Boss Mick McCarthy felt Manuel Almunia’s save from Luke Hyam’s second-half header changed the course of Town’s 3-1 defeat at Watford. The former Arsenal man tipped the midfielder’s header onto the bar two minutes before Gabriele Angella netted the Hornets’ second goal to put them back in front.

“It was a game-changing event,” McCarthy said. “I think that saved the game for them and our piss-poor marking from a freekick, and that’s as a team, let Angella run in.

“It was a great delivery from them, it was good movement from them and it ended up being a good header, but he should have got nowhere near getting on the end of it because he should have been stopped.”

The Town boss was pleased with his team’s overall performance: “I thought our boys were fabulous in the first half. I thought we started the first half well, I think they scored with their first attempt.

“That was poor, but whenever you score one it’s a great goal. They’ll think it is, but it was awful that we allowed him on the inside to shoot. That’s not like us.

“I thought we were excellent in the first half, I thought we started really well. In the second half, I think we let them off the hook, I think we’ve let all the other teams off the hook as well by conceding the second goal we did. Three minutes after we hit the crossbar we’re 3-1 down.”

Yesterday’s scorelines elsewhere benefited the Blues but McCarthy says they only matter if you win your own games: “You have to look after your own result, that’s my mantra. Everybody else can do whatever they want. If we win there’s nothing anybody can do about it.

“It makes it harder for Monday. But who knows we could have won today and got slapped on Monday. I’ve no idea, if you ask me how it’s going to pan out, I haven’t got a clue — Monday.

“I can’t do anything about this game. Our performance today, up until the second goal, I thought we were outstanding.”

The Town manager felt his front three of Daryl Murphy and Frank Nouble either side of Jonny Williams worked well: “I thought it was great, I thought we played really, really well.”

McCarthy expects Williams to be fit for Monday’s home game against Bournemouth, having substituted the Wales international as a precaution late on.

“He gets battered, he kicks from pillar to post in every game it seems but he’s a tough little bugger,” he added.

“He’s got his ankle iced up but he’ll be all right I’m sure. I really wanted him fit for Monday and I think he will be.”

Watford manager Beppe Sannino, speaking through an interpreter, was pleased with his team’s win: “We played a good game against a very good team today. This gives more value to our victory.”

Like McCarthy he thought Hyam hitting the bar was the pivotal moment: “I think the turning point was when they hit the crossbar.

“From that moment we were able to play good football, we were looking to score and we did well and we scored two very good goals.”

Elsewhere, on-loan Blues skipper Carlos Edwards played the full 90 minutes as Millwall won 2-1 at Middlesbrough to climb out of the relegation zone and up to 20th.

Photo: Action Images

alfromcol added 20:55 - Apr 19 Great atmosphere at the game. So many inflatables. Pity about the result. Watford had 3 chances and took them all, we didn't, difference between the teams.
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blueherts added 20:56 - Apr 19 Spot on Letchworth - Teams now will kick JW out the game and attack our right hand side LC was caught afew times and got away with it Still we have a team built on marbles so when you look at some of their 'Big time charlies' and others below and around us we aint doing too bad ! Monday will be tough - I just hope JW is fit and we get to see Marriott at some point He should have come on today at 3-1 ! Nothing to lose and we bring on GREEN !!

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alfromcol added 21:00 - Apr 19 Have to ask why Green came on with Marriott on the bench. A chance missed for the young lad to show us what he could do. We still give the ball away too often with unforced errors. An exciting game but a disappointing result. Super support, second to none.
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LiamCP123 added 21:24 - Apr 19 Omg we lost a game and we're 1 point behind, IT'S ALL OVER!! -facepalm-
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jas0999 added 21:28 - Apr 19 Goalkeeper situation is Real issue for us. Theirs pulled off a great save. Ours are not capable of doing so. Hoe mick signs a new keeper in the summer.
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TimmyH added 21:47 - Apr 19 Gerken is ok but if you look back through the years of the last decade you'll find he certainly wouldn't be in the top 7 or 8, we've had some good goalies be it on our books or on loan so agreed one area to be looked at the other area is obviously the midfield, big big overhaul needed in my opinion, what one player other than Williams would you say has performed fairly well this season and the answer is none! As another poster mentioned earlier not much to choose from numerous teams from 6th down to about 14th really just a 'step up' in quality within the squad needed next season if we don't get in the play-offs and less players playing out of position.

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Suffolk_n_Good added 21:53 - Apr 19 Bogey team, they had 3 shots all game, scored 3 goals, we hit the woodwork after there keeper makes the save of the game, it just wasn't going to be our day, but come on guys, we're only a point off, 2 home games to play, let's be positive! Massive crowd expected in Monday, if we give half the support of the blue army today we'll take the roof off!! Glass half full, we'd have snapped your arm off to be in this position at the start of the season!! Let's hear some noise for the Tractor Boys! Blue Army!!!!!

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Paulc added 22:26 - Apr 19 @boredofthisnow - you are a bell. @Bluetone that's the most idiotic comment(the one about MM not having a clue) I think I've ever seen. I don't doubt your loyalty but questioning the way the club is run now compared to how things were done in the 40's is ludicrous. I work with people who are afraid of change and in my experience those people get left behind. I don't agree with all at the club, but times change and let's be honest ME could have pi55ed off with his cash a long time ago. Playoffs for me this season was always going to be a bonus, after the dross we suffered under that clown Jewell I'd still have been happy with a top 8.

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blueboy1981 added 22:31 - Apr 19 alfromcol ........... needing to score , then bring on Green instead of Marriot - who in their right mind can see that as being logical ???
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Cheshire_Blue added 23:49 - Apr 19 Poor defending cost us this game.
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del45 added 23:51 - Apr 19 2 goals down 30mins to play have to make changes bring on 2 midfield leave both forwards on the bench good tactics ?? M M.
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battyblue added 06:13 - Apr 20 Some of MM decisions are unbelievable looked like we were going for the draw when we were 3-1 down with the substitutions made and way to late to have an impact should have been Murphy and Nouble off Marriot and Taylor on the minute we went two goals behind and bringing on Green i wouldn't call him an impact sub somehow .
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mow_the_lawn added 10:12 - Apr 20 So disappointed to see Green coming on and he kept under hitting his passes. Just not comfortable on the ball. I thought Woody was one of our better performers. Strong in the tackle, good passing and got forward. Green came on with no discipline and just chased the ball like a school kid. Wasted sub there. Hunt and Taylor should have come on much earlier and so should young Jack, nothing to lose bringing on an exciting forward that the opposite don't know how he plays.

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BlueHennee added 10:25 - Apr 20 Agree 100% with roytheboy. The last person I expected to come off the bench was Paul 'too slow lost the ball again' Green! 3-1 down surely the ONLY thing to do is chuck on 2 more strikers. If you're not going forward than the opposition IS! Why not go for it & get the flair of Taylor along with the youth & enthusiasm of Marriott & see where it gets you. No plan B. Team set up wrong right from the start. We play best when we use 2wingers 1st half & then scare the begeezers out of them with a herd of strikers in the 2nd half! Very disappointed...again. Love MM but poor tactics today!!

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Surco72 added 14:12 - Apr 20 MM again says poor defending cost us , how many times is that now this season ? Yet the same back four play week in week out unless of injury
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TimmyH added 15:47 - Apr 20 Strangely 2 of our best players this season have been defensive yet we aren't as tight at he back as last season under Mick (maybe RB/GK issues?). Personally felt Mick gave up on the game yesterday once Green had come on and was thinking about 'saving legs' but that still doesn't make any sense why he didn't bring on Taylor/Henshall or Marriot earlier. Like to see Taylor and Williams start together tomorrow and Mick get this idea of a 1 up top striker out of his head!

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theobald1985 added 18:21 - Apr 20 back 4 are great but DG is not up to championship standard. loach would do a better job or ideally if loach goes the lad walker from col u would be good. mcarthy too negative and too long ball for me
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brittaniaman added 20:12 - Apr 20 Bournemouth have advantage of 24hrs. extra rest over us,, plus Eddie Howe was at Watford and then to cap it all he was a guest on the Football League Show !!!!!!! Talk about knowing us he certainly does now
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