Boss Mick McCarthy felt Town’s 2-0 victory over Brighton at the Amex was a “huge win” at a difficult ground to visit. Second-half goals from Tommy Smith and Daryl Murphy saw ninth-placed Town to the three points against fellow play-off challengers Albion.

“A huge win, it’s a difficult place to come and play,” he said. “It’s a fabulous place to come and play, I might add.

“We’ve done things right today. We’ve defended when we’ve had to and we’ve taken our chances. Last week I was saying that it was the reverse.

“I thought we played well last week but didn’t take chances and conceded poor goals. I’m sure when you ask their manager he’ll be saying exactly the same as that.”

He believes Brighton are a decent team: “They’re a good side. They’ve got good players. They play out from the back a lot, they play some good football.

“Gerks has made saves and they’ve had a couple of flicks and things but I think we had our fair amount of chances. As an away performance it’s a very good one.”

McCarthy was again delighted with central defenders Smith and Christophe Berra, who he said was fine despite taking a knock: “They are that outstanding that Chambo can’t get a game at centre-half. And he’s a very competent right-back certainly.”

The Town boss felt Daryl Murphy put in as good a display as he’s ever seen from him as he took his goals tally for the season to 10: “If he’s ever played better than that I want to see it.

"His hold-up play, his running in the channels, he’s up there on his own, he comes back and defends.

“I think it was down to work with TC him getting across the defender [for the goal]. He said it came off his shoulder but he got across the defender and it was a great goal for him because I think he deserved it with his performance.”

McCarthy was similarly impressed with loanee Jonny Williams’s performance, the Wales international having created the goal for Murphy having taken a fair amount of stick from his parent club’s rivals.

“The Palace reject, eh? I’ll take him if that’s what he is!” the Blues manager joked. “I don’t think so somehow. He’s a good player, he gives us something different, that’s for sure.”

The Town boss is pleased that Town remain in the play-off hunt with nine games to go: “We’ve still got a chance.

“We’re playing Derby on Tuesday and Nottingham Forest on Saturday and I said I’d probably know where we are at the end of this week. I might not, it might still be all in the mix. It’s lovely that we’ve got a chance, that’s nice.”

The Blues have completed a double over Brighton this season having also won 2-0 in the home fixture in September, but McCarthy says his team have had to work for their six points: “I think we’ve played well in both games and we’ve had to play as well as we can in both games.

“We had to play well at our place and we’ve had to do it again, and I think slightly differently here. We’ve had to sit back at times and let them have it at the back and I think they might feel a little bit that they’ve been mugged.

“But I think we’ve had plenty of chances and we’ve had one in the net as well when Jonny Williams was onside [in the first half], by the way. He was onside. But it didn’t make any difference, so we’ll let them off.”

Brighton manager Oscar Garcia thought his side should have won the match: “We were the better team, we created more than enough chances to win this game but we didn’t take them.

“I’m happy with the performance, but disappointed with the two goals that we conceded because we switched off twice and they punished us. They did very little to win this game, but at the end of the day they scored two goals."

Photo: Action Images

muccletonjoe added 08:41 - Mar 23 Bossman , I certainly havnt given him 5 mom awards , it just goes to show how some players can get the plaudits while others perhaps more deserving. Go unnoticed
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bluefeast added 09:09 - Mar 23 MOM vs QPR i notice. Incredible choice that ,he ran with the ball on circa 5 occasions and failed to make a pass each and every time. Anderson was more effective in that game and Hyam played very well. Each to their own but for me if its true we paid 1.6 million for Taylor then that is madness.
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Jimmy86 added 09:18 - Mar 23 Bluefeast and muccletonjoe can you honestly sit there and say that frank nouble is more deserving of a run in the team or even starting games than taylor is based on footballing ability alone?? Taylor appears to be made a scapegoat if the team plays poorly as a whole. The middlesborough game proving a fine example. From what i understand the whole team played crap that day but taylor lost his place. Whether you like it or not taylor is one of our most gifted and capable players we have in our squad, mick just doesn't like him and has made it personal.

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LiamCP123 added 09:26 - Mar 23 In Mick I trust. Fantastic win, COYB!!
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purplealien added 09:38 - Mar 23 That was awsome, thank you town! I'm a Brighton resident and dozens of friends neighbours and colleagues were in the crowd, including my teenage son's mates. You've given him undisputed bragging rights for his last year at secondary school! Have woken up this morning with a sore head and a sore throat from the singing. Great day! I know we aren't ready to go up yet, but frankly right now I don't care!

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Blue041273 added 09:40 - Mar 23 On the PT debate, my view is that there isn't a natural slot for him at the moment. I feel that his best position is in the central pocket behind the main striker(s). However, as others have commented MM likes to set up his team with wide players who are deployed to tuck in to counteract the attacking threat of the opposition. IMO MM does not trust PT to do this job the way he wants and TBH I don't think that PT can play in such a restrictive role. Thus MM can only accommodate him by sacrificing a midfielder or by playing him up front with DM. I can only surmise that they have tried this and other formations in training and that the outcome has not been too convincing. It's a shame but MM picks the team and we must respect his judgement on this one.

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Keaneish added 09:57 - Mar 23 Yep i was at the game Smithy. Don't get me wrong, thew result was fantastic but i'm just not enjoying the manner of our wins as much these days. Being a rugged, tough, resistant side will only get you so far, we need more attacking threat and endeavour as it proved against Wigan the week before if plan A fails. I thought Wordsworth only showed attacking drive in the last 25 minutes of that game. The simple truth is is that if you play one up front, you're relying on the support from your midfielders to make the runs to create the space and to get you the additional goals (either that or set-pieces) and given the way we're playing and our midfield goal return i don't really see the logic in it in must win games. Yesterday was great but look at Wigan last week, it backfired and could so easily do that again in the one of the next three must win games against Derby, Forest or Blackburn.

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warktheline added 10:27 - Mar 23 Maybe the team formation will change when we have a fit strike force....Mcgoldrick and Seb sounds good, Murphy an option, with JW supplying . I think there is more to come from Words as well. Mick will always play to stop the opposition, thereafter to impose his teams on the opponent. Many managers use this method, but have the players to do damage in the opposing box.

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 12:28 - Mar 23 MM's comments about Taylor were honest and accurate, his performance against Birmingham was all about running forward but not having a clue what to do when he got in the box. Tracking back and closing down are not his strong points which is partly why his Peterborough side conceded such a colossal number of goals. It's about scoring more than your opponents not just scoring. Murphy's performance yesterday was a case in point.

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Jimmy86 added 15:32 - Mar 23 But fat boy tim he did track back and close down against birmingham and Mick admitted as much. He said that he did the dirty job side of things well as well as his usual game and that's what had been missing, which might be fair enough. But my thinking is why cant he accomodate taylor in the team?? Yea ok he might not stick to the ultra rigid way Mm plays but when we have so many defensive minded work horses who help us be hard to beat cant you allow a player a bit of freedom to do his thing?? Lets face it we have still conceded a fair few goals being "stubborn and beligerent"

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 16:35 - Mar 23 Jimmy, stats are: Scored per game Conceded per game 2012-13 : 1.043 1.326 2013-14 : 1.297 1.135 That's a massive swing in both defence and scoring, we don't need to carry someone who might well cost us more than he gives.
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blue_moon09 added 19:03 - Mar 23 Why does Taylor cause so much debate, is not that good, if MM does'nt rate him as player he won't pick him in his side, he'll be swapped in summer like JET was.
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blueboy1981 added 19:22 - Mar 23 bluemoon09 ........ if you know a decent player when you see one - then you would know that Taylor is just that - he is one of very, very few players in our squad with the flair and creativity that is in such short supply. Trouble is MM is your God, and you make it obvious that whatever he says, does, or stands for - you would not disagree with anyway. Some of us are, and choose to be otherwise. Taylor (for all the warts, whatever they maybe) - is a very good player. Make no mistake.

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ITFCRealist added 22:04 - Mar 23 Blueboy1981, so good to see someone who talks sense. We got a lucky win yesterday, and I am sure everyone here is happy with that. However, if we had lost without our best player even on the bench, then Mick would have a lot of explaining to do for the fans to keep confidence in him. If we lose to Derby (a completely different side to the toothless Brighton), and Taylor isn't in the side, I can see a fan protest starting. We must let Mick know, his petty grudges and favouritism will not be accepted by the people who pay his wage. He gets a stay of execution until the final whistle on Tuesday in my book. Lose that one, without Taylor on the pitch, and the fans will start to turn. Mark my words.

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Blue041273 added 22:21 - Mar 23 Blueboy, He can only be a good player if he plays. He doesn't play that much because MM chooses not to select him that often. You may not agree with his selection policy. That is your prerogative. But MM picks the team. That is his prerogative. Just because people like me respect his right to pick the team he wants does not make us slaves to his opinions. IMO the jury's out on this one. Of course we want flair and creativity but we want to win games too; and we need to trust the manager to deliver that. Without that trust we are are heading to hell in a handcart.

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Bradley19ITFC added 10:29 - Mar 24 Great support and Great win!
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