Town boss Mick McCarthy said he was certain Daryl Murphy would soon get back amongst the goals after his previous three performances, the Irishman having helped himself to his first hat-trick in 11 years - and his first in English football - as the Blues won 5-2 at Rotherham.

“Everybody is delighted for Murph, it’s lovely to have him back playing,” McCarthy said. “I think Brett Pitman’s had a big role to play in that. I think physically he’s taken on some of the responsibility.

“It’s been sad for Didzy because he’s been carrying a groin injury and he’s ended up being injured.

“And I think with Freddie out on the left we’ve almost been a three at times when we’ve played narrow with Kevin Bru and I think Murph’s benefited from that. But he’s still got to score his goals and I’m delighted for him.”

He added: “Somebody said to me the other day, form is temporary and class is permanent and I think that rule fits for him.

“I was certain he was going to get them after the last three performances when he’s got back to his real hard-working self, being a real pest to play against and being tough and strong up front.

“He gets chances when he’s like that, if it’s bouncing off him and coming back, he doesn’t. If they’re all winning the first headers he doesn’t get chances.

“He’s been back to his diligent best and then he plays better and I’d imagine he’s put himself in Martin O’Neill’s mind.

“I don’t pick teams for anybody else but they’ll have a few injured, a few missing. Shane Long’s injured, Jonathan Walters is suspended and the free-scoring Daryl Murphy comes along for the Bosnia game, so who knows. Hasn’t done him any harm, has it?”

The Town boss isn’t too surprised that the 32-year-old hadn’t previously scored a hat-trick since he brought him into English football when he signed him when Sunderland boss in the summer of 2005.

“Not really because he’s only ever scored about 10 or 13 a season and I suppose he’s someone who doesn’t normally get hat-tricks,” he said.

“Maybe last season I was surprised he didn’t get one getting 27 in the season. But you know what? I’d prefer him to spread the 27 out. Just get winners in those 0-0s, games when we’ve had draws when we might have won. But it came at a nice time, didn’t it? Really welcome.”

Overall, McCarthy was delighted with the result and the performance, aside from the two Rotherham goals.

“It was a great game for us,” he continued. “I was going to say it should have been better but I don’t know how much better you get than a 5-2 victory away from home.

“Their first goal was a bit of an unstoppable shot, but I still think we should have been tighter and not let him in on the inside. Fabulous though, he’s a good player Brandon Barker.

“The second one, we went to sleep, dozy back four, and let him in. Great strike, but he should never have got there and I’m miffed about that, that annoyed me.

“But overall, as I said to the lads, it was an outstanding performance when we’ve put five in and we could have put maybe another three or four in, we were running riot in the first half.”

He added: “I’ll enjoy the result and the performance because it was good but those two could have been the ones that cost us because if they get another one they’d be rampaging forward all of a sudden and we’d be wondering what was going on.

“I don’t particularly like that. We should have been a bit more secure. But it was a great performance, I thought going forward we were excellent today.”

Having started slowly in a number of games, McCarthy was delighted to see his side start on the front foot and almost score in the opening minute.

“Lee Camp saved the first one from Freddie with his heel which would have been after seconds.

“I think a lot’s been made about our dip in form but we’ve lost four games, which I think was the eighth worst in the league or best, if you like.

“If I look back at two games which cost us four points, Brentford, when we gave it away in the last minute, which we should never have drawn, and Nottingham Forest we’d be four points better off and nobody would be saying anything because we’d be up near the top six probably.

“We do moan about those things. And today, we’re not trying to let them off the hook, it gave me a bit of a murmur of the ticker for a while when it went to 4-2.”

The result sees the Blues go into the international break after some positive results, unlike the two earlier in the season: “It makes a pleasant change, doesn’t it?”

Rotherham boss Neil Redfearn felt his side were poor from the off: “It started in the first minute, Danny Collins trying a back header to Lee Camp and putting the lad [Freddie Sears] completely free in front of goal.

“Campy made a good save, we got away with it but it all went on from there - really tentative, nervous. I can’t understand why they were nervous or why they needed to play like that.

“We’ve been to Middlesbrough where you have got a reason to be nervous against a top side and defended well and made it difficult for them.

“Today, we were really negative in midfield, we didn’t get close enough to them, we didn’t work hard enough, we didn’t do the ugly stuff well.

“We talked all week about Ipswich and Mick and how he gets his teams playing in the Championship: very 4-4-2, they’ll go from back to front, they get the next one and then they play, and they did exactly that today.

“It must have been the 35th minute before we had a centre-half that won a header. Murphy had his own way too much, he bullied us at the back. We just looked like we were going to concede.”

He thought it was too easy for Town to grab their goals: “The bare minimum that your supporters can expect is the effort and the endeavour and that whoever comes to play knows that they’ve been in a game.

“If we’re a little bit short and they’re better than us and someone screams one in and it’s 1-0 and you hold your hand up. Sometimes you can’t do anything about that. But the goals were so easy. Ipswich haven’t had to work hard to get the goals.”

Photo: Action Images

pennblue added 19:15 - Nov 7 Well done to the team. MM is right, that defence does need to tighten up, we will get punished by other teams, but enjoy today and we need to keep in the groove for the next 2. Win those and confidence will be back for Xmas period.
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blueherts added 19:16 - Nov 7 2 for 2 - well done MM and all Like alot of us on here - we have not been happy past 2 months and playing two sides like these has helped us greatly - sport is all about confidence and Murph will now have it in bundles - I cannot remember last time we scored 5 away from home , great way to go in to the break - Got some tough games coming up but great for all and confidence must now be up - keep it going Mick and delighted Murph is back at it ... He needed those goals

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christiand added 19:28 - Nov 7 The last two games we would've lost last year. I've been as disappointed and frustrated as anyone, but got to give MM credit two very solid and professional performances. Nice going into the international break on a positive note. COYBs!
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bluefeast added 19:53 - Nov 7 Our defence is not attacking the ball , they stand off and nobody supports anybody. Our attacking play on the other hand had moments of incisiveness today , but in fairness Rotherham were in gift mode defensively
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Talbs77 added 21:51 - Nov 7 Give the team and MM credit, they desperately needed 2 good results this week and have comprehensively delivered. Saying that both oppositions were woeful and are prime candidates to go down but you can only beat who is in front of you. I thought Murphy was excellent Tuesday and unlucky not to get on the scoresheet so not too surprised today, let's hope he goes on a run. Wolves next (wish we were playing them Tuesday instead of 2 weeks) and they are currently struggling having been a lot of people's favourite's at the start of the season, they aren't great at our place so no reason we can't make it 3 in a row. Well done boys and MM for turning it round as things were going pear shaped and sensed the fans were on the turn.

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osborne added 08:11 - Nov 8 Murph could be a ROI legend by the time we see him next. Good luck Murph. As Mick said to him when he came off - "Welcome back Murph, I don't want to see your sister round here again"
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prebbs007 added 09:43 - Nov 8 Going to get loads of down marks I'm sure by the rose tinted spectacle wearers BUT please let's not get ahead of ourselves. Yes 2 wins in a row is great, however Bolton and Rotherham will lose to most teams in the division all season before they both get relegated. Murphy scored a hat trick and that's brilliant but like the rest of the team (apart from a few top performers Frazer Bru Pitman to name 3) he has been absolutely terrible. I, like everyone else, really hope we have turned the corner and are getting back to the form we showed in the first few games of this campaign but I will reserve judgement on that until we prove we can do that against the better teams in the division as we will need to do so if we have any ambition to make the top 6. Hate being negative after 6 points out of 6 but realism has to be in place and I'm sure Mick will be keeping their feet on the ground !!! COYB !!!

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runningout added 11:36 - Nov 8 our defence needs an overhaul drastically .... any sign of urgency from opposition, they fold... Too Slow and too pretty
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beerhelps added 21:15 - Nov 8 Just seen Murphs third - pure Micky Lambert! Must have seen him shape to go down the wing from a throw, cut back inside and shot a dozen times a year, excellent stuff!
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oldegold added 07:33 - Nov 9 You go for goals and eventually you'll get your just rewards. It shows the benefit of attacking soccer and what can be achieved.Let's keep it up and no more hoofing or playing sideways. This division demands a bright and penetrative style if we are serious of getting out of it.Over to you MM..show us your moves
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Penguinblue added 14:58 - Nov 9 Concerned that Mickey Mouse appears to be justifying playing Sears on the left as some sort of master stroke - a ridiculous tactic - remember we were playing Rotherham - not a decent team. Am I being over critical or was Gerkin a bit slow on both Rotherham goals?
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essex57 added 19:37 - Nov 9 Meant to down mark penguin blue nobody could of saved the first Rotherham goal it was a corker
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