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McCarthy: A Draw Fair In the End - Ipswich Town News

Boss Mick McCarthy felt a draw was probably the right result in the end but believed the Blues ought to have gone on to win the game having gone in front. David McGoldrick put Town ahead in the 57th minute with help from Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny, but Ross McCormack equalised from the spot after Luke Chambers was adjudged to have fouled Cameron Stewart five minutes later.

"Probably in the end [a draw was a fair result],” McCarthy said. "We had the opportunity to win it because I thought when we scored we were on top and we could have done better.

"I can’t see on our computer whether it was a penalty. Chambo says he hasn’t touched him, but as I said to him every penalty I ever gave away I realised I hadn’t touched him and every time I was sent off I hadn’t hit anybody.

"I keep looking at it and I’m not so certain, but if you slide in in the box you give the referee the opportunity to blow. That’s my view on it. And then they had a lot of corners, so it was probably even after that.”

He felt the match had got off to a slow start: "The first bit of the first half was a very ordinary game, Championship stuff, a lot of huff and puff.

"I thought [they were there for the taking] the way we started the second half and then got the goal. Brian will be saying it was a rick from their goalkeeper. Both goals were mistakes really.

"I thought we’d got the game by the scruff of the neck and didn’t hold on to it long enough. A missed header, we let them switch it out wide.

"Fair play, Cameron Stewart gets in our box, he attacks the full-back, that’s what he’s expected to do.”

Coincidentally, Stewart was denied a penalty when fouled by Chambers when playing for Charlton at Portman Road on New Year’s Day.

While not unhappy with a point, having got ahead having been in the ascendency at the start of the second half, McCarthy was disappointed not to go on and claim all three points.

"I view it as frustrating because I think we had the game, not won because there was a long time to go and Cameron Stewart was doing his job and McCormack’s done his, [but we had the opportunity to win it].

"But if you’d asked me at the start of the season when I’m looking at the fixtures ‘Would you take a point at Elland Road?’, [I’d have said yes] at any stage, I’m not bothered what they’re going through, it didn’t look to me like they weren’t scrapping for the shirt, the badge or the place, they were all having it for Brian.

"It’s a point. You know my view on it, don’t you? Point in my pocket, wipe me gob, go down the road and get on with it.”

McCarthy confirmed that Saturday’s man of the match Stephen Hunt was left out due to his lack of match fitness: "I would never have dropped him for his performance. Tabby was excellent and I thought Ando was excellent.

"I just needed fresh legs. He cramped up [on Saturday], I took him off, you saw how tired he was. He was never going to go Saturday, Tuesday. It’s great, I’ve got good players in those wide areas.”

He says he left Carlos Edwards out of the 18 due to the groin problem he suffered at the weekend: "I was going to play Ando and if you’ve got a sore groin the last thing you need to do is sit on the bench and be stiff and cold, and then me to ask him to come on after 65 minutes. That’s a model to do more damage.”

Leeds boss Brian McDermott — whose side had lost their last five and not won in seven prior to tonight's game - cut a frustrated figure at his post-match press conference with the Whites’ takeover still ongoing.

"It’s tough at the moment, on and off the pitch, very, very, very tough. They get a freekick in the 93rd minute and something can happen, we could lose a goal and lose 2-1.

"At the moment you have to take that point, I can’t be negative, there’s enough negativity around the place, you can’t be negative in the dressing room.”

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