Ipswich Town striker George Hirst was overjoyed to assist his team advance to the FA Cup fifth round by scoring the first goal in a 4-1 victory against Coventry City away.

Frank Lampard’s side responded quickly with an equalizer, but a brace from Jack Clarke and a goal from Jaden Philogene helped the Blues to a comfortable victory at the CBS Arena, advancing to the competition’s fourth round for the first time in 18 years.

“It’s a tough place to come,” Hirst added. “They had been in terrific form, and we knew we wanted to get off to a solid start.

“That’s exactly what we did, so it was a case of coming out here, putting in a good performance and ultimately getting through to the next round.”

When asked if he was always going to take the early spot kick, which was granted after 20 seconds, the 25-year-old chuckled: “My name is on a sheet in the changing room, so no one else took that one except me!

“It was huge. Obviously, you want to score as fast as possible in each game. Conceding five minutes later was not ideal, but I felt we shown tremendous character and responded well.

The 25-year-old scored from the spot (Image: Ross Halls).

“Ultimately, we deserved to be 3-1 up at half time.”

Injuries haven’t helped Hirst this season, but his playing time has been limited owing to the form of Liam Delap, who is likely Town’s best player in the Premier League this season.

However, this was a chance for him and several of his teammates to demonstrate that they deserve to play more frequently, as Kieran McKenna underlined before to the game.

“That was the message from the gaffer before the game,” he told me. “That everyone who played today – players who haven’t got as many minutes as they’d want, like myself, for various reasons – had the opportunity to demonstrate why we should be playing in the Premier League on a Saturday.

“All the boys were a credit to themselves and we got the job done – we’re through to the next round.”

It was a very poignant day for Clarke, who has had a difficult start at Portman Road. However, his man-of-the-match performance boosted his confidence, and he relished the opportunity to celebrate with fans after the game.

“I was delighted for him,” Hirst said. “He works as hard as anyone, and we’re all aware of his qualities. Everyone at Ipswich noticed his abilities last season, and people all around the nation are aware of them.

Town reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 18 years. (Image: Ross Halls).

“It just took him some time, which is normal. He played quite well today, both in and out of possession.

“He was excellent throughout. “To come in with two goals and an assist is fantastic for him.”

Philogene also scored his first goal for Ipswich, securing victory late in the game. The former Aston Villa player failed to make an impression in his first few games in Suffolk, but he looked more lively in the victory over Coventry.

“He’s very good,” Hirst added. “On the ball, he’s quite difficult; he has the talent and speed to get away from someone.

“I’ve been harping on him about the pressing side of things, but he proved today that he can do it. When you achieve this, you receive your objective as a reward.

“He’ll want to be doing more of that going forward, playing more minutes and showing that he can do what the gaffer wants, which is scoring goals.”

On the other hand, Sammie Szmodics’ return from injury was cut short in the 35th minute after hurting his ankle again. Hirst sympathised with his teammate, but feels he will recover stronger.

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “I have been there, and it is an awful sensation. Touch wood, that isn’t the worst injury in the world, and he’ll be back in action soon.

Sammie Szmodics sustained an ankle injury during the first half of the game. (Image: Ross Halls)

“He’s a big lad, he’ll deal with it. He’s terrific to have around, and he’ll do all he can to get back out there as quickly as possible.”

Attention has returned to the Premier League, but Hirst will keep one eye on the FA Cup. So, how far can Ipswich go? After all, they are only two victories away from a trip to Wembley.

“It’s one game at a time, the old cliché,” he joked. “We don’t know who we’ll face in the following round just yet, but why not?

“It’s an opportunity for the lads who haven’t been playing as much to go out and demonstrate their skills. We simply want to win games, whether in the cup or the Premier League.

“This is a little different. If we win a game, we advance to the next round, and we are only a few games away from Wembley.

“It’s not something we’re focusing on just yet because we know that there are plenty of games left before we get there, but it’s a thought for us to have in the back of our minds.”

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