Marcus Harness praised a special group of players as Town progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time in 13 years with a dominant victory over Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers at Portman Road.
Harness scored a hat-trick of assists as the Blues overcame a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 for the second time this month and record their fifth straight victory in all competitions.
“It’s a special group, a special team, a special club,” the Town striker said. “We’re just trying to enjoy it while it lasts and hope it lasts.
“We were all happy with the answer, it was also in a league where we were behind, but we always supported each other to cause problems for the team. “By working with the coaches and staff, they always find solutions for us on the field. It’s another good return, we’re happy about it and we’ll move on to Saturday and try to support the people who are playing the game.
Town were in danger of being knocked out of the competition when Hwang Hee-chan and Toti scored for Wolves in the opening 15 minutes, but the Blues never lost their lead and deservedly equalized at half-time thanks to hard work by Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo.
Harness said:
“You can suggest ‘this might be a long night’, but we’re causing them trouble too, so it’s just a matter of ironing out some of the issues and continuing to try to do the right things and work hard.
“Fortunately, we were able to change the tempo of the match and then the audience returned to play. “We always support each other and they [Wolves] probably didn’t want to be there when we got back to 2-2. It is good.
Harness’s three appearances this season have all come in the Carabao Cup, and the former Portsmouth man believes his involvement in all three goals was long overdue, pointing out that his superb goal Jack Taylor from 25 yards was what the midfielder was capable of.
“It took a while,” he said. “I didn’t contribute as much as I wanted to during the season I was here. If you keep doing the right things it will come and I’m going to take advantage of that tonight and try to build on that.
The first [assist] was probably a better pass, the second was right at Freddie’s feet and he did the rest. It was instinctive, Omari made my life easier by giving me a clear path to hit him. I’m happy with them.
“Some incredible goals from the boys helped me – Tayls helped me, I passed the ball to him on the edge of the box and he did the rest. He’s done that, we’ve seen that over the years of playing with him. I was happy to see him do that tonight and I’m sure he’ll do more in the future.
To be fair, Portman Road is the place to be if you want to score and entertain, with 24 goals in the last four home matches – 13 for and 11 against. So much so that the game was a bit of a blur for Harness, who was trying to remember the goals. He says:
“I remember the second goal was on the touchline. I don’t even remember the time before the first goal, I just remember seeing Omari running so I’ll have to watch it again. If Vaz [Vaclav Hladky] was involved in [the first goal], I wouldn’t be surprised.
Harness was one of 10 changes made to the starting line-up since Saturday’s win over Blackburn Rovers, with only goalkeeper Hladky retaining his place in the team. However, the 27-year-old understands the importance of making an impact from the bench and is grateful to receive the opportunity from Kieran McKenna in cup competitions. He said: “The boys are doing really well, so we have to try to keep the pressure on, train well and be ready.
“Sometimes it is difficult to come off the bench, but playing in these cup matches shows why they are important for us.
“At Reading, I was injured in the first few minutes so it was a difficult match for me. Games like tonight are useful and important for those who are not regular starters and it makes us a stronger team.
“We will all be better off supporting the boys going forward in the league and if called upon we have all shown we are ready to step up.”
He added:
“I’m happy with where I am. I feel like I’m training well, like everyone else, everyone’s working hard and training well. I’ve never been part of a group that trains with such intensity, even those who don’t compete.
“We have a great team and a lot of us don’t play a lot, but there are no bad eggs and everyone is pulling in the same direction. It’s a pleasure to be part of the team.
Reflecting on his first season at Suffolk last campaign, which saw Harness score eight goals in 47 appearances, he said:
“I started well but then I injured my knee. I came back really quickly and felt ready, but I never really got back to my best form.
“Broady [Nathan Broadhead] came in and was fantastic, so even though I was at my best it was hard to leave him out of the team. But I’m happy to be here and I’m ready when called upon.
“We looked at a few different positions – I played on the right wing and at number 10 today, which is a bit different and I’m doing a bit more. I feel good and I feel like I’m training well, I just have to wait for my chance and hope when it comes I can take advantage of it and help the team maintain the incredible form we’ve been in. having.
The Carabao Cup fourth round draw will take place after the match between Newcastle and Manchester City on Wednesday, where the Blues will be one of 16 teams remaining in the competition.
When asked if he wanted to fight anyone specifically, Harness replied:
“Not necessarily. I like us playing most teams, especially at home. We’ll see what it is and hopefully it’ll be another interesting draw and an exciting game.
