´It´s been a long time,´ says McKenna after Ipswich stun Tottenham for first league win

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna said it was a ‘special’ moment for the club after they earned their first Premier League win of the season by beating Tottenham 2-1.

Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap scored for Ipswich before half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Though Tottenham reduced the deficit through Rodrigo Bentancur in the 69th minute, the Tractor Boys held on for a famous win.

It was also Ipswich’s first win in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory over Middlesborough in April 2002, ending a run of 12 away games without a win (D3 L9).

“I am so proud. It’s been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one,” McKenna told BBC Sport after the game.

“It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We had picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish.”

The result was extra special for an Ipswich side, who were denied a win by Leicester City last week through a 94th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew, who made it 1-1 at Portman Road.

But Szmodics and Delap – the latter with his sixth Premier League goal of the season – struck in the first half to give Ipswich a two-goal cushion.

Together! pic.twitter.com/1Y1WRSMPy5

— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) November 10, 2024

Szmodics has now scored 31 league goals for Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich, with only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (39) scoring more than him across England’s top four tiers.

“The first half, it was everything [you’d want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. There was a good balance. There were moments where we played a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down,” McKenna said.

“It was a top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn’t give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.”

“It was really important [to hang on]. If we’d conceded at the end it would have been a big blow. To get one over the line like that we’ve deserved for quite a few weeks. A big boost for everyone.

“The players are delighted. They know it’s a win to cherish.”

Ipswich will now face Manchester United in Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils on 24 November.