Three weeks ago they took a 6-0 drubbing at Portman Road and were in flat out mode to erase that memory.
They started to do so inside five minutes when full-back Bradley Orr, after a deep raid down the right flank, picked out Marvin Elliott unmarked and 30 yards out.
The former Millwall midfielder drilled a blistering shot into the bottom left corner of Neil Alexander's net.
Elliott might have had a second goal when the ball popped out to him from the Ipswich goal area ten minutes later - same distance, same right foot but this time two yards wide.
With Enoch Showunmi in his second league start of the season racing everywhere with enthusiasm, Ipswich were given little time to compose themselves, although City's second goal was edged with controversy.
A right-wing cross from Ivan Sproule skidded up awkwardly off the wet turf to hit Alex Bruce's left arm.
Referee Andy Hall had no doubt it was a penalty and when the Ipswich protests died down Orr hit the kick low to Alexander's right.
Straightaway Gary Roberts went close to pulling one back with a powerful shot that deflected off Jamie McCombe for a corner, which saw home keeper Adriano Basso grabbing Sylvain Legwinski's close-in effort.
Basso picked up his game and was even more spectacular in the second half when he blocked shots in seconds from Alan Lee, sub Pablo Counago and young academy graduate Owen Garvan.
Ipswich, only too aware they hadn't won away since March, began to give City a battering, throwing everyone except the goalkeeper into the home half.
Counago had come on for Legwinski and manager Jim Magilton quickly used his other subs to keep his attack fresh.
They peppered Basso with shots and free-kicks but the Brazilian's brilliance kept City safely up with the leading Championship contenders.