Boss Mick McCarthy felt the Blues helped contribute to their own downfall as QPR left Portman Road having won 3-1.

“We were excellent in the first half," he said. "But they had that bit of quality that Niko Kranjcar possessed when he put it in the bottom corner, although we let him wriggle out of a space he should never have got out of, but it was a fantastic finish.

“We had enough defenders there and we had enough chances to have scored and should have done and then they produced the bit of quality.

“I thought we started the second half well, to be honest, but the goal, and then certainly the second, killed us.

“Gerks has come in and apologised, he palmed it into his path, he should have cleared it. But he’s been magnificent, he has.

“What they’ve got was Gary O’Neil, who ran in, followed it in and put it in the net. There’s a lesson from it, follow things in, hit the target.”

He felt his team played as well as for a while in the first half: “I thought we played really well. I thought they all played particularly well in the first half, it was a good performance.

“We let them off the hook, they got the goal, it changed the course of the game. I thought we’d settled down and it didn’t look like they were going to get another one until one of our star players this month is saying has palmed it back into his path. When you see it, he probably has, but that happens.”

Despite the quality of Tommy Smith’s late goal, McCarthy says it won’t be winning any goal of the season competitions: “Not when you’re 3-0 down, it’s not. The one that’s a little bobbly one that wins you a game 1-0 is the goal of the season.

“It was a great finish, he deserved it because he’s been great and he was upset about the third goal, which put a gloss on the game for them that really shouldn’t have been there.”

Having gone 3-0 behind, somewhat harshly, the Town boss was pleased with his players’ spirit: “I think the lads are great.

"I’m immensely proud of them, the way we played in the first half, playing against a team who were supposedly the favourites, and probably still are, to go up along with Leicester with the squad that they’ve got.

“I thought we dominated the first half and I thought we played well there, but it doesn’t matter unless you score the goals, get a win.”

He says the squad feel they ought to have got something from both their games against QPR, having fallen to last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Loftus Road in August: “They do, but ifs, buts and maybes don’t really count for anything, it’s doing it.

“We’ve just been on a great unbeaten run but it’s ended and it’s ended with one of the best teams in the league, and slightly gifted by us. We crack on, we start again.”

Skipper Luke Chambers was replaced by Tyrone Mings, who again impressed his boss, in the closing stages, but McCarthy says there’s no serious injury problem: “Chambo went off but I just asked him and he said he was OK, he just got a kick and he’ll be fine.

“We’ve got five defenders, Tyrone Mings is the cover for all four positions, he’s good cover for all four positions.

“I took Luke Hyam off because he’d been booked and the ref had threatened him [that he might get another], so it was sod’s law that he might make a silly little trip and get sent off.”

Despite his veteran status and primary role as an academy coach, McCarthy says 35-year-old Alan Lee, a sub today, may well be called on again during the remaining months of the campaign.

“Alan will be in the squad for the next five months,” he said. “He trains with us, he trains well and if I need to use him, I will.”

QPR assistant manager Kevin Bond admitted that his side were second best before the break: “In the end it was very pleasing, it certainly didn’t start out that way. Ipswich started very brightly and had a couple of really good opportunities.

“We came back into the game late in the first half, had a couple of chances and we were much better in the second half.

“It was nice, we’ve found goals hard to come by, so to get three was excellent, a really pleasing day for us.

“We knew it was going to be a really difficult game for us, they were on a terrific run, they’re always hard to beat, so it was a big, big win for us today.”

Photo: Action Images

Popeye added 18:17 - Jan 11 Thats the difference Mick, a bit of quality in the midfield!!
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TractorCam added 18:17 - Jan 11 Shame we lost really considering the performance, we sometimes take way to long to get a shot away, a lot of counters in the first half resulting in a loss of possession because we dordled and didn't get a shot away
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battyblue added 18:27 - Jan 11 Cant fault the commitment in the first if we play attacking football like we did first half i believe we will win more than we loose second half two goals took the wind out of us but midfield isnt good enough to stay in the play off positions. Hunt has to start not sure on Tunnicliff who was poor again today and Hyam is to lightweight, plus Nouble should go out on loan he is not quarter the player Marriot He is shocking. hope we can get back to winning ways v Preston

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Mark added 18:29 - Jan 11 It was the best performance in ages first half, but unfortunately second half QPR's quality showed through with so many of their side having Premier League experience. I was not too disappointed as we have done very well this season to get we are, but it is very tough to compete with the likes of QPR who have players like Andy Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips on their subs bench! We are moving in the right direction though.

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groovyASH added 19:02 - Jan 11 We played well, but we have really got to do much better in terms of taking chances when we have them, and of not allowing quality players to dwell on the ball. Bar the last goal being a big individual mistake, their first 2 were because we did not seem keen or quick to close them down. Had one or two of our chances in the first half been approached with less hesitation and more greed, we may have had a very different game. I think we need to have 3 imposing midfielders if we play this 4-3-3. Skuse is fine, he does his job very well, he is clearly a good player. I do not want to criticise Hyam, but it is clear he is playing without confidence, he looks off the boil and jaded and really could use a rest. Tunnicliffe works hard and gets himself about, and could do a job next to Skuse and with a quality creative CM to join them. Think this needs to be our number 1 transfer target; if not in January then in the summer. A creative guy in the middle, a quality winger and another first-team challenging defender

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bluey123 added 19:24 - Jan 11 we have been poor all season and it shows up against a reasonable team
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BriggEnd added 19:55 - Jan 11 Im sorry but we carnt take our chances we depend so much on mcgoldrick too much there is not enough goals coming from midfield to take the weight off mcgoldricks shoulders. At the moment unless we kill teams off with our chances created we are not a top 6 side. There is still time though for me to be proved wrong come on town .
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Flewitt85 added 20:00 - Jan 11 Feeling ok ish, my prediction was wrong, thought we might nick it today! But by the sound of the commentary on bbc radio suffolk we played really well one of the best performance of the season despite the result! Just played against a better team. Onwards and upwards town!!
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TimmyH added 20:17 - Jan 11 'We contribute to our own downfall' quite a few times this season, mainly against teams we should be beating at home after taking the lead. think Charlton, Preston, Watford. Toady: Performance - OK Result - BAD how many times have we said that this season against the 'bigger' clubs?
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TimmyH added 20:19 - Jan 11 'Today' :)
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iTFC4LiFE99 added 20:43 - Jan 11 Positives from the game are: The 1st half we showed we are capable of playing good football, if we did that against Charlton we would be 2 points better off. Luke Hyams performance after recent criticism of his negative style of play.
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billlm added 20:53 - Jan 11 actually thought hyams best first half performance of the season actually passed the ball very well
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muccletonjoe added 23:09 - Jan 11 Hyam was brilliant , taylor had a fair game , but shot from too far out , there is class in QPR team and it showed as usual in front of goal , but as mick says - we start again.
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TractorBeezer added 00:00 - Jan 12 It was streamed to Canada so was the first game I have actually seen "live" this season. I was impressed with the first half performance. A couple of defensive errors was the main difference today. While we had chances they were not really clear cut. QPR had the talent and experience to take the lead.. We could have taken the lead in the first half but overall I think that QPR edged it. I thought that Hyam and Taylor had very good games so there's still much to look forward to.

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bluefeast added 08:00 - Jan 12 Taylor put in a big effort ,however played for himself .Twice he was clear down the right and failed to make an easy pass for a possible tap in for on rushing players. Qpr did that picked a pass and made it count. Taylor has to learn .Hyam had his best game ever in my opinion , he was dominant in first half. Chambers was again showed up as a centre half playing out of position. Not once did he get krncjar turned , so the right side of qpr had an easy afternoon. Its clear sides re saying attack the right back and it will nullify us. WE are circa 9th and i suggest that is where we will finish up. 5 of the current top six are miles better than everyone else.Then 8 clubs chasing 6th of which we are one.

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TractorBeezer added 15:34 - Jan 12 Good points Bluefeast. To Taylor's credit he more than pulled his weight defensively in the first half.
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Count_Arthur added 18:12 - Jan 12 Agree Taylor played really well, all over the pitch. First half in particular was a joy to watch! Don't think we played bad at all, it's just QPR are a very good side. Still not sure why so may people on here knock Anderson, sure he seemed to lack a little bit of confidence to shoot sooner, rather than pass the ball when he made that run on goal, but so did Taylor to be fair, but I think he looks a promising player. Had a good shot on goal that forced a save too and did well in the early goal mouth scramble! Feeling positive! COYB!

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Jimmy86 added 19:57 - Jan 12 Bluefeast the reason chambers is being played out of position at right back is purely so Mick can accomodate Berra, who in my opinion is solid enough but not good enough to accomodate at the expense of playing chambers out of position. Mick also plays chambo there coz he know's full well he cant drop him. The chambers/smith partnership along with stearman at right back was prob what kept us up last season!!!

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JLCitfc added 20:34 - Jan 12 Yah think Mick! Stupid how we now cannot score and are conceding goals after being dominative in the first half. Bring Marriott back and get SEB fit!!!!
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TimmyH added 17:05 - Jan 13 @jimmy86 - re: the back 4 were the foundation behind us going up the table with so many clean sheets not what kept us from relegation!
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