Brighton manager Fabian Horzler was happy to come away with three points against Ipswich even though his players were not at their best.
The Seagulls won 2-0 at Portman Road, thanks to second-half goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Jorginio Rutter.
It extends the South Coast side's unbeaten run to six games, although there have been too many draws for the head coach's liking.
But this was a victory that would surely save him.
Speaking after the match, he said: “It was not the best performance from our side, but in the end, we controlled the match and had stable possession of the ball.
“We created more chances in the second half, so we deserved to win. I'm happy about that.
“We have suffered during this period and this win should give us faith and self-confidence. Now we have to prepare for the next challenge.
FT: Back to winning ways #PL! 🙌
(0-2) 📲 #IPSBHA // #BHAFC 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/mFgrI0QAhk
– Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 16, 2025
“We tried to press too much in the first half. We weren't getting our positioning right.
“We changed some things. In the second half, even though they played more aggressively and pressed better, we were more dominant and created more chances. That's why I think we deserved it.”
“Every victory in the Premier League means a lot to me because it is very difficult to win in this league. We have seen that in recent weeks.
“We had great performances, sometimes even better than today, but in the end the result is the most important thing. We are happy but there is only a short time to be happy. We have to focus on what's next.”
Horzler was particularly impressed with Rotter, who has worked his way into the team this season.
He added: “I admire his attitude and how positive he always is. He always has a smile on his face. He really enjoys being on the field and playing with the guys.
“He has a lot of important experience in the tournament. He is a good striker and I am very happy to have him here. But there are a lot of things to improve and he knows that.
“We try to give him an environment where he can improve every day.”
Meanwhile, Kieran McKenna accused the Ipswich players of losing confidence at the end of the game.
Defeat comes Portman's way.#IPSBHA | @newstone_uk pic.twitter.com/9Q1TbPYzOA
– Ipswich Town (@ipswichtown) January 16, 2025
The Tractor Boys held out in the first hour but then collapsed after conceding the first goal.
“It was a really tight game until the first goal,” McKenna said. “In the first 60 minutes we were the more dangerous team, had the better chances and got into the better areas, but the first goal was poor and then the game went out of our hands.
“We lost confidence in ourselves on the pitch, they made better substitutions, pressed and were the better team in the last 30 minutes.
“We didn't defend well enough to stop the goal and we have to find a better response, but we couldn't do that today.”
