Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side deserved to beat Blackpool even if they made rather heavy weather of doing so, but says he's happy to take any sort of victory at this stage of the season.

“We deserved to win and, do you know what, at this moment in time, does it really matter how you get the three points?” he said.

“We’d all love to be sweeping everybody aside, we’ve not done that all season. We’ve made it hard at times.

“We watched the Brentford game and I said with 20 minutes to go that would end 1-1, that they had enough chances to win three games and it’ll end up 1-1, and guess what, it did.

“That was a bit like us, we had enough chances to win two games and it ended up two-all, but we had Christophe on the spot. It doesn’t matter how you get it, it’s just a matter of winning.”

He added: “I knew Blackpool would be a tough nut to crack, I think they’ve got some good players and they suddenly start doing things differently, leaving two up from corners and they can take chances, they’ve got nothing really to lose. All they’ve got is to knock us off our perch, and they came very close.”

McCarthy is pleased to see his side move back into the top six, albeit on goal difference ahead of Brentford and his former club Wolves.

“It’s nice that it’s in our hands, we’ve 71 points, the best total we’ve had since I’ve been here and yet we’re nowhere near being in the top six and in the play-offs because who knows what total that’s going to end up at,” he continued.

“We’ve seen Wolves have lost today and Brentford and Derby drew. It’s all there for us, it’s going to set it up for a big game at Wolverhampton in a week’s time.”

The Town boss says the right Championship promotion race should by now be no surprise to anyone: “I think my mantra has been, and someone said it was a much overused word, that it’s bonkers but I think it fairly sums the league up.

“It really does. All fans will be looking at their teams today and ‘They’ll win’. All our fans think Derby, Brentford and Wolves are all going to win every game and can see all the reasons why we won’t win them.

“Wolves fans, and I know because they’ve been there, are doing exactly the same. And Derby fans.

“That tells you how tough the league is when Derby are fifth with the season they looked like they were going to have, they looked like they were going to run away with it at one stage.”

The Town boss was delighted to see Freddie Sears take his total for the Blues to seven and his tally overall to 21.

“I don’t include Colchester goals in the tally as it’s a slightly different league, but he will,” McCarthy said.

“Whatever he’s scored, 21, is it? It’s a great haul for him, it’s fabulous, but he’s a good player. His first goal was fabulous and, of course, it was needed to get us back into the game.”

The Blues manager says he withdrew Tyrone Mings as he was feeling the pace after two games out suspended.

“He had just got cramp in his legs,” McCarthy added. “He was very good today. At the start I thought he looked like he needed the game, looked like he’d been out for a couple of weeks, which was the case, of course, but he was rampaging forward and he did really well then, he got back on his game.”

He says Jonny Williams will benefit from his spell on the field after his lengthy absence: “I know everybody wants him to be on the pitch, we know what damage he can do but he’s only had these two appearances since he was carried off against Watford in November. That’s a helluva time to be not playing.”

Luke Varney limped off in the first half with what McCarthy confirmed was a tight hamstring and the on-loan Blackburn man is a doubt for Tuesday’s home game with Cardiff.

Blackpool manager Lee Clark was disappointed that his side’s defending allowed a promising position to slip late in the match.

“It was a tough game, I’m a big admirer of Mick and his teams and I think he’s got a group of lads who work extremely hard, create tempo to the game and for us to come here and be 10 minutes or so from getting a draw [is an achievement],” he said.

“Usually if you come here and score two goals you get something from the game. It's a tough one for us, our achilles’ heel has been some of the goals we’ve conceded and we’re disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded today, but I think the players have put in a good effort for us.”

Photo: Action Images

Crawfordsboot added 10:42 - Apr 12 Karls dad - No I can't imagine our back line against Chelsea if we get promoted because quite simply that would not be our back line. We would shift a number of players out and get a number in. Clearly we have a team scrapping in the Championship funded by Championship income. If we were to make it to the Premiership we would have premiership funding and more premiership quality players. Your comment is just another moan.

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essex57 added 11:45 - Apr 12 Some interesting posts i wonder if our erratic play is a ploy so our future opponents dont know how we are going to play lol Dont worry Micks got 15 freebies and out of contract players lined up looking forward to the next 4 games however we play as long as we win MM TC and the boys will heave us across the line.
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bobble added 14:25 - Apr 12 norwich will top and we will get 5th...
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blueherts added 14:32 - Apr 12 I thi nk the fact that we are sitting here in the sunshine in mid April and we are still talking about 'if we get in the premiership , I dread our defence against Chelsea' I would put afew Punts on not many people thinking we would still even have a chance of it back in August after the Norwich game But here we are and lets enjpy the rollercoaster Yes , we have lost our way abit since December 31st , BUt we are still in the mix and it is STILL IN OUR HANDS Oh and if we GO UP - This will not be the back line in the Premiserhip trust me ! Oh and if we dont go up - that will not be the back line next season - trust me ! Whatever happens just enjoy next few weeks while we have something positive to play for and lets worry about the ineviatble changes to come next season later !

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therein61 added 18:41 - Apr 12 To quote the scotch(and excellent red wine from his cellar) sodden Sir Alex it's squeaky bum time!!(can do without that at my age!!) 4 to go and yes nerves will play a great part, but I feel that Sears and Bishop who play without fear must start in the next games they just get on with what is basically a simple game where some of our senior players are having "senior moments" and freezing and hoofing and getting rid of the ball as if it's a flippin bomb(aren't we skipper!?) so the need for composure and then an up and at em attitude is required to keep us in the top 6 plus we need to improve the goal difference for what I think will decide between us Brentford and Wolves my heart says it will be Town, my head says get it right Mick stop the negative and bloody well go for it!!!!!

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karls_dad added 23:17 - Apr 12 To reply to the comments made about about back line against Chelsea, and the funding provided by a promotion, "just how sure are you that th said funding would be spent on a team rebuild it wod be more ike to rebuild the bank account of ME due to the money he has lost, some 80 million in the red! I suggest we would get a little to buy new players but not enough!
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Razor added 10:50 - Apr 13 If the defence could play like they did at Watford we will have no worries. Paul Anderson----who? We must put Parr in and any of others if fit---Bru,Ambrose? 3 points tomorrow and Saturday is a monster game.
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