Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted 0-0 was a fair result after the Blues’ Boxing Day game at home to QPR ended goalless and was disappointed with his side’s performance.
"I think 0-0 was about right,” he said. "I said coming towards the end I’d take it now even when he [Josh Scowen] had been sent off, I could just see us trying to force it and getting done on the break. And that nearly did happen, he [Matt Smith] got a shot on target.
"I’ve no complaints about the scoreline. I’ve got complaints about how we played. I’m not really happy with that but happy with the result in the end, I’ll take it, I don’t think we deserved any more.”
Town looked to have had a clear penalty turned down in the final minute when Jack Robinson handled Joe Garner’s header, although McCarthy felt the visitors might also have been awarded a spot-kick when Dominic Iorfa appeared to handle at the other end a minute or so later.
"Ours was a penalty but so was theirs as well, I think,” he said. "The difference is that if we get ours and we score it it changes the complexion of the game completely.
"But Dominic’s, I’ve looked at that as well, and he could have given one for that as well. There’s no point in complaining, is there?”
McCarthy made five changes from the team which lost 1-0 at Wolves on Saturday and says he had no other options aside from the 18 players in the matchday squad.
"Bearing in mind that was everybody fit today, 18 fit players,” he said. "Michael Crowe’s one of them, Adam McDonnell’s one of them and Teddy Bishop, who hasn’t played for however long starting the game.
"I just couldn’t go with the same XI. The worry is that if you start with the same XI and we don’t play particularly well and we get beaten then I’d have to make changes on Saturday. Well, I’ve got choices I can make.
"And, moving forward, looking at the Fulham game, Didzy’s had a game, Freddie’s had a game.
"Unfortunately Bish was getting his game but had to come off. So, there are all those things to consider and five games in 15 days with 16 fit outfield players will be tough.”
Bishop was replaced in the 42nd minute with a hamstring problem and McCarthy says the 21-year-old, who was making his first start of the season and only his second during 2017, the other having been at Rotherham in April, was unsurprisingly downcast having been forced off.
Worked so hard to get to where I was today. Absolutely gutted to say the least but I’ll be back– Ted bishop (@ted10bishop) December 26, 2017
"He’s very down at the moment,” the Blues boss said. "I don’t know in terms of how long his injury is going to be.
"It’s a bitter blow for him and you could see on a couple of occasions when he opens his legs he can make things happen. It’s such a shame.
"I didn’t think we’d get a whole game out of him but I certainly didn’t think I’d be having to take him off in the first half.”
Bersant Celina made an impact when he came on in the 84th minute but McCarthy didn’t feel he should have put the Kosovan international, who is on loan for the season from Manchester City, for longer.
"He had the one little bit,” he reflected. "I was prepared to take a draw [at that stage], to be honest. They changed it and put all the big fellas on.
"The only way anyone was going to score in that game was going to be a scrappy break away.
"He created the one chance, which was good. But, I didn’t [think I should have put him on earlier], like the rest of them I’ve got another three games for him to play coming up and he can’t play in all the games either. He’s a good player but he’s not Superman.”
Regarding his injured midfielders, McCarthy says Cole Skuse is doubtful and expects no one to be back from injury for Saturday’s home game against Derby, although Kevin Bru missed today's game as he was at a funeral.
Asked whether the lack of players means he’s keen for the January transfer window to open so he can add to his squad, he responded: "I need to get players back from injury, that’s more important [than bringing players in].
"I don’t know what we’ll be able to do in the transfer window, we’ll be looking at loans, I guess.
"On a plus side, the lads have been brilliant, they’ve done great and it was a tough old gig today, but they keep going, it’s a point in our pocket, can’t take it off us.”