Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side deserved their 2-1 victory at Wigan despite the home side’s late fightback.

“I thought it was an excellent performance,” he said. “Maybe at the start they surprised me, I thought they’d play 3-5-2 but I knew even if they played 4-3-3, which they did, we were set up to play against that, and I thought our front three would cause them problems whether it was a three or a four and that’s what happened. It was a good performance.

“After the first five, we got a foothold, we got organised a bit better and once we did that we were the dominant force in the game.

“I know there’ll be talk about the last 10 minutes when they hit the post and they had a shot that missed, but we could have been more than the ones up by that stage, I thought.

“It’s nice when a plan comes together and works and I think it did tonight. I can come up with all sorts of high-falultin ideas about what to do and how to play but unless the players buy into it and do it, I’ve got no chance, and thankfully they did.”

Asked whether the recalled Luke Hyam was trying to make a point with his goal, the Blues boss added:“That’s lovely if that’s the case. The last thing I want to do is put somebody in and he has a sulk up. I never expected that he would because he’s such a good professional.

“I think he’s proved that with his performance, and he’s scored, which was maybe one of the reasons he got left out because we haven’t had enough goals from midfield. Well, he’s given me nice headache, hasn’t he?”

McCarthy was similarly delighted for Conor Sammon, who scored his first goal for the Blues: “Thrilled for him. He had one where it just hit him in the first half. I thought he grew into the game. I thought he got better and better, Conor.

“He’s not played a lot, he was a sub at Derby for a lot of games and you need to ply your trade to do it properly and let’s hope he’s going to do that for us on a regular basis.”

Sammon celebrated joyously after netting against one of his old clubs and McCarthy says he’s no fan of the modern fad for players not to celebrate against their previous employers.

“I think it’s bollocks that, personally,” he said. “I think it’s the biggest load of nonsense ever. Are you ever going to go back to that club?

“My club’s Ipswich, I’ve had a few, but let me tell you I’m not bothered about who we’re playing against. If we win I’ll be giving it large, and that’s from every club I’ve been at. My loyalty is to Ipswich.”

He says Jay Tabb wouldn’t have started even if he hadn’t been unwell: “Jay wasn’t playing anyway, I’d left him and Ando out, but he was poorly. He would have been on the bench, but he was poorly so he went home.”

Regarding Jack Collison, who played for the U21s against Huddersfield this afternoon, McCarthy says the offer of a contract is still on the table: “I’ve offered him a short-term deal, exactly the same as Darren Ambrose. If he wants to take it, I’m happy to do it.

“I’d like to help him, he’s a great lad, a great pro, he’s a had a bit of a tough time with his injuries and it could end up being symbiotic deal.”

Wigan boss Uwe Rosler felt Town went into the game with a physical approach: “I felt we started very well in the first 10 minutes and then we lost momentum. I think Ipswich came with a clear plan, they wanted to rough us up.

“They tried to make the game a scrap. In periods they dominated our midfield, we couldn’t get the ball down to the midfield and weren’t strong enough to win a lot of second balls.

“I felt the goals came out of nothing. For the first goal we had I don’t know how many we had in the box but we were watching the ball and not taking people out.

“The second goal was a typical description of the game plan that they had; the long ball bouncing into the defender, it came back, second ball, running from them, then a quality through ball from McGoldrick and we were ball-watching and not staying with the man.

“But in general I thought the response we showed in the last 20 or 25 minutes speaks for the character for the players and the spirit in the camp.

“We should have got something out of the game. When you have 19 or 20 attempts you should get more out of the game and we had good chances, it’s not like we had chances from distance.”

Rosler was disappointed with referee Andy Woolmer and particularly with his decision to only book Christophe Berra for the first-half foul which eventually led to Callum McManaman being forced off injured: “It was a very debatable performance from the referee.

“When you let that go and let players get away with it, then obviously they will do that. I spoke about it weeks ago, a player like Callum McManaman needs to have some sort of protection but you saw the outcome today, he had to come off and it doesn’t look so good.

“I think they targeted him, they wanted to take him out of the game and they succeeded and I would have liked the referee, probably, to have stopped that.

“Watching Premier League football yesterday and the sort of yellow cards they were giving out there compared to the ones given out today, it looked like I was watching two different sports.”

Photo: Action Images

blueboy1981 added 20:40 - Sep 23 TimmyH ......... let it run - some of it is so non factual it's not worth bothering about - in other words - complete rollocks.
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blueboy1981 added 20:45 - Sep 23 How about ALL being happy for 7th spot ? - whilst it lasts, for however long ................................
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irishtim added 20:54 - Sep 23 Timmy h progress has been made and will continue. Blueboy your a scrooge fail to see the progress on a no budget.
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warktheline added 20:57 - Sep 23 TimmyH , I did read your post, for some reason I always read yours,and blueboy's. I'am quite aware that I hold a different stance on Mick's reign, up to now, from yourself, and Blueboy. Blueboy and I beg to differ on many issues, we have spoken on several occasions. But I've noticed in most of your posts, when we win or draw, a continued undercurrent of backhanded compliments. You may call it a balanced view, but to me, it comes over as though your smiling through gritted teeth!

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irishtim added 21:02 - Sep 23 When MM took over we were bottom. Made us safe. Last season progress not short off playoffs. This season playing more expansive footie. Timmy h & blueboy who could improve that on a no budget?
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PJH added 21:10 - Sep 23 I think that you are right about 7th place not lasting blueboy, soon it will be higher.
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LWNR2013 added 21:12 - Sep 23 ........."whilst it lasts, for however long". Blueboy - I know I'm deluded, because you say so, but why do you bother?
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blueboy1981 added 21:44 - Sep 23 ......... same old .............from the same old ......... nothing new there then. PJH .......... GENUINELY HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT. Irishtim ......... undertones of excuse in every post. .......READ my posts correctly, and you will (hopefully) see I have acknowledged progress has been made - and needed to be, because that was the objective - YES ? LWR2013 ....... !!!!!!!!!!!! ................ maybe for the same reason you do - ever thought of that ??

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blueboy1981 added 21:51 - Sep 23 .......... maybe the asylum is best left to the lunatics ............ !!!!!!!!!
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PJH added 22:01 - Sep 23 blueboy-I have only been on this site less than three weeks but I thought that I had got you worked out-now I am not so sure.If you really do want ITFC to do well,as your comment relating to my post above suggests,why are most things you post so negative? I know that it is possible for people to get carried away with what could be temporary success but everything does look good at the moment.Even if you and others do not like MM and/or his way of management it seems to be working at the moment.There does appear to be every reason for optimism and the possibility of promotion at the moment is,in my view at least,at it's highest point since the days of Joe Royle.You have already once queried my knowledge of football and you may well do it again but maybe you(and others)can accept that things currently look very encouraging.

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TimmyH added 22:10 - Sep 23 You know what I feel Mick has done pretty well on a limited budget and has brought 1 or 2 players through, namely Mings and hopefully Bishop (early days) and as we all have mentioned numerous times some good free transfers (McG and Berra) - so Mick is an achiever in this regard no doubt. I don't like to talk about the progress issue as it's something I've gone on about numerous times with certain people but should be very interesting to see how many points we acquire this season. Have to say liking the look of the back 4 at present but do feel sorry for Tommy Smith (barring injuries can see him being on the bench a lot now). So there are positives at present but certainly not getting carried away.

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blueboy1981 added 22:35 - Sep 23 PJH ........ being a Season Ticket holder for more years than you would probably want to know about, my desire to see ITFC successful cannot, under any circumstance , be queried. Not only that, I contribute to the Club financially in various other ways too - substantially may I add. The point I make about last nights match is : - We were awful for the last 15 minutes, and it cannot be overlooked / discarded because if we are serious about play offs / promotion - we have to be better, otherwise against better sides we could / would be pulverised in doing so. Others have blatantly ignored this, in favour of the euphoria of an away win - GREAT - but it doesn't end there. We controlled the game for 75 minutes therefore should have been able to play the game out in a controlled manner - like it or not (being honest) we were lucky to hold out, it was largely uncontrolled mayhem and panic stations. I've been criticised for being TRUTHFUL and REALISTIC - that's not being NEGATIVE. I've been around the game a long time, I didn't arrive yesterday, and I don't get carried away with short term success as you put it - but I always try to give a balanced honest view. I am personally much happier with what is happening within the squad / team that I was earlier, and things are looking more promising that's for sure - but success is deeper than one away win in this league and a couple of home wins, but let's keep it rolling and see where we end up when it all counts. I make no apologies for not getting carried away like some - maybe some of which hardly know the game they watch. I said maybe.

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bohslegend added 22:42 - Sep 23 TimmyH you seem like a reasonable chap. And without trawling over old posts where you (may have) slated MM for various reasons I think your post above is genuine and well considered (not that you need me to say that at all). But people like blueboy and others always seem to be waiting for the team to falter. He calls himself a 'Realist'. What's real right now is that we've won 3 on the bounce and are sitting 4 pts off the top. The progress though is not IMO only on the pitch but off it too. The recent transfer window goings on were a very positive example of how well the club is actually being run despite the doubters.... well, doubts. My old sparring partner NoeltheDub has gone very quiet. As he did following the Fulham game. But you can be sure he'll be back on if/when we slip. Its sad to think there are so-called fans who seem to delight in coming on here slating MM and ME and any given player whenever something goes wrong because football is about winning and losing, good performances and bad, and as fans we should recognise that players, managers and indeed owners will come and go but the club is the club! We are duty bound to support it and stick with it through thick and thin (and God knows it takes faith to be a true Ipswich fan) but I always have been and always will be an optimistic Ipswich fan like many others living in hope that one day soon we'll have our golden era back - and Those, my friend, Will be The Days!

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tractorboyupnorth added 23:01 - Sep 23 Sour grapes Uwe Rosler, what a poor looser you appear to be, and as for the attempts on goal of 17 shots that's no good if only 3 are on target. I think you need to look at your approach rather than blame everyone else. We played well and got in their faces and stopped them from playing not roughed em up idiot. I'd be more than happy as a fan of Town of 32yrs if we did that week in week out. COYB

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ITFCRealist added 23:51 - Sep 23 If 7th is the best we aim for, you lot are even more muppets then Blueboy says you are.
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peaky69 added 04:58 - Sep 24 Can I just say I thought this forum was for commenting on Ipswich, not other posters. Whoever you are, comment til your heart's content about players, coaches, managers, owners and football but please can you all stop lambasting each other for opinions. Now, onto the match, for which this thread is about. We played well for 65 minutes (slow out of the blocks and very nervy late). 65 minutes of good football deserves something and this case it was 3 points. Very concerned that: 1. McLean lost his marker to create Wigan's goal - very poor defending I'm sure MM has addressed internally. 2. Both Berra and Mings are on 4 yellows after less than 2 months of matches. Smith, Hewitt and possibly Clarke will definitely be getting an opportunity. It would certainly be a nice feeling sitting inside the play-offs come the next international break.

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PJH added 08:02 - Sep 24 blueboy,good morning.It seems that we have a lot in common as I am also a long time season ticket holder and also have and continue to contribute financially to ITFC.I was seemingly wrong in my initial belief that you were one on those "waiting for something to go wrong" but it is obvious that there are some like that on this site.My sincere apologies for getting the wrong impression.I agree that we were very much hanging on at the end of the game on monday but do think that over the 90+ minutes we deserved to win.It is very rare for any team to have a game under control for the whole 90.I think a difference between us is the balance between optimism and pessimism,this is not to say which view is correct-I imagine that you will see your view as realism.As peaky69 says, we should all be talking about ITFC,bye for now.

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GiveusaWave added 08:49 - Sep 24 Can't believe people here are happy with 7th. First or second gets promotion, not 7th. Seriously, we are getting far too used to mediocrity. If we were 7th in the Premier League....that might be more of a reason to celebrate at this point. Where has the ambition of this once mighty club gone?
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GiveusaWave added 09:00 - Sep 24 Agree with Peaky69's assessment of the match. First 65 was very good, then we gradually faded away and the last 15 minutes was like a gunfight at the OK Coral. We were murdered by Wigan and somehow escaped with the 3 points. Yes; a great 65. But a match lasts 90 + injury time. As soon as Bishop ran out of steam, the whole team seemed to run out of steam. Hate our "Hoof Ball" tactics. Its not the way to play football as far as I am concerned. What does our training consist of? Are players just told to line up in our penalty area and for hours on end told to kick the ball as far as they can? Granted, Murphy does a great job of latching onto these "hoof balls"; but its so tedious and so boring. Everytime we get the ball its "hoof, hoof...hoof". I for one do not accept the way the club is going. We should be in the top 2 right now and competing with our rivals Norwich for straight promotion. We should be destroying teams like Millwall, Brighton and Wigan.

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blue_steele added 18:16 - Sep 25 @bohslegend that's really beautiful sob..... sob..... sob......
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bohslegend added 19:14 - Sep 25 @blue_steel I thank you!
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