Boss Mick McCarthy couldn’t hide his anger and frustration after the Blues’ 3-2 FA Cup defeat at Preston.

“I’m annoyed that we’ve lost,” he said. “When we got in front we were controlling the game and we’ve let them off the hook. We’ve conceded three poor goals from our point of view.

“I thought we were all right in the first half. When we got in front, as I say, I thought we were controlling the game, but we just didn’t defend the corner kick particularly well.

“It’s not too often I’ve been this way, so they’ll have to stop doing those things. I try to be consistent in what I’m like but I was annoyed with that today.”

Despite fielding a much-changed side, McCarthy believes the team should have been strong enough to win the tie: “Except for the three lads who didn’t get on the pitch, I didn’t see any kids, I didn’t see any inexperienced players, it was a good team that played.

“For the most part I thought we played well but we conceded some really poor goals from our point of view.

“We were doing all right, they got a corner kick, we don’t defend it and it ends up one-all. Then we get back to two-all. We had the best chance to win it, maybe Hunty’s not played that many games, on a different day [maybe he scores].

“We let them off the hook, even the ball that comes in, it’s not cleared properly, so you can sense I’m slightly annoyed and frustrated by it.”

McCarthy dismissed suggestions that the FA Cup run would be an unwanted distraction: “Do I look like I’m happy to be out of the cup?

“I wanted to win and I couldn’t do a lot about the four injuries anyway, so that was beside the point, and I was always going to change the goalkeeper. We just haven’t defended well enough.”

McCarthy will now turn his attention to the battle for a top six place and Saturday’s game at Millwall: “We got in the play-off positions and I’ve said all along that I’m not really bothered about being there now, it would be nice at the end of the season.

“But we’ve got a big important game against MIllwall, Ollie’s there, it’s his first home game, I know all about that, they’ll be ramping that up and we’ve got to go there and certainly defend better. That’s something that we’ll have to focus on.”

He says at least some of the players who missed out today will be back: “I haven’t spoken to them today but I expect Cressy and Luke Chambers will be fit, Murph, I don’t know. Skusey I expect him to be fit but he hasn’t trained this week yet, I think he’ll do something tomorrow.”

Preston boss Simon Grayson was pleased to progress to the fourth round where his side will face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground: “We’re delighted to be beat a good Championship team, who made a few changes like we did. It was a typical cup tie, especially the second half.

“I thought there wasn’t much between the teams in the first half, both teams passed it around quite nicely without having too much end product in the final third, but it livened up with a few mistakes in the second half and I’m delighted we’ve come out winners.”

The introduction of striker Joe Garner from the bench proved to be a match-winning move with the 25-year-old netting a 20-minute hat-trick, but Grayson says he only made the same change as McCarthy.

“You’re bringing Joe Garner on and he’s the top scorer, so it isn’t a gamble,” he said. “Mick’s decision to bring David McGoldrick on wasn’t a gamble because he’s their leading goalscorer and he scored tonight.

“You make these decisions to try and get back into the game, we had to show character after going a goal down because Ipswich could have passed the ball around and made it difficult for us but we got back into it and the game livened up in the second half. We made a few mistakes but so did Ipswich and it’s contributed towards a good night.”

In November Grayson tried to sign Town midfielder Anthony Wordsworth on loan and doesn’t rule out another move for the 25-year-old, who is currently out with tonsillitis.

“Since that conversation I had with Mick we signed Neil Kilkenny, but I know he’s been ill over the last few weeks and not featured for Ipswich,” he added.

“We’ll just see where we are with which areas of the pitch we need to strengthen, but he’s obviously a player I’ve admired and thought about taking.

"Obviously it didn’t happen at that time, but we’ll see what happens between now and the window shutting.”

Photo: Action Images

oldegold added 22:43 - Jan 16 We capitulated..plain and simple. We don't have the balls to fight any more in the FA Cup and our record of late is woeful. Memories of our cup exploits under Sir Bobby abound...
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Crock added 23:10 - Jan 16 He should be angry at himself for not putting out a better team.
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