Boss Mick McCarthy believes the battle for sixth place is wide open with current incumbents Reading having one of the more difficult run-ins.

The Blues, two points behind in eighth, are in what looks like a seven-way fight for the final play-off position with the Royals, Brighton, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn and Watford, who have a game in hand on everyone else.

“When you look at Reading’s fixtures I think it’s wide open,” McCarthy said. “They play Leicester next. But Bournemouth are the team that are flying, eight out of 10 they’ve won.

“It’s a remarkable set of results they’ve had and they are a good team. They’ve spent a few quid, mind, but they are doing exceptionally well. Our next two fixtures [Doncaster at home today and Watford away next week] will determine how big that game on Easter Monday will be.”

Overall, the Town boss was happy with the three points from two away games at Blackburn and Huddersfield.

“I’m always happy with an away point, so had we gone to Blackburn and drawn and drawn at Huddersfield and then beat Doncaster and we’d got five points, I’d think that would be a fair hit from two hard away trips and a home game.

“We’ve got to follow up that performance and victory at Huddersfield on Tuesday with three points here, but that won’t be easy.”

He says he and the squad find out about the scores elsewhere soon after the end of their own games: “Somebody tells you, I don’t go looking for it. In our home dressing room we’ve got a television with the results coming up.

“Somebody will have been listening to the scores, one of the lads who’s not been playing will generally have the results and we get them passed on to us fairly quickly.”

After Tuesday’s win some fans might come to Portman Road expecting an easy victory with the Blues going into an early lead, but McCarthy says that’s unrealistic.

“It won’t happen,” he added. “Let’s hope it does, it would be fabulous, but how often has that happened? Never. Well, Derby and look what happened there. It could have been 8-0 at half-time and it ended up four-all.

“Maybe that’s just the nature of the league. I don’t come in asking for patience, we want to win the game, we’ll play it the way we normally play it and we hope that we get the three points.”

Town’s home form has been good this season, so does McCarthy believe someone might find themselves on the end of a thrashing at Portman Road at some point soon? “It would be nice, but I’d still take a 2-0 victory.”

The Run-Ins

Reading: Leicester (H), Wigan (A), Middlesbrough (H), Doncaster (A), Burnley (H).

Brighton: Charlton (H), Huddersfield (A), Blackpool (H), Yeovil (H) and Nottingham Forest (A).

Ipswich: Doncaster (H), Watford (A), Bournemouth (H), Burnley (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H).

Bournemouth: Yeovil (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Ipswich (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Millwall (A).

Nottingham Forest: QPR (A), Birmingham (H), Leeds (A), Bournemouth (A), Brighton (H).

Blackburn: Sheffield Wednesday (A), Yeovil (H), Birmingham (A), Charlton (A), Wigan (H).

Watford: Millwall (A), Ipswich (H), QPR (A), Derby (A), Charlton (A), Huddersfield (H).

To assess how the battle for the final play-off place might pan out in the final few weeks, try out the TWTD League Calculator.

Photo: Action Images

mow_the_lawn added 07:21 - Apr 12 Brighton arguably have the easiest run in but Yeovil Charlton and Blackpool will be desperate for points at the bottom. I think we could afford to drop 3 points, win the rest and sneak it (as long as we don't drop the 3 points against Bournemouth).
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warktheline added 07:39 - Apr 12 On paper it's Brighton's .... But paper doesn't cut it. The battle for sixth place will twist and turn till final whistle of last game. Belief,hope and despair for all coming up. Nice to be involved, really believe 3 points are needed today though and then I'll take a point now against Watford .
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Len_Brennan added 07:47 - Apr 12 Agreed MTL. Certainly Brighton could get maximum points from that run in, but won't. Similarly Bournemouth seem to have an easyish finish too, apart from the game with us. Reading's is too tough & they have lost form, while Forest are dropping like a stone. Blackburn could be the dark horses now, apart from Wigan (who will have nothing yo play for by then) their games are all winable. Botton line for us is that we'll have to win our next 3 games anyway, if we are going to take that spot. Watford & Bournemouth must be beaten. If we can't do that, well then I guess we're not good enough & won't deserve it.

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Letchworth_Blue added 08:21 - Apr 12 Win our remaining 5 fixtures and we won't have to rely on anything else. Simple! (Leicester will beat Reading on Monday).
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isitinthemiddle added 08:22 - Apr 12 I still think there is two places up for grabs. Wigan one eye in FA cup???
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BlueBoots added 08:28 - Apr 12 Definitely too close to call...looking at the run-ins / fixtures, I make it that 71 points will be enough for 6th place. I don't think 3 wins and a draw is beyond us - I'm happy enough that we're in the mix at this stage of season!
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Kentish_Tractor added 09:17 - Apr 12 As exciting as it is to be involved, I can't see us doing it. Like many of you I think it hinges on the Bournemouth game. I simply cannot see us beating them on current form - I think it will be another Blackburn result. Plus I think Burnley will beat us too with their firepower. I'm predicting 8th, which on the whole is a fantastic platform to build on for next year.

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isitinthemiddle added 09:42 - Apr 12 Oh we are capable. All this recent push has come from creativity in midfield (Williams)... I'm not sure we would quite be in this position without him. The good thing is that we know we are not too far away. Mick will be looking to add a Williams type into the team if we didn't win promotion. This maybe the only thing which was missing prior to the recent serge. I think we are very can able of getting there this season. Seriously....

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alfromcol added 11:56 - Apr 12 Wigan aren't there yet!!!
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