"The effort was fantastic. I'm proud of the players, proud of the spirit.

"This was a difficult game against a difficult opponent in a tense stadium. The players stuck together and showed resilence and quality, at times, to win."

NB Eight of the Posh starting line-up played in that game against Blackpool on the final day of last season. Lucas Bergstrom, Kell Watts and Hector Kyprianou were not even at Posh last season.

Yesterday’s substitutes Jeando Fuchs, Josh Knight, Ricky-Jade Jones and Harrison Burrows did play against Blackpool.