New Blues boss Mick McCarthy was delighted to pick up a victory in his first game as Town manager. DJ Campbell’s first-half goal was enough to see McCarthy’s Blues to a 1-0 win over Birmingham at St Andrew’s.
McCarthy said: "You couldn’t have asked for much better — first game, getting a win, ending a losing streak for the club, ending a losing streak for me.
"I couldn’t really have asked for much more from the players, I felt they gave everything. We had some blocks, a great save.
"It was getting pumped into our box, they’ve got 6ft 7in [tall Zigic] on, he’s difficult to deal with. I thought their keeper made a great save from Danny Higginbotham.
"All in all, it was a fairly even game and I think we deserved to win it. I think the block and the save at the end earned it for us.
"It’s equally as good as somebody beating somebody and sticking it in the top corner. It’s part of the game when you’re 1-0 up.”
Although he says he gave his team words of praise in the dressing room, the former Ireland boss says there were also a few home truths: "I went in and gave them a pat on the back and gave them a bit of my usual caustic soda. I said they should be embarrassed that they’re bottom of the league.
"If they played like that, blocked things like that, I wouldn’t even be doing the job. It’s great to start with a win but they’ve got to do it again for the next 32 occasions. Enjoy that, but it’s a repeat process in terms of the hard work.
"You might not get the result, but at least the levels they showed and the attitude they showed were great.”
One or two players seemed to tire as the game wore on, which was little surprise given that several players, particularly the key men in midfield, were lacking match fitness.
"There’s a few of them not been playing games,” McCarthy said. "Big Guirane N’Daw, who I felt epitomised us, to be fair.
"There are loan players coming to get fit from other clubs. I thought Richie Wellens was terrific. I know his loan is up [after Tuesday], so I’ll have to speak to Nigel Pearson about that.
"I think there were difficult circumstances for Paul, the fact that he’d got so many loans and they weren’t fully fit. Let’s hope we can get them fully fit.”
Another loanee, DJ Campbell, netted the winner against his old club and McCarthy says he’s another he’ll be looking to keep at the club beyond his current three-month spell: "He’s a goalscorer, there’s no question about that.
"He’s another one I’ll having to be talking to the powers that be about to try and keep him. He’s bit of a character, he’s good around the place and I thought he played well.”
Birmingham boss Lee Clark felt his side lost the game in the first period: "We’re disappointed with the first half.
"We’ve come off the back of a good week. We know they’re going to be buoyed by the appointment of the new manager.
"They didn’t do all the things I’d ask of them; to play in Ipswich’s half of the pitch in the first 15 or 20 minutes and get the ball up to the strikers. Play off them, take gambles in terms of the widemen.
"But we didn’t, we played into their hands and the goal’s absolutely dreadful. And it’s not the first time. We’ve told young Nathan Redmond about square and back passes across the pitch — go forward, be positive.
"We should have won the game 3-1 in reality. We’ve had three great chances, two from Nikola, who I thought was excellent when he came on. He usually sticks those chances away.
"We’ve had other opportunities through people like Curtis Davies, so in all honestly we should have won the game.”