Leif Davis and Dara O'Shea react to Ipswich Town flashpoint ft Kasey McAteer | OneFootball

Leif Davis and Dara O'Shea were among the Ipswich Town players to praise Kasey McAteer after his winning goal against Birmingham City.

The Easter games are often significant in the Championship promotion race, and it’s proven to be crucial once again.

It’s fair to say that Ipswich Town were the big winners, as they battle Middlesbrough and Millwall to join Coventry City in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna’s side only played once after their game against Southampton was rearranged due to Saints’ FA Cup involvement.

Despite that, Ipswich’s win over Birmingham means they picked up more points than Boro in this period, and they matched Millwall’s total, having played one fewer game. As a result, they sit in second place on goal difference, but they have two games in hand on both rivals as the promotion race continues to intensify.

Kasey McAteer receives Ipswich Town praise after role in Birmingham win

So, the Suffolk outfit are well-positioned to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt, and Kasey McAteer was the somewhat surprising hero against Blues.

The Irish international joined from Leicester for around £12m last summer, but he has struggled to fully establish himself in the XI.

However, he was given a start on Monday, and McAteer responded with a big performance.

The 24-year-old was a constant threat with his pace and direct style, and he went close with an excellent effort from range early on. McAteer then missed a huge chance when he was through one-on-one, but he didn’t dwell on that, as he scored what turned out to be the winner on the stroke of half-time.

That was McAteer’s first goal for the club, and he took to Instagram to reveal his delight at getting off the mark, as well as picking up three huge points.

And, the attacker received plenty of support from those connected to Ipswich, which included several teammates, who were clearly very pleased for McAteer.

Skipper Dara O’Shea was among those to reply, as he stated ‘so deserved bud, onto the next’. Meanwhile, Leif Davis put ‘fully deserved my boy’.

Elsewhere, Jack Taylor, Alex Palmer, Anis Mehmeti and Darnell Furlong were among those to respond to McAteer, which highlights his popularity in the dressing room.

Ipswich Town will need their squad to step up during hectic month

Ipswich had to grind out the win against Birmingham, and there’s no denying they had some luck with the disallowed goal in the second half.

But, successful teams find a way to win, and that’s what McKenna’s men did, and McAteer was a standout performer on the day, and he will have been relieved to get his first goal for the club.

Some may have been surprised to see him start, but McAteer justified McKenna’s decision, and the reality is that the boss will need his entire squad to step up at points during the run-in.

Ipswich may be in a brilliant position, but they also have a challenging and busy fixture list.

On Saturday, they face bitter rivals Norwich, who are one of the form teams in the division, and that is the start of a period of seven games in 22 days, with games against Middlesbrough and Southampton on the horizon.

But, there will be a belief that they can get over the line, and now all focus is on the East Anglian derby, as Ipswich seek a first win at Carrow Road since 2006.