Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is hoping his side can secure their first Premier League win of the season at Portman Road against Crystal Palace.
The Blues head into tomorrow’s evening fixture with the same record as the Eagles so far this campaign, with one win, six draws and six defeats each.
Following Town’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, their only victory in the league this season has come away at Tottenham Hotspur, so McKenna is keen to make that next step in achieving their first win at Portman Road on their seventh attempt.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna. Picture: Barry Goodwin
“It's an important game. All the home games are, I think, irrespective of who we play,” he said.
“We’re playing our first double week fixture of the season, our first midweek game at home in the season. We would always see it as a really big game and an exciting game to be honest, an occasion to enjoy, but also a chance to perform and a chance to get points.
“Of course, Crystal Palace are a team that we respect a lot. They've got a lot of top players picking up some decent form, with a good manager, so we fully respect them.
“We are going to try and deliver a performance that everyone can get behind. We know if we do that, we're a really hard team to beat at home and we've got to try and make that step to picking up our first home win.”
On Saturday, Town were unable to get back into the game and produce an equaliser after conceding through a Chris Wood penalty.
When asked about scoring the first goal in the game and the importance of it, McKenna said: “I think we'll try and approach it in a really positive mindset like we do every game.
“We'll try to start fast and we'll try and score early, but you can't always do it. Saturday was one of those games where you're not able to really get full control or a stranglehold in the game. So it was a really even-stevens game going into the second half.
“I think it's in those games in particular that you know the first goal is really, really important, especially against a team with a nature in mind for it, so that's why we were disappointed with the goal on Saturday.
“Our home games, we've had some really fast starts and scored early. Man United came out and scored after 80 seconds against us. We've shown that through both of those scenarios we can put in a competitive performance.
“So we look to be as good as we can be for the whole 90 plus minutes tomorrow and trust that we believe that we've got the qualities to go and win the game.”
Depending on other results in midweek, three points against Oliver Glasner’s side could see Town move up to 15th in the league and would end their winless run at home this season.
“The win at Spurs was brilliant, but there’s nothing like winning in front of your own fans at home,” McKenna said.
“We know it will come. We want it to come as soon as possible. We've had maybe four or five draws at home. Those draws have all been good matches, all been good performances. We feel like in all of those draws at home, we certainly could have won.
“We're still facing a Crystal Palace team with a lot of individual quality, a lot of Premier League experience, with three, four players in the England squad in the summer.
“If we play as we are capable of playing, then we know that we can fight for a result in any home game.”
Town also face Bournemouth at Portman Road on Sunday, so even if they fail to secure the three points tomorrow night (7.30pm, Amazon Prime Video) another opportunity shortly awaits.
McKenna said: “It's going to take everyone to give absolutely everything they can in both games.”
“If we do that, then hopefully we'll get our first home league win and it'll be a great moment.
“It's still really tough and I don't think the bookmakers probably won't have us favourite for either game.”
Palace are unbeaten in all four of their Premier League games against Ipswich and it will be the first top-flight meeting between the two sides since the Eagles won 2-0 at Portman Road in February 1995.
Key defender Axel Tuanzebe is set to miss the Tractor Boys’ festive fixtures with a hamstring injury he picked up on Saturday.
The former Manchester United man had established himself as a key figure in the Blues’ backline this season and only returned from a serious thumb injury three games ago.