REMEMBER the “feel good factor” that comes with your team winning, or at least stealing a result?

Carl Marston

REMEMBER the “feel good factor” that comes with your team winning, or at least stealing a result?

Well, Ipswich Town fans have not had that happy feeling at all this season, and it's not just because their team has yet to win a league match.

As boss Roy Keane admits, even Town's draws have not been heart-warming results. They haven't been hard-earned points, or tales of great escapes.

Both of last month's 3-3 draws at Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield United felt like depressing defeats, rather than welcome draws, as to a lesser extent did the 1-1 home draws against Preston and Nottingham Forest.

In short, there has been nothing to cheer about.

“We need to experience that feel-good factor that comes with a victory,” confessed Keane.

“Even our draws have been disappointing this season. Against Preston they were down to 10 men, and in the draw at Sheffield United we conceded late goals. They were not enjoyable draws.

“We want to give the fans a lift. We need to give them a victory.

“We're only looking to this weekend. We're not worried about Tuesday (at home to Watford).

“We are certainly in no position to take any team for granted, and we won't be doing that with Swansea. Please God we can get a result this time,” added Keane.

It's fair to say that when the going gets tough, Town have not really got going this season. You only have to harp back to the late goals conceded in the last three away games.

That's why Keane has been working on his players' mental side of the game.

“In sport you get tight situations, and at the moment we are just coming up a bit short in our mental side,” explained Keane.

“But after one win, you often get a run of results.

“There is no question about my resolve. There's no problem with that.

“I didn't get involved in football for the money or prestige, when I started out at an early age. I did it because I enjoyed it, and that's still the case.

“We have had some hammer blows. But the players have stood up well to these hammer blows. You have got to enjoy it.

“Our mistakes have been punished this season, going right back to the Coventry game (opening day 2-1 defeat), and other teams have made the most of them as well.”