Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted to see his side get back to winning ways with a 2-0 home victory over Millwall.

“It was a very good win against a good team,” he said. “We got away with one that hit the crossbar. I think they're a good team.

“Somebody asked me why we started slowly, but I didn’t think we did, I thought they were good.

“But we grew into the game and when we got the goal I thought in the second half we were by far the better team.”

McCarthy felt David McGoldrick’s opening goal in first-half injury time couldn’t have come at a better moment.

“I keep saying I’m not so sure there’s ever a bad time to score, but it certainly changed the dynamic of the dressing room,” he said.

“I wasn’t unhappy with the way were going about it but I was a lot happier when we went in.

“Ollie would have been having conceded because they were the better team in the first half, certainly for the first half hour.”

He added: “I wouldn’t say I was happy [to sit back in the first half] but because their two full-backs rampage forward there’s always room to catch them on the break.

“We trained accordingly this week and we actually did catch them on the break because they were having a corner and we’ve speared them from their corner kick.

“If they’re very attack-minded, which Ollie’s teams are, they can leave themselves a bit bare at the back but nevertheless it was still a very good, well-worked goal.”

The Blues boss was pleased with Daryl Murphy’s second just after the hour, having been less than impressed with Town’s set pieces up to then.

“I was livid at half-time about our corner kicks because if you keep chipping them into the keeper’s hands you can’t score from them,” he continued.

“And actually, it wasn’t a great corner kick, but it didn’t go in the keeper’s hands and strangely enough we scored off it, somebody got a header on it.

“I was none-too-pleased with our freekick and corner kick delivery, the keeper kept catching them. That proves it, doesn’t it? If it doesn’t go in the keeper’s hands you can score.”

Neither McGoldrick nor Tyrone Mings showed any signs of sulking having been denied Premier League moves on deadline day, McCarthy felt.

“Tyrone was different class,” he said. “I’d had a nip at his ears about him playing safe because he was, but he wasn’t safe today, was he? He was rampaging up and down.

“Their full-backs are particularly good at doing that and I said to ours that I wanted them to be better than theirs and I thought Tyrone was the pick of the bunch. His back had stiffened up, we’ll see how he is. Hopefully he’s OK.

“[David McGoldrick was] another one that played properly despite the disappointment. I keep being asked ‘How is he?’. I keep saying ‘He’s great, he’s fine, he’s trained really well’ and that proved it today, he was excellent again.”

McCarthy admitted it was difficult leaving out Tommy Smith - “very much so” - and also Luke Hyam: “That was one of the hardest decisions leaving him out because he’s been a stalwart in the team, but he took it in the right way and he was excellent when he came on.”

Millwall manager Ian Holloway admitted that Town deserved to win the match and was disappointed with his team’s second half performance.

“We weren’t as good as Ipswich today,” he said. “At the end of the day it didn’t look like our team, did it? You’ve got to give credit to Mick’s team, how difficult it is to break them down.”

Holloway revealed that he had only six subs on the bench as keeper Tom King was inadvertently missed off the official teamsheet with referee Carl Berry refusing to allow his late addition to the list, much to the Lions’ boss’s annoyance.

He added that his squad had arrived 15 minutes late at the game having travelled from their hotel 20 miles away as his team-talk had overrun.

Photo: Action Images

whosroundisitanyway added 14:04 - Sep 14 Read your original post again mate!!! No mention of Mick or Ipswich, just how fu((!n good Millwall & their manager where!! Tell me i'm wrong?????
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Jimmy86 added 15:42 - Sep 14 That was the original 1 yes, but the 2nd one and my post on the match report was positive. Dunno why you singled me out, when others, including our own manager commented on the fact milwall were a good side. But seeing ya got a few minuses im guessing more people disagree with you than agree with you. Im a town fan and am positive about our club, players and manager, but like to sees entertaining football and at times thats not always the case at portman road, you cant argue with that even with the most rose tinted specs on, esp for the prices charged

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mbisgrove added 16:01 - Sep 14 I tell you what, I'm not Tabb's biggest fan but I thought in the second half he was fantastic. He made forward runs, got back, covered and saying that, the players did put in a strong shift in the second half, I don't think he was awful at all. Building on that, I felt that the midfield and the strike force really blended fantastically (eventually) and it helped us continue on a strong end to the first half. I also thought they coped with the formations when they switched it up very well from flat 4-4-2 to 4-3-1-2 and whoever was going forward, if it wasn't who was meant to be, they were covered. One negative though, and I hate to be, was Skuse. He was AWFUL the whole game. He just looks like he's treading on eggshells the WHOLE time and never looks comfortable. I understand why he was employed in the game as opposed to Hyam as he is a more defensive minded player and seen as a safe pair of hands rather than Hyam's rampaging runs forward, I just don't think he is worth a place in the first eleven.

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Seasider added 16:56 - Sep 14 Skuse should definitely be dropped.I watched him closely yesterday to make sure that my criticism,and the other 3in our car was justifield. He made just three forward passes. He was caught twice in possession,one which could have resulted in a goal. I also noticed he was doing a lot of pointing,presumably telling others what to do;last person who did that a lot here was Nigel Reo Coker. He is very slow with and without the ball. Someone said he is carrying an injury;if so he shouldn't be playing and a good exscuse for Mick to drop him.

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whosroundisitanyway added 18:44 - Sep 14 Jimmy86 Did'nt single you out at all mate, there's more than one winger on here. You even ended your last listing with negatives after saying how positive you are!! Be carefull you don't hurt yourself when you fall off that fence you're sitting on. Rose tinted specs? no mate, & my season ticket price for the last 20 years plus has been more than reasonable. Sorry I can't slag the club off, just not my style.

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blueboy1981 added 19:17 - Sep 14 whosroundisitanyway .............. well, I give you credit for admitting in every way, other than saying so outright - that you are one of the 'forever satisfied people'. In other words whatever the Club serves up is fine by you - however, I feel you should understand that many others expect more for their money, and compared with some (myself included), with you having been a Season Ticket holder for 'only' 20 years - you are but a youngster in that respect. So, before you label anyone who expects more - a 'winger' (your word) - just respect that some expect more than you - and probably, always will.

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whosroundisitanyway added 19:32 - Sep 14 Been going through the turnstiles for over 50 years mate, no youngster (your word) So don't you label people either. The crux of the discussion is that even in victory some people still have nothing good to say.
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Jimmy86 added 20:26 - Sep 14 Whosroundisitanyway, not slagging the club off at all, mick is doing a great job with what he's got as I have previously said. I love the club and want to see us do well, but even through the most blue tinted specs you surely cant deny that the match day ticket prices are too expensive and that AT TIMES our style of football under mick hasn't been pleasing on the eye, there have clearly been problems with creativity and goals in midfield, thats a proven fact, especially last season!! Thats not being negative, its thr truth. Its not slagging the club off either. Like you im a season ticket holder and am as passionate about the club as you. Being organised and hard to beat is a great platform, we just need a better balance between being organised and hard to beat and being slightly more expansive and free flowing. Do you think our style of play is entertaining?? Coz lets face itwhen we go to footy, you included, im sure you want to be entertained right??

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blueboy1981 added 22:15 - Sep 14 whosroundisitanyway ........... and likewise - the crux of the discussion is that 'even in failure some people will continue to condone such' . Credit to you for having been going through the turnstiles for over 50 years - during that time you must have seen a very different Ipswich Town, and of course 'entertainment and Football at it's best'. Strange then that you are so content with today's style of play - stark in contrast to the ITFC Pedigree of old.

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Europablue added 23:24 - Sep 14 I went to my first match of the season at the weekend, maybe my first for quite a while. I live abroad and don't get the chance to go very often. My dad's a season ticket holder, so I usually get my match reports from him and check up on here. It was interesting to see that so many people on here seem to have watched a different game the first half was very poor. Scuse was dire, and Paar and Anderson couldn't work out how to mark on the right. Tabb was just slow and never seemed to be in position. It was nice to see some positivity from Teddy Bishop, but after a while and especially in the second half he seemed more interested in diving. We made Milwall look very good. And did a smash and grab by getting our goal. What really left an impression on me was how quiet and resigned the atmosphere was before the game and in the first half. I was thinking although it was nice to be at the footy with my dad 30 quid would've been better spent down the pub. Second half it was much better and I daresay I enjoyed it, then again it was always going to be easier when we were one up. Milwall looked nervous at the back and it was nice of them to let us off the hook!

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