x

McCarthy: Good Win Against Good Team - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted to see his side get back to winning ways with a 2-0 home victory over Millwall.

"It was a very good win against a good team,” he said. "We got away with one that hit the crossbar. I think they're a good team.

"Somebody asked me why we started slowly, but I didn’t think we did, I thought they were good.

"But we grew into the game and when we got the goal I thought in the second half we were by far the better team.”

McCarthy felt David McGoldrick’s opening goal in first-half injury time couldn’t have come at a better moment.

"I keep saying I’m not so sure there’s ever a bad time to score, but it certainly changed the dynamic of the dressing room,” he said.

"I wasn’t unhappy with the way were going about it but I was a lot happier when we went in.

"Ollie would have been having conceded because they were the better team in the first half, certainly for the first half hour.”

He added: "I wouldn’t say I was happy [to sit back in the first half] but because their two full-backs rampage forward there’s always room to catch them on the break.

"We trained accordingly this week and we actually did catch them on the break because they were having a corner and we’ve speared them from their corner kick.

"If they’re very attack-minded, which Ollie’s teams are, they can leave themselves a bit bare at the back but nevertheless it was still a very good, well-worked goal.”

The Blues boss was pleased with Daryl Murphy’s second just after the hour, having been less than impressed with Town’s set pieces up to then.

"I was livid at half-time about our corner kicks because if you keep chipping them into the keeper’s hands you can’t score from them,” he continued.

"And actually, it wasn’t a great corner kick, but it didn’t go in the keeper’s hands and strangely enough we scored off it, somebody got a header on it.

"I was none-too-pleased with our freekick and corner kick delivery, the keeper kept catching them. That proves it, doesn’t it? If it doesn’t go in the keeper’s hands you can score.”

Neither McGoldrick nor Tyrone Mings showed any signs of sulking having been denied Premier League moves on deadline day, McCarthy felt.

"Tyrone was different class,” he said. "I’d had a nip at his ears about him playing safe because he was, but he wasn’t safe today, was he? He was rampaging up and down.

"Their full-backs are particularly good at doing that and I said to ours that I wanted them to be better than theirs and I thought Tyrone was the pick of the bunch. His back had stiffened up, we’ll see how he is. Hopefully he’s OK.

"[David McGoldrick was] another one that played properly despite the disappointment. I keep being asked ‘How is he?’. I keep saying ‘He’s great, he’s fine, he’s trained really well’ and that proved it today, he was excellent again.”

McCarthy admitted it was difficult leaving out Tommy Smith - "very much so” - and also Luke Hyam: "That was one of the hardest decisions leaving him out because he’s been a stalwart in the team, but he took it in the right way and he was excellent when he came on.”

Millwall manager Ian Holloway admitted that Town deserved to win the match and was disappointed with his team’s second half performance.

"We weren’t as good as Ipswich today,” he said. "At the end of the day it didn’t look like our team, did it? You’ve got to give credit to Mick’s team, how difficult it is to break them down.”

Holloway revealed that he had only six subs on the bench as keeper Tom King was inadvertently missed off the official teamsheet with referee Carl Berry refusing to allow his late addition to the list, much to the Lions’ boss’s annoyance.

He added that his squad had arrived 15 minutes late at the game having travelled from their hotel 20 miles away as his team-talk had overrun.

What to read next:

U19s Beaten in Second Game at Czech Tournament
Town’s U19s were beaten 3-2 by Slovan Bratislava in their second and final group game at the Zlaty Kahan tournament in Czechia yesterday.
Town Continue Pre-Season at Aberdeen
Town face Scottish Premiership Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their second public friendly of the summer this evening (KO 7.30pm).
Town Women to Start WSL2 Season at Southampton
Ipswich Town Women will open their first ever second-tier season with a WSL2 away game at Southampton on Saturday 6th September (KO 2pm) with Nottingham Forest the first visitors to the JobServe Community Stadium, the Blues’ new home, the following weekend.
Morsy: The Best Spell of My Career and Life
Departing Town captain Sam Morsy has issued a message to fans, teammates, manager Kieran McKenna and his staff following confirmation of his move to Kuwait SC, while the squad and ex-players have paid their own tributes to the Egyptian international.
Town Confirm Morsy Exit For Kuwait SC
Town skipper Sam Morsy’s move to Kuwait SC has been confirmed.
Town Announce Matchday Ticket Prices
Town have confirmed their matchday ticket prices for the Championship season ahead.
Luongo Close to Joining Millwall
Former Blues midfielder Massimo Luongo is closing in on joining Millwall following his trial with the Lions.
Eze Nets Twice as U19s Draw Opener at Czech Tournament
Striker Nelson Eze scored twice as an U19 Town side drew 2-2 with hosts Banik Ostrava in their opening match at the Zlaty Kahan tournament in Czechia yesterday.
Young: Working With McKenna Again Was a Massive Pull
New Blues signing Ashley Young says manager Kieran McKenna played a big part in his decision to join Town having left Everton at the end of last season.
Town Confirm Young Signing
Town have confirmed the signing of veteran former England international Ashley Young on a one-year deal.