Aro Muric was superb in goal for the visitors as Ipswich earned a hard-won point.
"It was a great effort from the players from where we're at," said McKenna afterwards.
"We're trying to bring a group together, we've got players coming into the team who haven't played with their team-mates before. We've got people coming back from injury, who haven't had a pre-season.
"We're trying to bring the group together, so to come away from home, show the spirit, the resolve we did from a defensive point of view was excellent.
"We have some moments in the second half but the way we fought the whole game to get a point was a big positive."
On Muric's double save, he said: "It is (outstanding) and he's capable of that. It's why we wanted to bring him to the club, he's a goalkeeper that can win you points.
"When you're in our position as a newly-promoted club, every point is valuable and if you've got a goalkeeper capable of making a save to earn you a point or a win then it's worth a lot. We're really happy to have him.
"He's still got a lot to do, he's working hard in training to adapt to us and get up to the level that he's capable of. But it's a great game for him today."
On Liam Delap hitting the post, McKenna continued: "If that goes in, in terms of back-to-back Premier League games and goals, you'd put that on top of the one he scored at Fulham.
"It would've been legendary scoring two goals like that at 21 years old when you're just getting used to the Premier League. Really unlucky, great run but it wasn't to be.
"We know we have to keep improving. The game was more in Brighton's favour than we'd have wanted it to be but again, where we're at, having Man City and Brighton as the first two away games with the quality that they have, we know we're really going to have to fight to pick up points and develop our style of play in the toughest league in the world.
"It's a good step in that direction but it's only a step. We've got a training week now, the first time we'll have the whole group together, especially the boys who came in late. We'll build on the stuff we're feeling in the games and we can still get stronger."