Town winger Jack Clarke scored his first Premier League goal in the Blues’ 2-1 victory over Sunderland, but insists it will not define their season at such an early stage.
Clarke’s 90th-minute winner off the bench handed Town the dream start to their latest top-flight season and got the Gary O’Neil era off to the perfect start at Portman Road.
The former Sunderland forward finished the job after latching onto a forward ball from Saša Lukić, the Serbian midfielder having pounced on Omar Alderete’s loose pass out from the back.
Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil (left) on the touchline during the Premier League match at Portman Road, Ipswich.
Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil (left) on the touchline during the Premier League match at Portman Road, Ipswich.
Despite the jubilation of three points on the opening day, Clarke says the playing squad will ensure they keep their feet on the ground.
“That’s what the gaffer said afterwards,” he said. “It’s a brilliant day for the football club and a brilliant day for us, but we’ve still got a game on Tuesday night and another game next week.
“It’s not going to define our season too much, it’s one game out of 38. Obviously it’s a nice one and it’s good for confidence, hopefully we can use it to our advantage.
“It felt like it had been a long time coming. I didn’t quite manage to do it last time in the Premier League and I probably had a few opportunities to do so.
“It was more relief than anything else. Hopefully it can help me and the team kick forward.”
The Blues’ previous competitive game was the promotion-clinching 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the Championship season in early May.
Since that joyous afternoon, Clarke says the Town players have been itching to get back to Portman Road and continue from where they left off.
He said: “It’s been a long seven weeks waiting, and we’ve been champing at the bit for the opportunity to play back in the Premier League. We got it today and we took it.
“The adrenaline, the moment and how big it probably was, hasn’t still sunk in yet. I think it was more relief for everybody else, especially me, proving that we can do it at the level.
Ipswich Town's Leif Davis (left) and Sunderland's Brian Brobbey battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Portman Road, Ipswich.
“We’ve worked so hard for all of last season to get back here. We’ve worked hard for seven weeks waiting for the opportunity to play and do the best we can, and we did that today.”
Clarke arrived ahead of the Blues’ last top-flight season from Sunderland two years ago, after impressing on Wearside where he struck 28 goals in 114 appearances.
It was the first time that the 25-year-old had faced the Black Cats since his £15 million move to Suffolk, and he says scoring against his former employers came with mixed emotions.
“It was sort of bittersweet,” he admitted. “Even now, it’s not really sunk in too much in terms of how surreal a moment it was.
“I had it in the back of my head coming into today if I did get the opportunity, I’d try and keep it as respectful as possible. I don’t know if the moment or the adrenaline took over, but it is what it is.
“It’s become a bit of a trademark over the years. It was probably no better way to do it.
“The gaffer has tried to instil it in us for the last seven weeks to stay in games and give yourself opportunities to win games. That’s what we did today, and hopefully it can give us some momentum, self-belief and more confidence going into the next set of games.”