James McFadden's first half goal from the penalty spot separated the two side's at Portman Road and earned Blues their first win in three games. "The defence and goalkeeper showed resilience and were delighted to keep a clean sheet. I know I always did, as a defender. "Psychologically it's always nice to be in the top two," McLeish added.
"After back-to-back defeats, the boys were a bit edgy and this is a difficult place to come, but we showed a lot of character," McLeish said after the 1-0 win against Jim Magilton's side.
"It's as important for them as it is for a striker to score a goal.
The result saw Blues draw level on points with second placed Reading, who were held to a 1-1 home draw by Cardiff City.
"We are third but the most important thing is to be there when it matters at the end of the season and churning out results like this will certainly help."