Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted he was embarrassed after the Blues were dumped out of the FA Cup by Vanarama National League Lincoln City after a 1-0 defeat at Sincil Bank. McCarthy also revealed that central defender Adam Webster is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines - perhaps the rest of the season - having suffered an ankle injury.

“They played well, they deserved to win,” McCarthy said afterwards, admitting that it was his worst result as a manager. “Not in the manner that they did with the freekick at the end, but overall their performance was better than us and they deserved to go through.

“[The freekick] was poorly delivered and Tom Lawrence who has carried us with his performances and his goals, comes in and apologises, but irrespective of that it shouldn’t end up in our net because they cleared it. They’ve deserved it but the goal shouldn’t have come that way.”

How does he explain a Championship side being beaten by a National League team? “If I knew that I’d pack this job in and write a book and I’d tell Liverpool how they should have done it against Plymouth and everybody else, Leeds going back to Colchester all those years ago when I was a Leeds fan.

“I’d have sorted everybody’s lives out, there’d be no cup upsets, there’d be no fun, you wouldn’t be talking to me and I wouldn’t be sitting here embarrassed.”

He added: “Too right I am [embarrassed], we shouldn’t get beaten by a National League side whether they’re top of the league or not.

“But they deserved it, they played better than us, they were more competitive than us. I can’t really give them any more praise than I’ve heaped on them already. Absolutely, they deserved it and I am embarrassed.”

Does the TV audience add to that embarrassment? “If there had only been 9,500 seen my embarrassment instead of how many million, then of course, it does.”

He continued: “I thought they were excellent today, I thought they were very good. They dominated the game. I’m going to give the credit to them.

“We didn’t play as well as them, I thought they were very good today. We can go on and on with this, I’m going to give them the credit. Anything I say is going to be kind of detrimental to them, they were very good.”

Did he feel Lincoln were more up for it? “It would appear so. It looked that way. Yes, I would say they were, definitely. Why that is I don’t know.”

Was he disappointed that his players couldn’t rise to the occasion? “Of course it disappoints me, I couldn’t come in here and be happy about it, I’d have to be disappointed, I’d be a fool if I said I was any other.

“I’m disappointed with the performance and the manner of the defeat and everything that goes with it. But I’ll still congratulate them because they deserved it.”

McCarthy says he’ll take the brickbats that will inevitably come his way on the chin: “I’ve got to, I can’t do anything else other than take it on the chin, as I said however many million people have seen it. Of course I will.”

Was he tempted to stick with the side which beat Blackburn at the weekend rather than making five changes? “No.”

Didn’t he feel it was a game for Andre Dozzell? “I don’t think it was a game for Andre. But no was the answer.”

McCarthy revealed that in addition to the result, defender Webster has suffered an injury which will sideline him for some time: “Adam’s got a bad ankle injury.”

Will he be out for the season? “We’ll see, we’ll find out more tomorrow, he’s had a scan, we need to see the results.

“If we needed any more injury problems, that certainly wasn’t one we can cope with, to be honest. That’s a tough one for him as much as anything as well because he’s been having a great season.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk regarding his future and calls for him to move on, he added: “If Marcus, if the club want to sack me, so be it. If the fans are that sick of me, then that makes life difficult for me at every game all of a sudden.

“When we win it’s OK, when we’re losing it’s ‘Mick McCarthy you’re football is S-H-1-T’ and I’m ‘getting sacked in the morning’.

“There’s nothing between them, I’ve had wonderful support from the fans, I’m not going to complain about them either, they want to see better than that and that was disappointing for all of us, even more so for those guys that have travelled up, paid their money and come and watched a dreadful performance.”

Imps boss Danny Cowley said the win was among the highlights of his career so far: “In terms of an atmosphere or a one-off game that was a great experience and one that everyone associated with Lincoln City Football Club will remember for an awful long time.

“It was a good time to score in the 90th minute, it was fantastic. I thought it was a terrific ball by Adam Marriott. He just delayed it, waited for the support, he timed the pass perfectly, the weight was fantastic and what a brilliant finish from Nathan Arnold.

“He pressed the life out of the game for 90 minutes and to find that energy and to get beyond him in that moment and to have the coolness to round the keeper and score, it was a fantastic goal. And I thought over two games we deserved.”

Photo: Action Images

muhrensweet4thijssen added 06:17 - Jan 18 Walk the line. Fools who say be careful what you wish for? We got rid of Keane... And got Jewell. We got rid of Jewell.... and got McCarthy. The 'fools,' of which I am one, are not saying McCarthy is doing a great job. Or that he is giving us great football. Or that he even deserves to stay in his job now. What we mean is that while the manager is clearly a focal reason we are SH1T he is not the only reason. Would a young manager be able to thrive at this club at the moment with this squad and maybe 2 million to spend? Can we afford a proven championship manager who 'guarantees' promotion? Or will we end up with another out of work/sacked from last job due to apalling results guy (same as last 3 times!!!!!! Not to mention persuading them to come!! The only thing as a plus on the job sheet is a very very patient owner

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KiwiBlue2 added 06:23 - Jan 18 Watched it live on TV. Difficult to know where to start. They looked much more motivated, fitter, and most sadly skillful than us. Our midfield woes were dreadfully exposed. Talk about signing more strikers is futile until such time as we sign a couple of serious playmakers for the midfield. Until that happens our strikers might as well be wearing overcoats to keep warm while they wait for the occasional hoof to reach them. One brighter spot I thought was the effort of Emmanual who tried hard and made several promising runs. I thought Chambers looked better in CB role but that was about it. A stranger watching the game would have thought that we were the non-league side. I know that Williams and McGoldrick are still out but am not certain that they would have made much of a difference due to the lethargic performance of many of those who would have been around them. Worst performance and result that I have seen from an Ipswich "team". Lets pray that a couple of the bids in are for creative midfielders ............. so sad to have reached this nadir.....

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Suffolk_n_Good added 06:41 - Jan 18 Alarm has just gone off, Is this nightmare over yet??...... checks on TWTD, no it's still continuing, no sign of a sacking/resignation..... guess I'll have to go to work, & put up with the pi$$ taking..... but don't worry Mick/Marcus/players.... you just carry on driving round in your flash cars & living in your plush houses, I don't suppose you'll bat an eyelid, why would you?.....

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mattwin added 06:52 - Jan 18 How much longer can this carry on ?? I still don't think ME will sack him even though we have been outplayed by a non league football team TWICE. I've battled for years for my son to be an Ipswich Town fan rather than Spurs like all of his cousins and up until now he loves Ipswich. I'm not battling with this anymore. I will advise him as much as it really does break my heart to support a decent team I can't defend the team any longer. For 14 years now since we dropped out of the Premier league I'm optimistic every game is going to be a turning point where something will click and we will click into gear and move on but that's it now I'm done with it. We all need to make a stand to get ME to open his eyes. Was he in Lincoln last night ?? Was he at home in his £3 million mansion with his butler making him tea watching it ?? Was he not watching it at all as he really doesn't give a monkeys (More likely).....Wherever he watched surely that was enough evidence to sack MM. Pore team selection, Poor tactics, Poor to late substitutions, Poor body language,.......We did not string 3 passes together all night.....Totally EMBARRASSING. As fans we need to stop going to save this once fantastic football club. Let the home attendances slip under 10,000 per game to show that we've had enough. It may finally then sink in. I thought I'd never say this but I'd rather work now on a Saturday afternoon than go and watch Ipswich. I used Have that buzz to go and watch and see us battle to pick up 3 points....Until things drastically change at ITFC I'm staying clear.....

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prebsa added 06:57 - Jan 18 Foxtrot Oscar Mick Out
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oldtimer3 added 07:03 - Jan 18 Lincoln fans sang Your getting sacked in the morning If only if only that was true
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yorksblue added 07:06 - Jan 18 Time for serious protest
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Chondzoresk added 07:14 - Jan 18 If I did my job as bad as McCarthy is doing his. I'd have been drawing dole money ages ago.
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BrandonsBlues added 07:19 - Jan 18 How can we play 5 in midfield and be outplayed in that area? Neither of my sons wants to go to school today for fear of the embarrassment of supporting their home team. Both would rather not admit to being a ITFC fan and pretend to not support any team. As a club we are losing the youth because of displays like this. We are losing supporters of all ages because of the way this club is run from the top down.

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DurhamTownFan added 07:20 - Jan 18 Two things: 1: MM is a Leeds fan-did he learn how to play 'football' by watching their side in the 70s? 2: 'when we win we all say he's great but when we lose he's rubbish'. Erm-no. We've been playing this god awful brand of football for four years and some of us have been complaining for four years!
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jas0999 added 07:24 - Jan 18 Congratulations to Lincoln. I hope Marcus Evans and Mick McCarthy are ashamed this morning. Major injection of funds for new players needed. Won't happen under unambitious Evans though. Micks position is untenable.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:39 - Jan 18 Jas0999... lack of funds doesnt help, but last night and the rubbish turned out is soley down to mick. MICK OUT!!!!!
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truckertractorboy added 07:40 - Jan 18 1 word "ashamed "
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martin587 added 07:45 - Jan 18 Embarrassing,lacklustre,clueless.Not one player had a clue as what to do.Defence dire,midfield nonexistent, even Lawrence had to defend at times.Ten players lacking confidence.A manager void of any idea.The players and Management should hang there heads in shame.A total bebacle. Mr.Evans we cannot continue like this and something has to give.It Looks as though the players have lost the respect for MM. You have to act fast before this once great club is dragged down to a level us supporters do not deserve. 55 years a season ticket holder and I have never been so embarrassed in my life. Mr.Evans,DO THE RIGHT THING,don't let a friendship influence your decision.

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Help added 07:56 - Jan 18 ME has a plan and none of you can see it. Mick loses loads of fans with his abysmal football. Loads do not renew their season ticket at cheaper rate. MM gets sacked, new man comes in, fans buy season tickets at higher price.
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Brandblue added 08:07 - Jan 18 I'm shocked.. Thought I was going to see the headline "mick walks" sorry I've backed him all the way. His got to go now. There's no turning this around. Only player that looked up for it last night was Lawrence.. As nd he isn't even ours.. Douglas.. Best.. Worst Ipswich players I've ever seen.
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LordMamu added 08:19 - Jan 18 I've spent all my adult life in workplaces where I am the only ITFC supporter. I have always been proud of that...only in the last year have I actually been ashamed of it, ashamed of what we have become as a club because of the mealy mouthed silent owner and chief executive, the absurdly high ticket prices, the hideous lack of ambition pathetically smoke-screened by FFP excuses that no one believes but mostly because of the style of football that our club now promotes and is now known for. Everything that we are as a club screams of a contempt at the feelings of the supporters. I am just glad I didn't renew my season tickets but what an awful thing to say that is in itself? Nothing will change unless there is a complete boycott - I think we all know that. So those of you planning to go to the next home again, think again. Do you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution?

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blues1 added 08:59 - Jan 18 Jas0999. No1 is saying we need to spend some money and we have bids in. But last night just proved that it's not lack of investment that's the biggest problem. We were playing against a non league team who's transfer and wage budget are way lower than ours and yer they've totally outplayed us, not once, but twice . And that's down to the coaching and tactics employed by thexrespective

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blues1 added 09:00 - Jan 18 Jas0999. No1 is saying we need to spend some money and we have bids in. But last night just proved that it's not lack of investment that's the biggest problem. We were playing against a non league team who's transfer and wage budget are way lower than ours and yer they've totally outplayed us, not once, but twice . And that's down to the coaching and tactics employed by the respective managers. The only way this is going to change is for the dinosaur called McCarthy leaders ourconce great

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blues1 added 09:02 - Jan 18 Jas0999. No1 is saying we need to spend some money and we have bids in. But last night just proved that it's not lack of investment that's the biggest problem. We were playing against a non league team who's transfer and wage budget are way lower than ours and yer they've totally outplayed us, not once, but twice . And that's down to the coaching and tactics employed by the respective managers. The only way this is going to change is for the dinosaur called McCarthy leaves our once great club. Never been so angry or embarrassed to be a town fan.

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blues1 added 09:04 - Jan 18 Sorry for repeat posts. Phone playing up
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blues1 added 09:06 - Jan 18 Also should read no1 is saying we don't need to spend
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Ferguson added 09:18 - Jan 18 That's not my Ipswich Town. Hang your heads in shame all those who, last night, disgraced the club, the shirt and our proud history.
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GiveusaWave added 09:28 - Jan 18 In Mick we Rust t-shirts are going to sell well in the next few weeks.
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alfromcol added 09:29 - Jan 18 oldtimer3 You obviously weren't at the game. Most people in the ground were singing it!! Including the travelling fans. The most abject away performance I have ever seen. From start to finish Lincoln ran the game.
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