Boss Mick McCarthy felt his side just about deserved their 1-0 home victory over Birmingham City. Daryl Murphy’s ninth goal of the season in the 38th minute was the difference between the teams.

“I’d say it was a fair result - just,” he said. “I don’t think we dominated Birmingham by any stretch of the imagination. We had some decent chances in the second half.”

McCarthy believed it was an important victory as Town go into a busy March in which they play seven matches: “It’s the start of a really tough period for us with the amount of games that we’ve got and the quality of the opposition that we’ve got to play.

“We’ve got a tough week with away games at Middlesbrough and Yeovil, which is geographically challenging.”

The Town boss was pleased to see all three of his strikers — scorer Murphy plus Paul Taylor and Frank Nouble — involved in the winning goal: “It was nice, the build-up and the finish. It’s nice when that happens.”

McCarthy was delighted with Taylor, making only his third league start of the season as a late replacement for new loanee Jonny Williams, who suffered a minor injury in training on Friday.

“I thought he played very well,” the Blues manager said. “Jonny Williams was starting, Tayls wasn’t starting.

“When Jonny Williams got injured, there were two ways of looking at it and my view was that it was an opportunity for somebody else and Tayls got the nod. And I thought he played well.

“Jonny went off in training yesterday. He played on Monday night and he didn’t know he was coming here, so I think he went in and trained on Tuesday and then he trained on Wednesday and then he’s come to us.

“His day off would have been Thursday and he’s not going to come to us on Thursday and say ‘It’s my day off’. He trained and then he trained on Friday and maybe it was a little too much on the back of all that.

“He’s just got a tight glute, which is his rear, at the top of his hamstring. It wasn’t worth risking him. We’ve got plenty of games for him to play.

“He was disappointed, but Tayls wasn’t. As they say on the golf course, it’s a poor shot that doesn’t please somebody.”

The result moved Town — who kept a clean sheet at home for the fourth game running - up to ninth, four points from sixth with McCarthy believing his side are still well in the hunt for the play-offs: “We’ve got Wigan coming.

"Wigan are in the best place to get [the final play-off place]. They’re clear of us, they’ve got a really good squad, they’ve got Tunners in as well.

“They’re a team that have come down, they’ve still got Premier League players. The first five places are out of the question for us, we’re [seven] points behind them. I still don’t think we’re going to get them, whatever we are behind. But sixth spot, we’re still in there, still scrapping away.”

McCarthy confirmed that striker Frank Nouble was replaced just after half-time with a hamstring injury.

Birmingham boss Lee Clark admitted it was a fair result: “I think in terms of what we did on possession of the ball, it was.

“I don’t think we had enough quality and the decisions we made, the type of passes that we were playing at certain times of the game, were lacking that quality as well.

“I think defensively we were quite solid but we didn’t do enough when we had possession of the ball. I think the players’ efforts deserved something from the game but their quality in possession of the ball made that result happen.

“Lee Novak had a great chance in the second half and he’s been putting them in but unfortunately he put it over the bar and when you have a chance like that away from home when you’re not creating lots [you need to take them].

“That seemed a bit of a problem for us today, we were a little bit toothless really in terms of what we were doing with the ball.”

Photo: Action Images

battyblue added 18:44 - Mar 1 Thats true to form then Mick dont give Taylor to much praise as you will probably be dropping him next week why sign Jonny Williams and then not pay Paul you have to play them both or Tayls gets first nod he is our player for christs sake.
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h32 added 18:48 - Mar 1 ........ unthinkable that Taylor found himself in the team by default.
19

NorthSTANDER_ITFC added 18:50 - Mar 1 Keep Taylor in and switch Tabb for Williams, simple.
34

Bluetone added 19:12 - Mar 1 MM you really are a good at playing favourites - talk about damning a man with faint praise. It tells us why you are only a competent manager and not a good, let alone great, one.
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martleshamitfc added 19:25 - Mar 1 so Williams is not upto training each weekday, my god i wish i had a job like these footballers!! maybe i will just have a massage today instead of training. fed up hearing players are tired or cannot play 2 games a week!! Some of us have to work 6 days a week morning/ afternoon and sometimes evenings too and don't get paid much either... grrrr rant over!
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TractorBeezer added 19:54 - Mar 1 Listened to the actual interview and MM was saying that Taylor did the hard work today ...insinuating that this is an aspect that has been missing. On the other hand Mick Mills praised him for his technical ability...first touch etc...and put him on a par with McGoldrick except for his shooting. Anyway, let's hope that he has earned another start v Middlesbrough.
14

htb added 20:08 - Mar 1 Very concerning how faint the praise is towards Paul Taylor, anyone who was at PR today would have seen he has as much quality as any player in our squad and I include DM in that, also whenever I have seen him he does not seem to lack in workrate. MM obviously has some non football issues with this player which are very perplexing, and if I was PT I would probably looking to make a move to somewhere where the manager appreciated me. Do not think a loanee should be keeping one of our best players out of the team.

13

froudy added 20:11 - Mar 1 Williams...the tight a*rse!
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jas0999 added 20:13 - Mar 1 Mick gave Taylor plenty of praise on Radio Suffolk. Rightly so. He was very good today.
6

muccletonjoe added 20:32 - Mar 1 Incredible , how can we be choosing which one out of taylor and williams to put in the side , words fail !
14

TimmyH added 20:40 - Mar 1 Hello Micks coming out with the 'geographically challenging' possible pre-game excuse ahead of Boro and Yeovil- don't think I've heard of that one before, can't be the challenge of taking on a team that hasn't scored in 12 hours of football....hang on wait Barnsley (hadn't got a point away from home until), Blackpool (hadn't got a point in yonks until), Millwall (had only won once in 9 until) I think there's a theme running here and then there's Yeovil almost joint bottom of the league. Thought Mick's post match interview was underwhelming considering we played better than we did against both Blackpool and Bolton all be it against a very mediocre Birmingham.

2

Keaneish added 20:52 - Mar 1 Seriously…what is going on???? Taylor impresses in the under 21s, has an abundance of quality and you bring in a loanee in place of him when there are plenty of others who he's clearly ahead of. If you must played the beloved Tabb and Nouble, then keep them in, Put Taylor on the right and Williams on the left. Getting a bit sick of this now. Why should the club and the fans be missing out due to some kind of ridiculous behind the scenes squabble. It's a joke. We want the play-offs and without our best players we won;t make it. Imagine if Taylor hadn't started today? That game would have been dry as a bone… Sort it out and make sure he starts against Boro otherwise plenty will begin to turn including me.

18

StowTractorBoy added 20:53 - Mar 1 There has obviously been an underlying problem with Taylor as far as Mick is concerned but Taylor did his talking on the pitch today and he should be in the team next week. If fit I believe Williams will be nailed on next week but whether Taylor will play who knows ?
12

battyblue added 20:55 - Mar 1 I also thought we won comfortably today enjoying the majority of possession and far more shots on target than Brum who managed only one and Mick thought we just about deserved victory but only just ???? hes a funny man.
2

karls_dad added 20:58 - Mar 1 He may praise Tayles now and then drop him for the next game, then wonder why he is pissed off? he is our player and a bloody good one too, he should start first before any loanee! I,m sorry my support of MM is beginning to fail miserably, the way he has treated Tayles is just appalling!
7

BillBlue added 21:12 - Mar 1 Keep it up lads, you are beginning to see the light. Nearly every post on this board is saying what I have been saying for yonks and remember all the stick I got? What odds could you get on PT not starting next week? IMO he should be nailed on and, no matter how good, we do not need loans?
1

TractorBoy666 added 21:18 - Mar 1 Taylor was too exciting for Micks liking it seems. I just know already that he will not be starting next week, he has to somehow get the players that walks his dog every morning in! What a waste of 1.5mil this will be on such a talented player who will likely be gone in the summer for next to nothing. Lots of us wanted to see Didz and Taylor in a team together and we rarely saw that in the time they were both fit. Williams and Taylor would also look exciting to watch play with each other, yet again though it will most unlikely not happen.

0

LiamCP123 added 21:29 - Mar 1 Never knew you guys knew the future.
1

Lord_Mac added 21:34 - Mar 1 McCarthy said on Radio Suffolk that his teams are not based around "one-man mavericks" and he expects his players to do the dirty work as well as the glamour bit. He said that everyone can see how many games someone like Taylor can win, but it's not so easy to see how many games they lose. He then said that Taylor did the dirty work today, so on that basis, it's hard to see ow he can be left out next week. My vote is for Williams and Taylor both to start at Middlesborough. I see Kevin Pietersen and Paul Taylor as being similar - everyone sees KP's big hundreds, but we forget when he stupidly gets himself out for 20 and England lose the game. Back to football - MM sees Taylor as a luxury player, whereas we all see him as a necessity. However, this is the first major thing that I've disagreed with about in 18 months, so I certainly don't want to see him axed in favour of Darren Ferguson, as everyone phoning in to Radio Suffolk today seemed to want - surely some sort of send up?

7

billlm added 21:36 - Mar 1 northstander itfc totally agree with green and skuse midfield in a 4 sorted or or a 4 3 3 replace noubele with Anderson done taylor murphy Anderson, ps tractorboy666 spot on hope mick dosent read that
0

JWM added 21:39 - Mar 1 After reading all these comments on here I have to say that I will much rather trust Micks judgements on players than some of yours. The truth is that Taylor may well be a very talented player but there is obviously issues with him that we are not privy to! All this guff about people seriously considering their support for MM if Taylor isn't picked next week is just pathetic. The dogs abuse that Nouble gets on here week after week is also pathetic. He's a young player learning his trade but the bit that makes me laugh the most is when you criticise Mick for not playing youngsters but moan like hell when he does! Unbelievable!

2

Bluecynic added 21:45 - Mar 1 Isnt Hyam due to return next week? Where will he fit in?
4

Hiltzkooler added 22:00 - Mar 1 McCarthy, your personal politics are an embarrassment with regard to player selection and Taylor Iimparticular, your billgerant mentality undermines your finer qualities to the point that this fan has lost faith in you. You did a job last season that not many could have achieved but, sorry Mick, your traits and mentality today have truely been shown up for what they are....a one trick pony....time for this club to move on.....

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NoelTheDub added 22:03 - Mar 1 Its hard to believe MOTM Taylor was not starting today that says it all Mick by all reports he won the game for us surly you cant drop the lad now please look at no goals Nouble or your little Tabby come on Mick this joke is you..
5

bgexile added 22:13 - Mar 1 some serious trolling here today...did I miss something or did we actually win?
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