Ipswich Town were 2-1 winners against Sunderland at Portman Road on the opening day of the campaign

Ipswich Town boss Gary O'Neil said he thought his side were worthy winners on the opening day of the season after Jack Clarke's late goal secured a 2-1 victory.

Sunderland has started well against the newly-promoted side but Emersonn's first goal for his new club gave the hosts the lead. Nilson Angulo restored parity before half time with an excellent free kick before another loose pass from the visitors allowed Ipswich to take all three points.

O'Neil said the winning goal was testament to the fitness and work rate of his players, as well as their pressing plan bearing fruit.

"We were never going to settle for 1-1, even if 1-1 would have been a good result for us against a good Sunderland side," he said.

"We were still trying to get up the pitch and get pressure high up. For our goal to come from a pressure phase that late in the game shows the togetherness, fitness and work-rate of the players.

"The subs really helped, fresh energy, three of them, maybe four of them, involved in the pressing phase at the end. We wouldn't have been able to do that if we only had our starting XI. It's going to take everyone at this football club pushing together to get us results like today. And that's the plan, that's what we're trying to do.

"I'm pleased, I thought we deserved to win," O'Neil added.

"On the balance I know Sunderland had a lot of the ball. They scored a world class goal to get back in it. That was a welcome back to the Premier League [moment], that one. But I'm really pleased with our players, they were excellent to a man. We tried to get the ball to that side of the pitch all afternoon. If you watch all of our pressing phases we try to get the ball to their left, we try to be aggressive. I thought it worked well, and for it to still be functioning at that stage of the game, for the subs to come on and know it so well, and for us then to punish them, I thought the second goal showed good team understanding and the first one was unbelievable quality from Julio [Enciso]."

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O'Neil singled out Enciso for praise after his excellent performance. The attacking midfielder joined from RC Strasbourg earlier this week and was a constant thorn in Sunderland's side, with the Ipswich boss also noting how important he had been out of possession in negating Granit Xhaka's influence.

"We worked our socks off to sign him [Enciso], not only does he bring those moments of magic, his work ethic and ability to defend, to stop Xhaka finding his rhythm, there's not that many number 10s that have his quality and can do that side of it," he said.

"He's special in that way. It was an excellent performance and that's why we brought him because we need difference-makers."

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