Town boss Mick McCarthy was pleased with his team’s performance as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Cardiff City but was unhappy that Kenneth Zohore’s 65th minute goal wasn’t ruled out for handball by the Danish striker. McCarthy also revealed that David McGoldrick could be out for the rest of the season having suffered an injury in training.
"I’m very disappointed, I thought the lads were excellent, they gave everything as usual. They were just very, very good,” McCarthy said.
"Having lost a few players in the last day, the lads that came in, I thought they were great.”
A game of fine margins? "Yes, and bad decisions. I thought the defenders were all right, to be honest. Playing against 6ft 5in tall centre forwards, somebody may well beat one of my players in the air.
"I didn’t think the freekick was a freekick to start with. It was Chambo and Gary Madine. I didn’t realise Madine needed any help because he’s a big old lump. I thought the two of them were just fighting for it, I thought it was a really soft freekick.
"And apart from him [Zohore] handling the ball with both hands which just allowed the ball to stay in the centre so he could toe poke it in, I didn’t think there was much wrong with the goal.
"I’ve just been to see the referee and he said it wasn’t intentional. I have to tell you, I gave some penalties away when I was playing that hit my hand and weren’t intentional. I never meant to handle the ball ever!
"It hit both his hands and it wouldn’t have stayed where it stayed unless it hit his hands. The referee’s seen it and deems it not a freekick, I think that’s a bit harsh.
"You’ve got to rely on people to give a decision. If he’s seen it and said it’s not a penalty then I can’t do anything about it, he said it was accidental.
"I think if you’re a striker and you’re running through and it accidentally bounced up and hit your hand and popped up in front of you and you volleyed it in the net, I think you might find he’s giving a freekick then. Hey ho.
"Listen, I’m happy with the way the lads played, I was delighted with the team, they gave everything.”
McCarthy also felt Town might have been awarded a late penalty: "I just asked the referee about that. He’s given a freekick against Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Halford’s looking at Cameron, he’s got both his arms around him. And, of course, Cameron is such a big fella.
"Look, he didn’t give [the decisions], so he obviously didn’t think they were [a freekick and a penalty to Town]. The fact that I think different isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference, is it?”
McCarthy says fielding Bersant Celina, Freddie Sears and Grant Ward as his attacking trio was partly due to injuries but also as a way of seeking to address Cardiff’s physical presence at the back.
"Of course, Joe Garner’s struggling, his knee’s been bothering him and Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday isn’t going to do him any favours at all," he added. "Waggy had run his race on Sunday
"Didzy was due to play, I have to be honest, and he’s damaged the tendon in his groin, he’ll probably be out for the rest of the season.
"Muzzy Carayol was suffering with diarrhoea and sickness today. It was going to be Didzy, Muzzy and [Bersant Celina] similar. But it turned out two of them weren’t fit.”
He added: "I was really pleased with the front three, even more so when lads get their heads up [late]. Freddie got it yesterday because Didzy did it in the warm-up, so I told Freddie then, but Wardy just got it tonight. I thought they were very good, yes. Very pleased with them.”
Regarding McGoldrick’s latest injury blow, he added: "He’s had some bad ones and they all seem to be long ones. And it was nothing, it was so innocuous really.”
Asked whether the Ireland international has played his last game for Town with his contract up in the summer, he said: "Let’s wait and see. I’m not going to give you that headline, or anybody else for that matter. We’ve got to wait and see, but it does look like a bad injury.”
Quizzed on whether there have been any talks with the 30-year-old regarding a new deal, McCarthy responded: "No.”
Despite putting in decent performances for the most part recently, Town are struggling for goals, particularly at home where they have netted just two in their last seven matches.
"You’re always hoping that they come, but you work hard on the training ground to try and make them come,” he reflected when questioned regarding the lack of goals, the Blues having been one of the division’s higher scorers in the early months of the season.
"No, it’s not been a good run of form. But we’re not playing any differently. I think I’ve probably used the fewest players in the league and one or two are just feeling it.
"Joe’s been going out there getting him out there to play, Didzy, is he picking [the injury] up because he’s played a lot of football? I don’t know. We’ve had a helluva lot of injuries and I think one or two of them are feeling it.”
Does he believe performance levels are different in this latest run to earlier in the season? "Without analysing it a bit more closely than immediately after the game I don’t know. I don’t think so, we’ve not tried to do anything differently.
"I’m pleased with the performance. I don’t think their keeper’s made many saves but I don’t think Bart’s had anything to do either. If we’d come away 0-0 I’d think it was a fair result.”
Cardiff boss Neil Warnock also had injury problems before the match and lost his skipper Sean Morrison in the first half.
"In terms of injuries, and then Morrison coming off, it couldn’t get any worse really. It’s like Emergency Ward 10,” he said.
"All credit to the lads, they have been fantastic. Some are playing out of position and others haven’t played for a long time.
"Gary Madine probably wasn’t fit to play and yet he had to come on. I couldn’t see us getting anything without him coming on.
"I thought he changed the game and it was a nice sweet strike by Kenneth to win it! It was always going to be a real awkward, horrible, bouncy thing — I love to see them go in.
"I think Kenneth enjoyed the pressure being off him with Gary playing up there alongside him. Hopefully we can get a few bodies back before we play Bristol City at the weekend.
"It was a horrible game, wasn’t it? But Mick’s lads really put a shift in for him and he should be proud of them.
"I said to the lads at half-time ‘You know what happens when Morrison’s not playing’, so why don’t we win tonight without him.”