Town boss Mick McCarthy hailed sub Bersant Celina’s “wonderful finish” 89th minute freekick winner during the 2-1 victory at Burton but admitted the result was tough on the Brewers, who had deservedly led 1-0.
Asked whether the script written was when Celina stepped up to take the freekick, the Town fans having spent much of the half calling for the on-loan Manchester City winger’s introduction, he said: "I don’t know but I’m glad it turned out that way.”
Moving on to the terrace calls for Celina to be brought on, he added: "I don’t give a s––e about that, by the way. They don’t go on because of that, let me clear that up.
"In fact there’s more chance of him not going on when they start telling me what to do. And yes, I am a belligerent f–, let’s just clear that up.
"He’d every chance of going on when the game gets stretched. I don’t think it’s a game for him, when we’re having to head balls out and fight and scrap but with 10 minutes to play it is, strangely enough.
"I though Wardy did well and Kevin Bru did well and Bersant, it was a wonderful finish and he's celebrated with the fans and thrown his shirt in and they all love him. He’s maybe given the bird to me with the jump but I don’t mind that, that’s what he’s paid for. He goes on, scores the goal, he’s the hero, fabulous.
"Tell you what, there were some other heroes there today that kept a clean sheet to half-time and kept it to the score it was. They enabled him to do that, good luck to him, he was brilliant.”
OH YES! @Official_ITFC @BersantCelina finds the net and celebrates in style. #ITFC #freekick
âž¡ï¸ @EFL highlights from 9pm on @channel5_tv. pic.twitter.com/n3hgabO9iW– Channel 5 Sport (@Channel5Sport) October 28, 2017
McCarthy admitted that the Blues needed a result going into the match - "For sure, absolutely” - and conceded that much of the afternoon was tough for his team: "At half-time I was tempted to change it then. Not to put Bersant on, just in case you’re thinking that, but Kevin Bru I’d considered.
"I spoke to TC and he made the point that it was the toughest 45 minutes we’d had, certainly with the conditions, [so we decided] let’s see how we get on, enough time to give them a fair crack of the whip.
"I thought Tristan had a tough time today but he’s been brilliant, he’s 17, and it was hard. We played great last week and we got f– all. We’ve not played well today and won. I’ll give all credit to my players for scrapping it out because we’ve had to.”
What a win!! Can't thank the fans enough for the support love you all !!!🙌ðŸ½ðŸ‘ðŸ½âš½ï¸ðŸ’™– Bersant Celina (@BersantCelina) October 28, 2017
He agreed that Burton can feel hard done by: "Absolutely, but it’s not breaking my heart, I have to be honest.”
Quizzed on Celina’s somewhat ambiguous tweet - "Two months until new year. Can’t wait” - which some have taken to mean he’s itching for his spell with Town to end early in January, McCarthy said: "He’s factually correct, isn’t he? He’s a f–-ing brighter lad than I thought he was!
"He’s our player and he might play at Cardiff and he’ll be happy then, won't he? Good luck to him.”
McCarthy confirmed that his loan is for the season - "For 12 months” - and the deal is likely to be along the lines of Tom Lawrence's spell last season which could have been cut short in January but only if agreed by all three parties, the two clubs and the player.
When questioned whether the Kosovo international is frustrated, the Town boss responded: "Ask him.”
Has he said he is to McCarthy, having said he felt his time had come earlier in the season?
"He is [a confident young man], and I’ve also got 18, 19, 20 others that I have to take care of as well.”
The Town boss says he fully understands why fans have taken to him: "I do and I like him when he does that. He’s done great today, hasn’t he? I’m really delighted with him.”
Regarding the derogatory chants aimed in his own direction by the Town support, something which he hoped wouldn’t resurface this season, McCarthy added: "Listen, unless somebody decides otherwise, you’ve got me, boring old big nose, f–-ing fart with 's–-e football' until May. Unless somebody decides different.”
Does it bother him? "It hurts me for the players because it can affect them. It doesn’t affect me, I have to be honest.
"I’d prefer it the other way when we changed the hit parade for six games, but it’s back. I can tolerate it.”
Kevin Bru made his first appearance of the season from the bench and impressed his manager: "He was great, wasn’t he? I said to everybody, in front of all the players, I was delighted with him.
"His attitude has been great. Mind, he hasn’t been ostracised, he’s not been asked to train with the kids, he’s not been pushed out, he’s been training with us and been away and done his international stuff. Really thrilled with him, he deserves a lot of credit for the way he’s played today.”
Does the performance put the Mauritius international, who was told he could move on in the summer, back in his thoughts? "Quite clearly he’s never been out of my thoughts as he’s played today.
"Circumstances dictate certain things. Emyr Huws is injured, Tom Adeyemi’s injured, Teddy Bishop’s injured, Luke Hyam’s injured.
"I’ve got two teenagers [Tristan Nydam and Flynn Downes] who have been doing great but it gets tough for them in the Championship and I thought it was a day to have him on the bench and contribute if necessary, which he’s done. I thought he was good.”
Martyn Waghorn took his total to seven for the season since joining from Rangers with the equaliser.
"Let’s hope that continues, he’s been excellent, everybody’s pleased with him,” McCarthy said.
"He did great with the goal because he was unhappy with their goal because we had a throw-in and it ended up as a corner. And between him and the thrower we lost it and it ends up as a corner and it ends up in our net.
"He wasn’t best pleased, so he made up for that. Good luck to Bersant, he gets the headlines today, it’s wonderful.”
Burton boss Nigel Clough admitted it hurt to lose the game: "That’s going to sting for a while, an awful long while. It was very, very harsh to lose that game today on the balance of the play and balance of the effort that went in, chances created and everything else.
"We scored a goal, we haven’t done that in five and a half games, so that was a bonus, but we should have scored more than one today.
"It wasn’t just chances, it was situations leading to chances. We had great situations in the first half today and didn’t make chances out of them.
"But then we got the goal and there is an element of it not dropping for us in the penalty area without a doubt. And you look at their first goal, the cross has gone in, it’s been half-cleared and it’s just dropped straight in Waghorn’s path. We’d like one to drop for us like that.”