Mick McCarthy admitted that his side were poor in the second half as his hometown club Barnsley staged a comeback to draw 1-1 at Portman Road on the first anniversary of the Blues boss taking over at Town.
McCarthy said: "We were all right in the first half, took the lead and it completely changed around in the second half. They played well and we were poor.
"Don’t ask me the reasons why yet, I’ll have a look at it. Maybe they did to us what we were doing better to them in the first half. We were on the front foot. In the end, it turns out to be a good point because we could have been beaten.”
Regarding the Blues late claim for a spotkick, he had no argument with referee Andy D’Urso’s decision: "It’s not a penalty. I haven’t seen an angle that tells me it’s a penalty. I’ve got no gripe with the referee about it at all.
"It’s one of them, the home team, we suddenly found five or 10 minutes of a bit of excitement because Frank had closed the ball down and the game changed a bit and everybody’s baying for blood. Anywhere in the world everybody would have shouted for a penalty and I’ve looked at it and not for me.”
He says he is disappointed with Aaron Cresswell for getting himself sent off for foul and abusive language, which is punished by a two-match ban, after the final whistle but understands why it happened: "Of course I am. It was borne out of frustration, we’ve not played well, we’ve drawn and not continued the first half performance. It was his man that put the ball in the net, all of that.
"You know what, been there, done that. Actually, I never got sent off for swearing, it was usually physical assault, which sort of made it worthwhile. But it’s still the same.
"Fair play to Cressy, he’s been and apologised to the referee for it. It takes a bloke to go and apologise at that time.”
He says there were some positives to take from the match: "We didn’t get beaten. Murph got a great header, a thumping header. I thought we put great corners in, I thought we could have had some more.
"First half, it was just a scrappy Championship game. How does it change, the impetus, the force? I’m not quite sure. I’ll have a look at it on Monday, we’ll watch it again.
"But we got another point, we didn’t get beaten and on a different night we could have lost it. And we kept going, not playing well. Barnsley played well, we should congratulate them, they played well.”
McCarthy says he has no problem with fans booing at the end, as they did at the final whistle, but was less impressed with boos which came earlier in the match: "I’m cool with that at the end.
"What I don’t appreciate is boos when we were trying to play in the first half and we end up keeping it and trying to be considered with our football.
"Because in one breath people will say to me ‘We’ve played some really good football’. And they you try and play some good football and don’t put the ball in the box and it gets a bit frustrating because it’s 0-0 and then the jeering starts. I can’t be doing with that. Afterwards, cool with that.
"Put a bit of pressure on us, by all means, because I think we should be in a better position. We’ve not played well in the last two games, certainly in the second half today. In the first half we were arguably the better side.
"By all means, I’m cool with that after the game. Disappointment, I’ve not exactly enjoyed it myself.”
Barnsley boss David Flitcroft was impressed with Town before the break: "First half, for 20 minutes we couldn’t withstand their pressure and intensity. I thought they were excellent.
"To get a point here is really pleasing because I think they’re in a false position in the league, I think they’re a top team with a top manager, who knows how to get the best out of players.
"That’s a fit team, it’s a high energy team and they’re going to score a lot of problems for teams at home.
"Delighted to get a point, but on the second half performance and chances created, possibly we deserved three points and I’ve have put all my money on Jason Scotland finishing that chance.
"He’s the player that you want on the ball at that time with his composure and I’d have backed him to score that.”
Should Town have been awarded a penalty? "They’re vocal when they go for a claim they really go for it. I don’t think Frank’s dived, I really don’t. I just think it’s a coming together, Jean-Yves M’voto’s quite aggressive. I’ve not seen it back, so if I’ve got it wrong, I’ve got it wrong. It would have been a soft one.”