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

JWM added 22:13 - Mar 1 @hiltzkooler Time to move on? Are you being serious or having a laugh! Is this the same one trick pony that has won league titles and guided a limited Ireland team to the quarter finals of a World Cup? I think you need to have a serious word with yourself along with all the other Mick outers.
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Hiltzkooler added 22:25 - Mar 1 JWM.....like a lot of the MM apologists on Twtd, you miss the short comings of Mick...he is billigerent to the point of distraction with some players that do not conform....how else do you explain the Taylor/Nouble situation...how else do you explain some of the shocking displays from our team...I don't mean just loosing, I mean shocking bad football..personally am fed up of listening to MM bigging up the opposition in order to distract from poor selection and tactics....trust me, go and speak to a few Wolves fans?..they are not so enamoured with Mick....yes Mick do job last season....listen to the hearsay and he earn talk few quid...did that pay for the lack of investment this season?......turgid Yorkshireman football......and tell me otherwise..

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thebeat added 22:41 - Mar 1 The fact that Taylor wasnt going to start originally says it all about Mick. He was still gona play Tabb and Nouble ahead of him after their recent woeful performances? All the crap about Nouble playing well today is exactly that..crap! I was on Nouble watch, he went up for 6 headers and ues won 5 of them but on 3 of those occasions he wasnt challenged and he looked like a ballet dancer doing the splits in the air every time he went up. He had the ball played into his feet with a defender close by twice and lost it bith times. He won a corner first half and had a Nouble special toe punt easily saved. The cross he put in for the goal he was in acres of time and space, it wasnt really hard. So all in all hes still no better and no way a better option than Taylor. Today Taylor proved all us "moaners" to be 100% correct all these weeks we've saud he should be playing. Im sat here very smugly tonight, surely even Mogadon Mick cant drop him after that performance?

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Hiltzkooler added 22:47 - Mar 1 The Beat...no, mick will pick Taylor, but play him as goalkeeper......for all the MM apologists, I was being facetious......Taylor is in a lottery and it has very little to do with his performance today....
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JWM added 22:57 - Mar 1 Mick apologists? I have got nothing to apologise for and neither has Mick!
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thebeat added 22:58 - Mar 1 Surprise surprise Micks fan club JWM minusing my truthful status.
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brazilblue added 23:05 - Mar 1 PETITION TO PLAY PAUL TAYLOR
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blueboy1981 added 23:18 - Mar 1 ........... you certainly had 'Tayles' in your face today Mick - like it , or not - you got it !!
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JWM added 23:42 - Mar 1 SUPER! SUPER MICK! SUPER! SUPER MICK! SUPER! SUPER MICK! SUPER MICK MCARTHY!
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JWM added 23:58 - Mar 1 I'm getting a T Shirt printed ready for the next game. I'M A MICK APOLOGIST Lol
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RoyKeanesDog added 00:09 - Mar 2 What on earth are these comments about? Doesn't this say that MM recognised that Taylor played very well?
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fatbanners23 added 02:05 - Mar 2 all you 'fans' saying if Taylor isnt picked MM should go are absolute jokes, seriously what do you do with your lives. Yes taylor played well today and deserves a chance but to say he wasnt going to play because MM hates him is rubbish, he hadnt proved himself in under 21 games before now. Yes we know noubles limitations but he has height and size on his side therefore is always going to get picked in an MM team as he can defend too. You get carried away by how much jewell paid for taylor. And saying MM should go? oh yeah cos id much rather be where keane and jewell had us than where we are now, challenging for the playoffs with no money, what a great platform we have for next year. But some of you would rather see change again. Please have a long hard look at yourselves and if you still hate it stay away, im sure we'd manage without and im willing to bet any money MM and the team would have the last laugh.

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NoelTheDub added 03:13 - Mar 2 How Mick was going to leave Taylor out v BRUMMES at home is a joke and his team selection v other ordinary team at home or away is questionable .I give credit were its due but we could be a bit better in terms of points if Mick played Taylor ,Anderson ,Hunt more regular that said Im happy as a town supporter overall but a lot of what ifs or could bes
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blueherts added 08:16 - Mar 2 Darren Ferguson - joke callers or what , He won promotion to the Championship and , errrr , is the son of a famous Manager Cannot believe that rubbish
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warktheline added 09:21 - Mar 2 JWM,have you noticed when we win you only see 40ish posts,if we lose,well over a 100.They all cried for Taylor and they all picked Taylor before Mick.It doesn't matter what the lad's problems are behind the scenes.None of us knows the situation,but who cares they cry,play him.God lets hope for his sake he continues to turn in good performances,if not the fickle boys will let him know about it.The fickle boys pick the team when we win and that idiot Mick when we lose.Keep up the good work Mick......from one deluded supporter.

1

J4ck22 added 10:34 - Mar 2 I'm officially done. You guys are a joke.
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roytheboy added 10:47 - Mar 2 Paul Taylor must start every game Mick, surely you realise that now, he is a favourite with us Supporters, he is an exciting one man show, his skill and effort was there for all to see yesterday, if every one of the other players could match what he showed us yesterday (and we all knew that he could if given the chance), then we would be heading for the Premiership.
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ChestnutSe added 12:42 - Mar 2 What a load of old drivel on here bigging up Taylor and saying MM does not know what he is doing. And the suggestion we would be better off with Darren Ferguson, words almost fail me. I actually like Taylor as a player and thought in those first few games he played before his serious injury that he looked a useful addition. But, he has been out for a long time and it takes time to get back to match fitness, I think MM actually picks what he and TC consider to be the best team to get us a result every week. I trust their judgement over anyone else posting on here. Taylor did ok today although a pretty quiet first half, took him a while to get into the game. But he was involved in the goal and had a better second half. I actually thought Berra was our stand out performer today, excellent defending and some vital tackles. Onwards and upwards...COYB

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TimmyH added 13:07 - Mar 2 @warktheline - the reason there are more posts when we lose is simple, that there are certain conflicting opinions from certain posters, largely more when we lose or pay poorly. This forum would be boring if 100% all thought exactly a like! - and the argument that 'the negative brigade' or what ever you want to call them stay away if we win is silly, I've posted on yesterdays match saying we played ok second half and deserved the win as well as others. Unless we start playing like Barcelona there will always be posters on here with their 'critical analysis' of the club/team/management as this is what this forum is all about. We all have the same interest at heart and that is for success for Ipswich Town Football Club or can't you see that?

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theobald1985 added 13:40 - Mar 2 totally agree with Hiltzkooler i8ts about performance and style of play and under mick its awful outdated and embarrassing to the club. we have become a long ball side who try and nick one and defend the game out -there is no quality play out from the back bot people are keen to make excuses for that. they say hes had no money but hes brought in mcgoldrick berra hunt ebanks blake etc who are all decent players and we have a team quite capable of playing proper football but micks style is to not do that. if we want to get to the PL and stay there we need to drop this style now because even if he did get us up with this horrible style we would never stay there. you only have to look at what martinez and rodgers got some very ordinary players doing at swansea playing out from the back and attacking teams-players like gary monk a football league journeyman started playing out from the back, yet amazingly mick had a dig about this in saturdays EADT saying that as they are only 4 points clear of the drop zone they would love some of his sides qualitys now! i bet they would not and i think most town fans would gladly swap places and styles with swansea. this club needs a new direction

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JWM added 14:40 - Mar 2 Yeah It's really embarrassing supporting a club that's not getting Tonked week after week and in the hunt for a top Six finish!
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alfromcol added 16:45 - Mar 2 What a load of moaners on here. Get a life people. Watching top Premiership teams/players on Sky week in and week out has raised a lot of supporters expectations that ALL players can match these skill levels. Most Championship footballers can't match these technical skills, either as a team or individually, end of.
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blueboy1981 added 16:48 - Mar 2 JWM and Warktheline .................... did you have lunch together today ? - and discuss those entertaining matches you believe you are watching. I'd make it a regular thing if I were you - and share your euphoria .
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blueboy1981 added 16:49 - Mar 2 .......... maybe Alfromcol would be interested in joining you.
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blueboy1981 added 16:51 - Mar 2 .......... Mick may even invite you to Dinner - who knows ?
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