Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted that defensive frailties once again cost his side as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa at Villa Park. McCarthy was particularly scathing about the “appalling defending” which led to the first of Albert Adomah’s two goals, which he felt was the game’s key moment.
The Blues manager admitted that lapses at the back had again proved Town's achilles' heel, but felt Bartosz Bialkowski was fouled on the corner which led to the 36th minute opening goal, Joe Garner having had an earlier goal disallowed for a foul on Villa keeper Sam Johnstone, also at a flag-kick.
"Yes, they have again,” McCarthy said. "Prior to the goal I thought it was a foul on our goalkeeper equally as much as it was, if it was, on theirs when we scored. But sadly both incidents were treated differently.
"But it was appalling defending after that. We ran out under the ball and didn’t defend it properly and playing against good players, you get punished. And they don’t need any help.
"I thought we were the best team up until the first goal. And then the game changes. If my auntie had you know what, you’d know what she’d be, she’d be my uncle.
"If we had scored the first goal the place would have been very quiet, it was actually up until that goal.
"But they are if anything efficient and certainly when they got in front, they made it very difficult to play against them.”
McCarthy brought on Emyr Huws and Bersant Celina just after the hour mark but the pair hadn’t been able to make an impression before Adomah’s second of the afternoon in the 66th minute.
"Sad that when subs go on, they like to make an impact but they didn’t even get a chance so we’ll never know whether they would have, had it stayed at 1-0,” he said.
One positive for the Blues was Teddy Bishop making his first appearance of the season from the bench in the second half: "The bog standard sub would have been to put Jordan Spence on for my right-back [Dominic Iorfa] but I really wanted Bish on the pitch and Callum, of course, can play right-back, that’s what he is.
"I wanted Bish to sample 15 minutes of football at this level, which he hasn’t done for a long, long time. If he’s come through it, fine, which he has, it’ll do him good, me good, the team good, the squad good, the fans good and the club good if he’s back playing. Let’s hope we can get him fit.
"Emyr’s another one. They’re both good players, but they’re not good when they’re in the treatment room.”
Dominic Iorfa went off injured in the second half and McCarthy says he isn’t yet sure how serious the problem might be.
"I don’t know yet, I think it’s his hamstring,” he added. "I didn’t really check on that, I’ve just come out to do the media.”
What can Town do to reduce the number of soft goals which are currently being conceded? "We can defend better as individuals and not be naive like we were on Wednesday night, that should never have happened. Be ruthless, that’s something we need to be.
"Maybe had we come away and we’d got three points in our pockets from Wednesday night we’d have all felt better today and when they get their disappointments on the pitch. It’s hard to contend with them, I have to be honest, even as a player myself, it’s tough. We’ve just got to defend better. We’ll keep working at it.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday, the Blues have their game in hand, the rescheduled match at Derby County.
"That’s the way it’s fallen, unfortunately,” he reflected. "It would be nice to have a free week, like other teams are going to have, but we’ve got Derby and we’ll have to go up there and give our best.”
Villa boss Steve Bruce is delighted with his side's form, they've won nine of their last 12 in the Championship, three in the last eight days.
"Since the start of the season, from the first two weeks, we’ve had a couple of losses, of course, which happens, but all in all I’ve been very, very pleased with the way that we’ve performed," he said.
"Today’s never easy, as I said it wouldn’t be yesterday. Mick’s teams are always highly competitive, compete for every ball.
"They’re a credit to him really. There are people out there who probably don’t give him the respect he deserves because it’s not been easy for him.
"But, by God, they’re difficult to play against, they’re up and at you and they’re a threat to any team in this division. They’re a good side, they are.”
Regarding goalscorer Adomah, he added: "He’s had a wonderful return. At the start of the season he wasn’t in the team, so it just shows you, but he’s worked hard and he’s got his reward.
"Playing on the left he looks so comfortable coming in on his left foot and running across the line. He’s a threat, I think that’s 11 goals he’s got which his a wonderful return.
"Long may that continue. There’s no reason he can’t set his sights on getting another 10 at this point of the season. Great, because we’ve got a bit of a threat from somewhere else. Certainly Albert in the last few weeks has done terrifically well.”