Town boss Mick McCarthy believed his side deserved something from their 1-0 defeat at Bristol City with his only complaint with his team the manner in which they conceded Milan Djuric’s 64th minute goal.

Asked whether his side ought to have taken something from the match, which was played in heavy snow and a strong wind, he said: “Yes, I do. We certainly shouldn’t have lost it anyway.

“I think we haven’t had as much of the ball as them but we’ve had as many chances as them, probably more actually, truth be known, but it’s the one that goes in the net that counts.”

He added: “I think my teams are generally well organised and well disciplined, as they were today, but it wasn’t just that, I thought we created chances as well.”

For the decisive goal, Town gave Lloyd Kelly too much time to put in his cross, before Adam Webster was beaten by Djuric and McCarthy felt it should have been defended better.

“Yes, they didn’t get too many crosses in the box,” he reflected. “They got overloaded that side and then I think Adam’s tried to stop him, he should have gone and attacked it and he’s beaten him to it.”

Asked whether he believed Webster might have been fouled, he added: “I thought it was a good goal on their part. I’ve no complaints about it at all.”

At the other end, Town have now gone three games without a goal, although McCarthy felt his team had opportunities: “We’ve created chances there, we’re just not scoring them at the minute.

“There’s not much we can do about that other than keeping going and keeping trying to put it in the net.”

He added: “I’m not bemoaning my luck, somebody’s got to be running and moving in the box and getting on the end of it. We work on that, TC works on that constantly with them, so it’s not just down to luck. Maybe somebody taking a chance.

“Certainly, the last couple [of opportunities], Callum’s header across the box, Jonas struck one across the box, you’ve got to have somebody moving and getting on top of it.”

Is there currently a lack of confidence in front of goal? “Did it look like it? Did anybody fluff their lines in front of goal? Did anybody miss a really good chance? Did anybody look like they panicked. No? Well, there’s your answer.”

Might players not getting in the right positions inside the box be down to a lack of confidence? “I don’t think so, I think we’ve had a really confident display there today but not managed to score and I think we’ve let one in.

“They’ve put the big fella on that cost £1.25 million or something, so he’s got a bit of a pedigree and he’s managed to find the net. That was the difference.”

McCarthy switched back to his three-man backline with Cole Skuse sitting in front of them and Callum Connolly and Grant Ward ahead of the former Bristol City man, which he thought worked well.

“We played Skusey as the central one and played Callum and Wardy as two midfield players just up against them and I thought Wardy played well, to be honest,” he continued.

“I think you could see when they scored how much it meant because I don’t think they thought they were going to score. It didn’t look like they were going to.

“We’ve been well-organised and disciplined and done that side of it well, but I thought we did well as well, I thought we created chances in the game.”

Regarding the less than ideal weather, he added: “Conditions are unusual probably for March, but that’s playing football in England, isn’t it? That’s the way it comes and you never know when the weather’s going to be like that.

“I thought both teams handled it well. My only complaints are that we’ve conceded the goal the way we did. Other than that I think we’ve played well.”

On Thursday, Town revealed striker Joe Garner would miss the rest of the season having suffered a small fracture to his skull in the Sheffield United match.

The 29-year-old had been due to be in the squad on Tuesday, his wife having given birth to their baby earlier in the day, but was eventually left out on medical advice.

“He’s probably got a headache,” McCarthy joked when asked about the former Rangers and Preston man’s condition.

“No, he hasn’t. He’s got a tiny fracture but he had blood in his ear and in his mouth on Tuesday night when he was down to [be on the bench]. Typical Joe, very selfless and willing.

“It was the doctor who pulled him out and on having an x-ray, he’s got a crack [to his skull]. That’s six weeks and in the meantime he’s going to have his shoulder operated on Monday.

“And when that’s better and he can go on crutches, if his knee needs operating on he might have that done as well, so that’s the type of player I’ve got, it’s great.”

Bristol City boss Lee Johnson felt the result was more important than this team’s performance, which he thought improved after the break.

“We played really well tactically in the first half but didn’t have enough intent to make the box and to get in behind, a lot of people were in pockets, good touches, very difficult for Ipswich to play against,” he said.

“But at the same time, dare I say it, on the verge of being boring. The difference between that and the Sheffield Wednesday game [which they won 4-0], every time we stuck five or six passes together, the next one cut the line, the next one either scored a goal or created a chance.

“And it’s a Catch-22 because you want to play football in a certain way. Our distances were too stretched, which dropped the tempo and in the second half we just wanted those to get a bit tighter, play off Milan a little bit more and we did alright.

“It’s a tough game, we needed to win, it was a really big game and sometimes the result is more important than the performance.”

Regarding Djuric’s goal, he added: “It was a great goal, he should have scored before that when the little rebound came off the keeper, but that was a proper, old-fashioned almost like a Duncan Ferguson type goal and the crowd like them. We’ll watch that back a few times, I’m sure.”

Turning to Town and Blues manager McCarthy, he continued: “We had to make sure we were resolute in the circumstances in a very difficult game against a side, by the way, who do very, very well for their resources and what they’ve got.

“I don’t really understand the moans and groans because they’ve got a top manager there.”

Photo: PagePix

Bob7881 added 18:37 - Mar 17 Deluded
2

StringerBell added 18:39 - Mar 17 The use nonsensical rhetoric. The man is a cretin.
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LWNR2013 added 18:42 - Mar 17 All the best Joe!
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Churchman75 added 18:42 - Mar 17 Mick, I watched it on my laptop, we deserved eff all an set up to not score AGAIN. Nobody's questioning your effort and desire but you have taken as far as your ability can. 5 years up, just like at Wolves and time to move on and have a fresh start elsewhere. The same for our club we need a change of direction, - well actually some direction in any form because ME is as usual letting everyone down with this arrogant no show form of leadership.

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Hipsterectomy added 18:43 - Mar 17 who wants to club together to sue this man
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therein61 added 18:43 - Mar 17 Defending the indefensible as always just go away and let this club breathe you are suffocating it
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Gatehouse added 18:44 - Mar 17 Copy paste and repeat copy paste and repeat even super mick seems bored having been a life long town fan Tuesday night was the final straw season ticket cancelled and not returning until he's gone oh and today's game it was always going to end Ipswich Town 0
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kozmik added 18:47 - Mar 17 I'm not sure we should be having a go at him - the man obviously has some sort of mental illness!
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StringerBell added 18:48 - Mar 17 Sorry Bob7881- meant to vote you up. You're right, deluded is McCarthy summed up completely.
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ronnyd added 18:49 - Mar 17 Well organised, yes up to a point. Disciplined, ditto. Dull, certainly.
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Umros added 18:58 - Mar 17 Cut and paste to Birmingham in two weeks.
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howdonblue added 18:59 - Mar 17 Funny even Alex Mathie said in so many words that apart from Webster we were utter pony! We created nothing from midfield (surprise surprise) And the prolific sears couldn't score in a brothal and waghorn was off colour. Come on Evans speak up and end this tripe now So we could bring in our new man before the end of the season and start the clear out and rebuilding
12

DurhamTownFan added 19:00 - Mar 17 Churchman: meant to vote you up! Completely agree. Stale, and needs a change.
1

blue75 added 19:01 - Mar 17 Another game that we try to defend the point listened on radio sounded like the attacking intent wasn't there again. Tried to play it on the floor but I'm guessing that was down to the wind seems the final 3rd of the pitch was beyond us again.
5

jas0999 added 19:02 - Mar 17 I think it's time I stop reading / listening to anything this guy says. He must be saying it for impact and to annoy the fans. It's utter rubbish.
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Swn98 added 19:09 - Mar 17 Brothal?
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carsey added 19:17 - Mar 17 I'm beginning to wonder if other managers praise McCarthy up because they know how rubbish we are with him in charge and it almost guarantees them some kind of result. This season can't end soon enough for me.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 19:19 - Mar 17 "We created chances"? Sorry, Mick but that must have been when I went out for a pee because I can't remember a single time we threatened their goal. That has clearly become the problem. No lack of effort, but absolutely no end product in the final third.
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massivemole added 19:20 - Mar 17 No luck for the Irish Dino, even on st Patrick's day. You get what play far. And by all accounts we did.
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Suffolkboy added 19:20 - Mar 17 Disappointing yet again, but probably unsurprising ,to read a load of emotional claptrap totally lacking in intellect and objectivity ! How on earth can we expect our management team to produce rabbits out of a hat ? We have a squad who work terribly hard ,a group of talented but injured players unavailable , many youngsters now beginning ,but only beginning , to evidence super promise yet not anywhere near tough enough physically ,or mentally prepared, to figure week in week out at Championship level ! True ,thinking supporters would recognise this , prepare for frustration and disappointment against a background of seemingly enormous promise .Dozell, Hughs ,Bishop an Adeyemi ( not sure I've mentioned all ) can bring impetus and enthusiasm and strength to the field of play ; but we don't think they'll be fit this season . So stop this vituperative and totally unattractive whining and moaning ; there is lots to do, and expect but we've a management team with great qualities ,who seem to have instilled consistent values at the Club ,on the training pitches and with the youngsters too ;,lets tell Mr Milne to get his act together ,actually manage ,do something about the pitch AND not be afraid to poke his head above the parapet ! Or am I not picking up some outstanding performances and pronouncements from said gentleman ? ITFC is very special , we go through ups and downs ; the last two managers were individually incapable of actually 'managing ' either the Club ,or the players and staff,yet MM & co have actually taken us well down the road to continued Championship status ,AND shown us there is real hope for a brighter future ! Up the Blues !

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howdonblue added 19:21 - Mar 17 Brothal = Whore house 😎
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christiand added 19:22 - Mar 17 If you don't really threaten the opponent's goal you don't deserve anything from the game. Feel this will be how our season will conclude during the remaining games, it will just grind to halt with few goals or points gained and can see us finishing close to last season's 16th position.
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howdonblue added 19:25 - Mar 17 Suffolkboy you settle for this utter CRAP if you like but others on here have experienced a lot better than the garbage dished up under the Evans regime. Get real
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howdonblue added 19:27 - Mar 17 Apologies for the spelling error brothel noun a house where men visit prostitutes. synonyms: bordello, house of ill repute, house of prostitution; More
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bluehook added 19:28 - Mar 17 HowdonBlue, I wouldn't take too much notice of Mathie's comments. Before being out-muscled for Bristol's goal, he was hoofing the ball all over the place like Knudsen. Sadly for me, the only defender that looks passionate and always plays well is the loanee CCV.
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