Boss Mick McCarthy is still unsure how many points the Blues will require in order to confirm their Championship status fir 2013/14. Saturday’s last-gasp 1-0 victory over Derby at Pride Park took Town up to 14th in the table on 53 points, six from the drop zone.

“I’m not very good at hard questions,” joked McCarthy when asked how many points would ultimately be required for survival.

“I’ve no idea. I remember when I came into the job in November I thought it would be 50 points because that’s generally the case.

“But it’s looked like it’s going to be more. It has been bonkers, the whole league. We’ve come off when we’ve won and everybody else has won and I said that at some stage that will stop. Not all the bottom teams can keep winning.

“We worked hard, we fought our corner but we got lucky at Derby. Or was it a good [penalty] save? The strike at the end wasn’t lucky, it was a great strike.”

While the Blues were fortunate against the Rams, the rub of the green has gone against them in previous games with McCarthy a firm believer in the old adage that in time these things even themselves out.

“I think it does over a season,” he said. “It’s easy to be magnanimous when I’m sat here and we’ve just won but I did say that when we lost, so I’m not just being smart now.

“I did say that [at Forest] and I did say that when we were at Bristol City and we played ever so well and we didn’t get any luck, but it does change.

“You have to believe that you get a fair ratio of good and bad decisions and good and bad performances when you win and lose.”

Despite admitting that his team’s display was well under par, the spirit he has instilled since he took over at the start of November was again evident.

“They’ve been fabulous, that’s been right through the club since I’ve been here,” he said. “Without that we’d have been out of the league now. The players deserve a huge amount of credit for that, they’ve been excellent.”

Saturday’s fifth clean sheet in a row equalled a club record — the last time Town achieved similar was towards the end of the 1996/97 campaign — and was the seventh time in eight matches that the Blues had prevented the opposition from scoring.

The only goal in that time came from Nottingham Forest, Lewis McGugan's deflected effort when Town were down to nine men. The Blues have also now gone 10 away matches without conceding a first half goal, a new club record.

Given Town’s previous defensive fragility, McCarthy is delighted: “It’s a really good record of clean sheets.

“Somebody can always find the negative in that, someone asked me [last week] about keeping clean sheets — ‘Why don’t you score some goals?’. Well, six 0-0 draws between then and the end of the season, I think we’d stay up with that, so I’ll take three more now.”

Scott Loach has been in goal for the last three clean sheets, having registered another in his previous game, the 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough in February before a thumb injury saw Stephen Henderson return to the side.

The 24-year-old saved his second penalty of the season from Jamie Ward at Pride Park, Huddersfield's James Vaughan having taken the first in the 2-2 draw at Portman Road in September.

McCarthy says Loach watched footage of Derby’s recent spotkicks — Saturday’s miss was their fourth on the trot — on Friday and on the day of the game and he says he is pleased with the former Watford man: “I was delighted with him.

"I was giving him stick for some of his kicks when he kept kicking it out of play, but that’s just me being a pedantic manager and I’ll keep doing it. But he played well.”

Did the result finally mean that the Blues boss can see some light at the end of the tunnel? “I don’t know, but I’ll enjoy my beer tonight.”

Photo: Action Images

warktheline added 12:53 - Apr 8 No chance of going down, as previously stated.Our form is top six status.Bristol City were gone two weeks ago.Huddersfields goal difference is worst in league,Blackburn and Leeds are in free fall.Thats not to mention other teams with fewer points than us.MM and TC have worked wonders with the squad they inherited.Keep grinding MM.
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wkj added 12:59 - Apr 8 the irony is here we have every chance of finishing higher than our last season finish in which we felt safer from the drop sooner. funny old game and to quote the wise old owl... barmy bonker sleague
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wkj added 13:03 - Apr 8 in fact male that last three seasons final standing
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wkj added 13:04 - Apr 8 in fact make that last three seasons final standing
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 13:08 - Apr 8 Ippylife. You want more experience in the team?? How's about jimmy Bullard and lee bowyer eh? They're available and we did SO much better with them!
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ippy4life added 14:27 - Apr 8 WhoisJimmyJuan, yes I would be happy to see Bullard and Bowyer back, they were both great players for us.
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NoCanariesAllowed added 14:36 - Apr 8 I don't think we need to worry too much about "what points total equals safety". I know there are tough games coming up, but with the rate Mick McCarthy's side have been picking up the points throughout his tenure, they literally just need to keep doing what they're doing and they'll be fine. I think when (and hoping it is just "when", not "if") we do get enough points to secure our safety, it'd be interesting to see what will constitute a top half finish this year. Five games left and two points away from 9th is a bonkers position for us to be in after the season we've had.

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Girty added 15:29 - Apr 8 I have just called the ticket office requiring ST prices after Fridays deadline, apparently they have no idea what the “significant increase” for renewals will be, I was told the “frozen prices” are exclusively for the Early Bird deadline. I am livid they don't give a hoot for existing fans!
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wkj added 15:39 - Apr 8 I think the amount
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wkj added 15:40 - Apr 8 of tickets sold by the deadline will dictate the price of the regular season ticket price; to be honest getting the early bird on a direct debit is probably smarter than waiting for enough savings to acrew
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RetroBlue added 15:56 - Apr 8 Ippy4life = TRILLMUNCHER . Bog Off Budgie boy, like most of you inbreds , you're thick as two short planks!
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Fatcatevans added 16:35 - Apr 8 Ippy4life is like rob Steroo on the eadt site. A budgie infiltrater just trying to wind us up. Let the little boy go play with the traffic
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jas0999 added 17:29 - Apr 8 Still think we may need 56/57 points to be absolutely sure. I feel confident we will get another 4 points from 5 games with Mick at the helm. Excellent job to date.
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blues1 added 17:36 - Apr 8 wickets. you not remembered quite right. after a dismal start to the season we , as you said had a decent run that gave us hope before failing to win in the last 13 matches. so this season not quite the same but know what youre getting at. we certainly musnt rest on our laurels but am pretty certain we gonna be safe.
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runningout added 18:44 - Apr 8 We are NOT safe yet.. cannot rest in this league whether in top or bottom half.. if you dont know by now, I wonder :/
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ippy4life added 18:53 - Apr 8 Guys, I am not from Norwich, subsequently, I also do not support the team. I was born in Ipswich in 1958 and have spent many of my years as a season ticket holder at Portman Road. I do not understand how you can jump to the conclusion that I am a Norwich fan. I believe that 'Those Were the Days' is a brilliant website that allows the fans of Ipswich to voice their opinions, some times more irate than others!!! Ha Ha. I stand by my opinion and hope that you can expand your minds and allow in the fact that other people have their own opinion.

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LankHenners added 19:29 - Apr 8 Whether ippy4life is posting pessimistic comments because he believes in them, he gets a kick out of annoying people, or he has nothing better to do, it is certainly just to gather some attention. I agree with your "everyone's entitled to their opinion" attitude, but negativity is not what we need. If you really do feel this way, then keep it to yourself and try to show an ounce of hope for the team that you grew up with. You are not a true fan.

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ippy4life added 19:45 - Apr 8 HennersITFC, I assume you are called Henry. I am pleased that you think that everybody should have their own opinion, I respect that you do not agree with my views. However I feel that you have contradicted yourself when you say that I should keep it to myself, this website is based on giving people the ability to voice their opinions, and now you are saying that I should not have that right, so really what you are saying is that everyone can have their own opinion as long as it is the same as yours. As for your comment about me wanting to gather attention, I think that this is absolutely ridiculous, The whole point of this is so that people can put their own thoughts, I put mine and it turns out that not many people agree with me, I respect that but still have my own views. I AM a true fan and the team have my total backing, like every Ipswich team before has had.

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bluelodgeblue added 19:47 - Apr 8 Hi Guys Just support the team in a positive light and leave the pond life to flounder in their own comments. True fans will always rise to the top!
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BigAlwasmyhero added 20:01 - Apr 8 Ippy4life. Totally agree that you're entitled to your opinion, that's exactly what this site is about. I'm happy with getting plenty of negative comments but re-read your original post. Every sentence is a negative, nothing constructive in fact every post you put on this site is negative and probably designed to wind others up. you're not fooling me with your Ipswich fan for life. I still believe you're an infiltrator! I'm sure we've got our own spies on your teams site :-)

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theobald1985 added 20:40 - Apr 8 ManningtreeBlue99 your assesment of the team is ok ut to just give 'not good' as your assesment of lee martin is not good enough. thats like a 4 year olds assesment of a play they did not like. whats not good. I would say micks assesment of lee would be different given he always plays him when fit and available. Martin was key to are revival under mick. You say cresswell has done well but some of that is playing behind lee martin his job is made easy. Mick is keeping things tight so he does not have as much freedom to attack but he is a very good player. I player with great desire to work hard for the team. Quite why he has been chosen as the latest player to pick on i dont know. Maybe just maybe we should get rid of this habit of always having a player we pick on. Its not nice and its not helpful

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ippy4life added 20:42 - Apr 8 BigAlwasmyhero, to start off, Lovin' the name bro. I have re read my original post and believe that I have said something constructive when I said that we need to get more experienced players, that is saying how I think we could be improved and is, therefore, constructive. I would like you to return to my first comment and read it again because you are in fact wrong. I must confess that you do have many fans on my clubs site because I support Ipswich and would hope that everyone on this site is also an Ipswich fan.

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IvorFeeling added 20:47 - Apr 8 wkj - agree with you re points total but want another 3 on Sat and that would surely be enough as Jas states. Don't agree with you sympathising with the BB fans as those muppets abused SKeane when they were 5/6th and the club, the way it is run, deserve to go down. Love that to happen and for us to re sign Rhodes at a knockdown price. I like to have my cake and eat it - Lol My predication is any two from Wolves, BB & Huddersfield to join BC. Dean Saunders to lead 2 different clubs to successive relegation, the haunted ghost that is RKeane and the cheeky scouser that was PJ makes me realise we are so lucky to have Super Mick.

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martleshamitfc added 20:56 - Apr 8 Ippy4life - why do we need to get players in defence - we have just equalled the club record for clean sheets? the defence cannot do much more than that!
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Keaneish added 21:20 - Apr 8 I agree, ippy4life is talking litter strewn barnyard. Why more experience? Why more defenders? Why are we relying on Chopra and Martin? One more win for safety. Delighted to see Blackburn in the bottom three. I'm dreaming of a release clause in Jordan Rhodes contract! Huddersfield, Blackburn and Bristol City to go.
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