The combination of Southampton reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals and Norwich City exiting the competition over the weekend means the Blues now won’t have a game on Good Friday.

There are two trips to the south coast to re-arrange – Portsmouth and Southampton – and just two possible midweek slots where they can go (April 14 and April 28).

It means the top-two chasing Blues will play eight games in 27 days at the end of the campaign, with five of them away.

When it was put to McKenna that FA Cup results hadn’t probably gone the way he would have hoped, he quipped: “Are you suggesting I was disappointed that Norwich didn’t win?!”

Reflecting further on a strange season that has seen Ipswich have five matches abandoned or postponed now (Blackburn for a waterlogged pitch, Portsmouth twice, frozen pitch then waterlogged pitch, plus Hull and Southampton due to FA Cup progress), the Blues boss said: “The FA Cup one is what it is. However, there’s something that could be done differently for the Championship clubs who progress in that cup because it is a big challenge now for Southampton, but also for the teams who are playing against them, including us who already have a game to rearrange.

“The only rearrangement that still annoys me is the (first) Portsmouth one and I think you know why (Portsmouth were injury-ravaged at the time).

“We’re going to have a lot of games, we’re going to have tough games, but there are some brilliant games in there to look forward to. It should be a really exciting end to the season.

“But that’s all to come. All we can control at the moment is the next game. We have to keep performing well and picking up results to make sure that it is an end to the season with a lot on it.

“If we can get to that point, and we’re still fighting for our goals, and if we have to go and win back-to-back and back-to-back games in quick succession away from home, then that’ll be a great challenge for us.”

TOWN’S END OF SEASON SCHEDULE

Tues, Mar 10: Stoke (A)

Sat, Mar 14: Sheff Weds (A)

Tues, Mar 17: No possible game (Portsmouth host Derby on Mon 16, Southampton host Norwich on Weds 18)

Sat, Mar 21: Millwall (H)

Tues, Mar 24: International break

Sat, Mar 28: International break

Tues, Mar 31: International break

Fri, Apr 3 (Good Fri): No possible game (Portsmouth are at Norwich, Southampton are in FA Cup QF action at some point that weekend)

Mon, Apr 6 (Easter Mon): Birmingham City (H)

Sat, Apr 11: Norwich City (A)

Tues, Apr 14: Blank slot – could play Portsmouth/Southampton

Sat, Apr 18: Middlesbrough (H)

Weds, Apr 22: Charlton (A)

Sat, Apr 25: West Brom (A)

Tues, Apr 28: Blank slot – could play Portsmouth/Southampton

Sat, May 2: QPR (H)