Blues boss Mick McCarthy felt his side were the better team during the second half of their 2-1 home defeat to Hull City.

The Town boss thought his Tigers counterpart Steve Bruce would have believed his team deserved to win but wasn't so certain that that was the case himself: “I’m sure Steve thinks they deserve to win overall, over the 90 minutes, and certainly over the first 45 minutes they would have done, but we know it lasts for 90 minutes.

“Having endured a tough first half, where I changed the team to try and stop them playing a bit, and I thought it worked up until they got the penalty. When they scored it gave them a bit of freedom and confidence and they were far better than us in the first half.

“In the second half we were the better team, we deserved the equaliser, we probably had the better chances to win it.

"We didn’t clear the corner particularly well and then when we didn’t do that we didn’t mark. Mistake for the penalty, mistake for the second goal.”

The Blues boss wasn’t too harsh on scorer Anthony Wordsworth for failing to clear Robbie Brady’s corner in the run-up to the goal: “Somebody’s got to repair it for him and everybody else mark and then say ‘Woody, don’t clear it like that, clear it properly’.

"Don’t be looking to point fingers afterwards if somebody’s made a mistake, repair it for them, don’t compound a mistake and it end up [with a goal].”

McCarthy wasn’t surprised that his friend Bruce admitted Ipswich had the better of the second half: “Steve’s a proper bloke, he’s a good mate and he’s not going to say anything other than we did.

“I thought we were the dominant team in the second half, but it’s no good being the dominant team and getting beat.”

McCarthy had few complaints about the penalty awarded when Guirane N'Daw felled David Meyler: “I’ve not really seen it. I’ve seen it from a long distance camera angle on Prozone.

“Everybody seems to think it was. At the time I had a whinge about it, which I’m bound to do, but it looks like a penalty to me.”

He says he’s not sure of the extent of Jay Tabb’s injury: “He got knocked on the top of his knee and it just stiffened up. We won’t know until tomorrow.”

McCarthy wasn’t sure whether Corry Evans’s challenge ought to have been worthy of more than a yellow card but wasn't complaining: “I don’t know. I’d have to see it again. It’s easy [to rush to judgement] in the heat of the game, the penalty for example, ‘It’s not a penalty!'.

“I generally look at the games on a Monday morning or on a Sunday and mainly the refs have got most of it right.

“If you take challenges out of it, then it won’t be the game I know and love. I think there were challenges on both sides which could have been freekicks. I’ve no arguments with that at all.”

Aside from Tabb, the Blues manager said there was only one other injury concern after today’s game that he was aware of: “Chops has got ice on his calf but that’s precautionary, it’s just stiff. I don’t know. I’ve not had any reported yet anyway.”

Tigers boss Steve Bruce conceded that his side found it tougher after the break: “All credit to Ipswich. They changed tactically in the second half and we found it a bit of a struggle.

“But in the first half I thought we were excellent and showed why we’re a team at the top of the table.

“We’ve played like that before but I think people might be starting to pay a little attention now, with four games to play.”

Photo: Action Images

bluelad7 added 19:20 - Apr 13 When you look at we are one point off over the last two games. Last week should have only been a point but we get three and today would have been nice to get that draw and we get nowt.....over those two games, 3 points is great.....would have been nice to keep the unbeaten run going though. Still Tuesday will secure our status in this league.
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dford7 added 19:39 - Apr 13 A bit unlucky today, we were the team pushing for the winner, then they scored, but they were better than us first half. MM is spot on as usual. Hopefully like Bluelad7 says we can secure our status on Tuesday, although Palace will be fresher than us.
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TimmyH added 19:43 - Apr 13 Have to say after the first half performance we deserved 'nowt' but a draw would have been about right after the second half. Have to say we are better organised but not sure about the quality in attack and the midfield which needs rebuilding over the summer. In my mind there is very little to chose between a lot of these clubs in this division hence the 'crazyness' of results, the teams that do end up in the Premiership after this season have had just that bit more consistency i.e. Cardiff, Hull and one other (all beatable to most teams).

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TimmyH added 19:45 - Apr 13 * better organised now
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Mark added 19:45 - Apr 13 We were well on top at 1-1 and Hull were hardly threatening, so to concede like that from a corner was tough to take, especially with - again - many results elsewhere going against us. Never mind, Hull are 2nd for a reason and we have the chance to put it right against Palace (themselves 4th!) on Tuesday evening.
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ericclacton added 19:47 - Apr 13 I thought the performance today was dull, could well go down playing like that.
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bluelad7 added 19:49 - Apr 13 ericclacton - you must be related to that other muppet on the other post. Just a reminder for you.....YOUR TEAM lost at Arsenal 3-1 okay.....night night!
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ericclacton added 19:58 - Apr 13 I'm just saying what I saw ,thankyou.
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Pip50 added 20:26 - Apr 13 Eric common sense at last. We are so far from being a decent side it's laughable. Our two top scores are loans one left us 4 months ago. Our debt and the fair play measures will make current model look laughable moving forward. Mick talks the talk but he will have no tools moving forward and even he does not want to support much youth development in the team. The promised land is gone for ever. QPR Wign Reading willI get significant years parachute payments. Will our Cayman company match this. We simply need to accept we are now at near Colchester United level. Happy days!!

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RetroBlue added 20:29 - Apr 13 Any one else feel like it was watching a team full of FatBoyHolt's today? Ive never seen the opposition dive as much as Hull did today. Slightest touch , and it was like scenes from the film Platoon - conned the ref all afternoon they did!
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TimmyH added 20:36 - Apr 13 @RetroBlue - N'Daw only had himself to blame for the penalty for giving the Ref the opportunity to award the penalty even though the Hull player went down like a sack of spuds. Overall a lot of the decisions first half did go Hull's way. Largely going by the comments made tonight we do lack quality in the midfield/attack areas which needs sorting. Like Cardiff Hull were a bit fortunate to win at our place today.

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RetroBlue added 20:50 - Apr 13 Those two players barely made contact , shoulder to shoulder. "Soft" penalty is an understatement. And the same player continued to go down like a sack of spuds at every contact by any Town player. Conned the ref all day! I except its swings and roundabouts in the game , and as MM says it tends to even out. But waht I detest more than anything is players that cheat repeatedly throughout the game. Hull definately appear to coach this into their players....or train with Hull KR!!

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IamSpartacus added 21:04 - Apr 13 I thought we were very poor the first half today- particularly N'Daw (can't pass more than 5 yards... if that) and Chopra (who looked like he wasn't bothered). Tabb looked lightweight, Edwards looked his age and the fact we made a poor Hull look slick was disappointing. Cue 2nd half. Better closing down, Chopra actually tried a bit more (but kept losing the ball). N'Daw put a couple of nice passes through (but really should be told to give the ball to someone else when he wins it back as a general rule). The turning point in the 2nd half was Wordsworth. We had minimal invention, no 'round the corner' passes and no..well, quality on the ball. Wordsworth seemed to give that. The problem with Hyam & NDaw is that we are pretty easy to read unless we have pace on the wings (which Edwards, bless him, and Tabb didn't give). The fact Wordsworth got Adnams MoftheM says it all, really. Allied to this was a pretty poor referee... letting 3 poor challenges go early on from Hull, then booking Chopra for a silly chalnge- and then, strangely, ignoring another stamp on Yellow card challenge from N'Daw for an over the ball challenge (I didn't want him to get one, but it illustrates the inconsistency). First half- 2/10. Second Half- 6/10. We are almost clear, could really do with a win against Palace though. For next season, I think Edwards will find himself on the bench more. Stearman would be a decent purchase. Tabb is a no from me. Wide pace much needed. Chopra to leave in the summer please & perhaps 1 Central Midfielder in the mould of Magilton. I'm really looking forward to next season, we won't be grinding results like this then because McCarthy won't have to clean up after a Jewell screw-up. Top 6 next season.... super :-).

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meekreech added 21:22 - Apr 13 On the showing today if Hull do go up theyiwill only last one season as they are no better than us ! They were extremely lucky to have a very one - eyed ref today as at least one of their players deserved to be sent off judging by the bookings of our players ! They were able to get decisions when the same treatment of our players was ignored . I do not normally criticise refs ( except D'Urso ) but I have seen better refereeing at kids games than was on view today !

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Stato added 21:22 - Apr 13 Our crowd very quiet (again) today. Chopra looked out of his depth (again) and needs replacing by Nouble for Tuesday. Start Wordsworth (won a lot of headers today) in place of Tabb. Give JET a start in front of Edwards. Replace Murphy up front with McLean (if fit) and put someone other than N'Daw alongside Luke (I guess we only have Drury?). And give the drums to someone/anyone who knows football and will actually bang them from time to time. Big positive is that our back four could play in championship winning team.

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Fatcatevans added 21:24 - Apr 13 Our midfield is totally bereft of ideas. You can't play Hyam and NDaw and expect to create anything much, Wordsworth looks like a breath of fresh air however an with maybe Hyam and two quick wingers we might get something going. That being said Chopra and Murphy looked poor throughout. I can't buy into the optimism that says we will be top 6 next year providing we stay up. Unless Mick makes several signings we are in for a long struggle.

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blues1 added 22:24 - Apr 13 pip 50. what are you on about. yes of course the 3 teams who come down will have parachute payments to help them out, but then that was the case this season, as many other seasons before now. of those 3 teams who came down last season which one has run away with things ? oh yes, none of them in fact wolves are in the bottom 3 and blackburn only just outside of it. so why should things be any different next season on that front? we will spend money on team building and im confident that mm will get a team together that will improve on this years performance. as for today, 1st half hull were clearly the better team. however it took a dodgy penalty(yes ndaw prob did make it easy for ref to make a decision to award it by running across the pkayer), to give them a lead. 2nd half we were far the better team. was disappointing to concede a poor goal at the end but still only need 1 win imo to guarantee our safety. oh and mark. actually i think youll find that most other results went our way..

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itfc1981 added 23:34 - Apr 13 Pip50 I hope you enjoyed Match of the Day as much as us!
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Help added 07:55 - Apr 14 Quality and class, we have none. One word to describe the first half - Dire, or another abject. 2nd half better, but better then the two options above aint much. So we are filled with other clubs rejects and I mean rejects, except for maybe 2 or 3 players. Hyam only one who tried 1st half. Chopra was lost cause, wonder he even came out 2nd as I would not have noticed if he didnt. N-Daw only played 2nd half as his footballing brain was not in his head 1st half. So if we dont go down this year, and I dont expect much different against Palace on tuesday, then about 8 new players required on contracts with ability, class and quality. If not kiss another year goodbye, because next year the hope for middle ground seems the only target, because I would not raise my hopes any higher. MM biggest job you have ever had, I know it was your task not to get relegated, but with this group of players you are juggling jelly as another ITFC manager once said.

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BergholtBru added 08:03 - Apr 14 Nice to see the usual load of negative garbage on here that always follows a defeat from some people, after what overall was a half decent performance against one of the top teams.
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Keaneish added 08:26 - Apr 14 Funny isn't it that most of the negative comments are coming from posters i've never heard of on here! One defeat, throw in a doom and gloom comment and then never appear on the message board again! Go away, you're boring... Never made the game yesterday but not too disheartened. Fancy us for at least a point Tuesday. Good to see Wordsworth get on the score sheet.
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jas0999 added 08:44 - Apr 14 Interesting comments particularly from those who don't seem to comment when we win or draw. 5 match unbeaten run ended, which is a shame. But credit for the good run of results up until yesterday. Yet again, I agree with micks assessment. Poor first half, decent second. Probably deserved a point, but two mistakes cost us dear. Personally, I thought it was a penalty. Clumsy by n'daw.

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walberswick added 09:01 - Apr 14 we've tested the opinion of the nation and its Div 1 for Town, no more points and chops to throw his toys.
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hossblue added 09:11 - Apr 14 The front two always have to receive ball with there backs to goal, nothing much comes in from out wide. Thought Chambers had a great game man of the match .
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RetroBlue added 10:45 - Apr 14 Seems to be a lot of scummers on here giving us the benefit of their extensive knowledge. Perhaps they should worry about their own teams problems. See you next season budgies!
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