The result marked Howe's return after recovering from a pneumonia diagnosis.
“It was great being back out there,” he said. “Maybe lacking in a bit of energy but really pleased with the performance and how we navigated the game.
“I thought Ipswich set up really well, made it difficult for us, got a lot of bodies behind the ball and it was going to be that kind of game where we had to be patient.
“Of course, having the extra man helped. It was that first goal that was key for us and we played really well in the second half.
“Getting goals from different players is key. Dan (Burn) has always scored important goals for us and it was great to see Will (Osula) score with a great header. He's a player of rich potential and hopefully that is a real confidence lift for him.”
"A clear penalty"
On Alexander Isak's successful penalty earned through a foul on Jacob Murphy, Howe was adamant.
Howe said: “Well, I felt instantly it was a penalty. I felt Jacob was stopped.
“I wasn't sure whether VAR would get involved and force the referee's hand. I was obviously pleased that they did. Because my initial view, it was a clear penalty.
“But was it a clear and obvious error? People who have seen it again will tell me. I haven't had that luxury yet.”
Newcastle are now back into third place on the Premier League table.
“It will go down to the wire,” Howe added, discussing the Champions League qualifying race. “The important thing today was that we bounced back from last week. We have been very consistent and now we have four huge games.”