Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side had had the better of a well-contested game between two sides but “let their guard down” and allowed Middlesbrough to get their noses in front via Christian Stuani. The Teessiders went on to win the game 2-0 to climb to the top of the Championship table with David Nugent continuing his remarkable goalscoring record against the Blues and at Portman Road.

“I thought it was two good teams playing in the first half and they had a right good go at it,” McCarthy said. “I thought we shaded it slightly.

“I thought we started the second half well and I said to them at half-time that it would be whoever blinks first or lets their guard down and we did it unfortunately.

“We really shouldn’t have been in any danger with that clearance from the goalkeeper, we messed that up and we didn’t defend the far post well enough.

“Of course, if we’d scored it I would be saying it’s a good goal, but the way we dealt with it wasn’t good enough.

“That changed the course of the game, they’ve got a very good defensive record anyway and they were then 1-0 up.

“And again it was our throw-in from which we conceded the second goal, which I’m bemoaning, but actually Stewart Downing and David Nugent, Premier League footballers, probably getting Premier League salaries, showed their quality and punished us.

“And at 2-0 I’ve left three players up and I’m trying to wing it a little bit, trying to get something back and I left us wide open. They looked a very good side and deserved to win in the end because they didn’t concede.”

Despite the defeat the Town boss wasn’t too downhearted: “We’ve had a great run and we’ve lost to a side who will be competing for the top two places.

“We’ve lost two here now this season, Brighton were the other one and they’ll be competing for the top two as well.

“Not that I want to lose to the best teams. I was delighted with our performance for an hour but then unfortunately we let our guard down and we were beaten.”

He added: “I was stood there [prior to Boro going ahead] thinking that we’d performed very well in the game, but I also knew, and I guess we both knew, whichever one went in front it was going to change the course of the game and the other would have to open up.

“Unfortunately it was us and once they got in front they showed what a good team they are. They’ve got good players, good quality players and they deserved it in the end. I’ve no qualms about it at all.”

McCarthy felt Nugent and and Stewart Downing showed their top flight pedigree with Boro’s second goal, which took the striker’s record to 15 goals in 14 games against Town and 10 in eight at Portman Road.

“He didn’t have a kick up until the goal, but that’s good centre forwards,” McCarthy said.

“It was a great quality goal by them on the break. Stewie Downing picked him out with the pass and I can admire that and respect that, that was just a top class finish.”

Reflecting on the match overall, he continued: “I thought it was a really good game and a really good performance by us, up until them scoring.

“And of course that does change things and I’ve said to the lads that I’ll take the responsibility when I’ve left three up and put Giles Coke on for Ainsley, who had a nasty thump in the first half and he’d run out of steam.

“I’m trying to get back in the game and winging it a bit and put the lads under a bit of pressure.

“They played round us and kept it but even then we still had a chance near the end, still had a couple, so the lads kept going. I was delighted with them. They’re a good side, they deserved to win in the end.

“For the first 50-odd minutes until they scored, we were a match for them, no question about that. Just can’t afford to give goals like that away, can we?”

Boro boss Aitor Karanka was delighted with his club’s first victory at Portman Road in nearly 23 years.

“An amazing win because you know how difficult it is to win here. It was 1993 when Middlesbrough last won here," he said.

“I know from last season how difficult it is to win here and this was the same.

"The first half was more or less like last season and for that reason I told [the players] at half-time we had to change because they had more chances than us and we were in danger because if they had scored first we would have had problems.”

Regarding Nugent’s goal record, he added: “It was high pressure for me because if he hadn’t scored it would have been my fault. He scored, we won the game, so everybody’s happy.”

Nugent himself said: “As a footballer you always get a team who you score against and Ipswich is my team now. Just wish I could play them every week really.

"A clean sheet and three points was our goal. We’re top of the league now so it’s a job well done.”

Photo: Action Images

_superblues_ added 23:05 - Dec 4 Knudsen throw is dangerous, always lose the ball from it. What was the point in bringing Coke on? Complete waste of space, we need teddy and bru back in our midfield asap if we stand any chance of getting near the play offs.
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alfromcol added 23:13 - Dec 4 Surely all week at training a measure can be made of where Knudsen's throws are going to reach and station 2 town players there???? I have never seen a Knudsen long throw that a Town player has flicked on. The reason he takes a long throw is that he is incapable of taking a short one.
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BlueNomad added 23:20 - Dec 4 We are not a top two side and tonight showed why. A fully fit McG, Bisop, Fraser or Bru might take us to the top six.
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BrettenhamBlue added 23:25 - Dec 4 Coke for ITFC player of the year! That's a joke by the way. Can't understand why he was signed. We are not a top 2 side. Nowhere near that.
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muccletonjoe added 23:39 - Dec 4 Pretty much self evident how far we are from the top6, we don't have the quality for promotion and it will take more than a couple of major signings to change it
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TimmyH added 23:57 - Dec 4 "We let our guard down" - not the first team this season Mick has used this phrase and it won't be the last unless Mick changes his 'best back .
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TimmyH added 00:00 - Dec 5 5' - (Mick's back went years ago) :)
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Garv added 00:11 - Dec 5 How can you be 'delighted' with a performance after an hour when you haven't scored a goal?
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Garv added 00:13 - Dec 5 I am genuinely flabbergasted that a manager as well respected and experienced as Mick McCarthy is happy to let this absolute nonsense, and it is nonsense, of long throws carry on. There were two in the first half that achieved exactly nothing and one in the second half that actually got us in trouble defensively, and this was all before we let them walk through and score following yet another diabolical long throw, which by the way was from about 40 yards out and barely reached level with the penalty spot.  And it's not as if this is a problem just tonight, this has happened all season with negative results, and the management have sat back all season and watched. It's absolutely bizarre.  Apart from that Boro look a promotion outfit and we couldn't complete with them second half. We had half chances created out of nothing in particlar and it just didn't go in. They had the players to assist (Adomah, Downing) and finish (Nugent) with quality. Felt sorry for Sears who has to come so deep so often. Thought Pitman played well enough, good effort first half - he's more of a threat than McGoldrick for me.

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ArnieM added 00:37 - Dec 5 Let's not forget the 3 outstanding saves by the Boro GK in the first half that had kept them in the game. We also started the 2nd half well until conceding a poof goal against the run of play. Ps I'd forgotten how much Leadbitter passes the ball sideways! Boro a solid strong side. Town , when all players are fit are not a million miles away from them tbh but the major problem is MM continues to play players OUT OF POSITION. This has to stop if we are to make that top 6. .......it's up to you Mick. Sink or swim it's your choice!

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MicksZzzTactics added 02:05 - Dec 5 Aye Mr. Knudsen is poor -- in more ways than one! -- but you can't really blame HIM :-) .... Invariably you just HAVE TO blame the person that keeps not only picking him, but also continues to encourage him to make these pointless pointless loooong throws of his!!! So like most times at ITFC these days 'The Bucket' simply stops at old stubborn dinosaur manager Mick "I'm gonna keep starting MY personal favorites to Kingdom come, darn'it" McCarthy. Period!

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ITFC_Singapore added 02:28 - Dec 5 As an exiled fan i don't get to see Town much these days so tonight was a rare chance. Completely agree with some of the comments on here. What is going on with those Knudsen throws ?? He took about 5-6 of them and we did not head a single one of them. Worse than that, almost every time we were nowehere near where the ball arrived and it was a free header away. Surely it is super easy just to measure the distance and practice in training where to stand to be on the end of them ??? On another note, Pitman is an interesting player ! he clearly has an eye for goal and can finish and he has good feet and some lovely touches. Reads the game well too. He is however slower than a rhino walking up a hill backwards. One of the slowest strikers I can recall seeing. That said though, I still think he is useful as he is likely to make something happen with his vision and touches. Anyway, back to the bigger picture, I thought it was a very even first half and a draw at half time was the right score, albeit we didn't look especially good or dangerous, but we were the equal of Boro. Second half they just showed that frankly they are a better side than us and controlled the game very well. Not too disheartened though. We weren't that great. We did deserve to lose. But for 45 minutes we were the equal of one of the (if not THE) best team in the division. So onwards and upwards !

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Beattiesballbag added 03:18 - Dec 5 People keep saying we're going nowhere unless we spend some money on some quality players,......can't quite agree with that being a good idea or much point in that until we have a manager who has the vision & ability to allow them to play football. Although I could be made to eat my words as I've heard Big Mick likes the look of a player he's been sent a video of as there's no fee involved, must have slipped under the radar by most of the other clubs..........He Man.....defender of the universe! Before you mark me down I'd just like to say to all those that say "be careful what you wish for" stop being so negative!!.......just because we had two bad apples doesn't mean the next one wont be better.

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clint_eastwood added 05:43 - Dec 5 Get a new left-back, Mick.....plz.
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battyblue added 05:49 - Dec 5 Well we were certainly not ruthless up front this game were we Mick two or three very good chances taken and we would have been on the way to three points before Boro had a serious shot on target..and i agree with previous posts what the hell is the point of long throws straight to the opposition every time might as well throw it three meters to a blue shirt why or why cant a throw in be simple its all it takes to keep possession? two quality finishes killed us off. Still lots to do to make us a strong unit.

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clint_eastwood added 05:56 - Dec 5 Knudsen is awful. He hasn't been good since day one. He's so lightweight, his reading of the game is so poor, he's positioning play is terrible, his long-throw leads to no-one. Parr shouldn't be a bad replacement.....he's stronger NOT lightweight.
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DurhamTownFan added 07:09 - Dec 5 I'm sorry if it annoys anyone but I thought we were poor all game. Difference in quality was laughable. I don't care how much they've spent on players: you CAN yeah a professional footballer to pass to a team mate instead of lumping it long and giving the ball away each time you get it. I'm fed up of our crp playing style and it's making us look like idiots. All you lot who rave about what MM has done on a tiny budget: I feel sorry for you that you actually like what you're seeing.

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steve1978 added 07:11 - Dec 5 What has parr done not to get a game? Giles coke why? What was the point in giving mcgoldrick last 5 mins? Because he wasnt gonna change the game, wasnt gonna ulter his fitness, so why risk a reacurrence? All we hear is TC's friday finishing sessions and how much the players love it, but what else do they do in training? The so called long throw is an absolute joke, our corners are poor, and we have no one who can shoot or deliver a dangerous free kick. Tactically mccarthy is poor, lets face it, it is a 442, with freddie plsying left mid,,he was more like a left back tonight and imo, he's our best play and biggest threat. Our bench tonight was shocking(injuries i know). On a PLUS side i thought we were the better team 1st half and there gk made some fine saves, just a tiny bit of luck and i think we would have taken the lead.

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WorcesterBlue added 07:18 - Dec 5 Unfortunately a combination of poor squad and 19th century tactics means this us as good as we can expect. Undoubtedly we are missing some good players (Bru, Bish, Didsy, Fraser) but Mick wouldn't pick them all anyway as he insists on playing crap hoofball. I'm pretty certain most of that squad would like to pass it around given the choice but clearly they are instructed not to. Add to that that the middle two and at least two of the back four are too slow of thought and pace and just aren't good enough and we're possibly upper mid table at best. Oh and as to Knudsen being blamed for the goal - perhaps but it wasn't him who casually let the provider cut inside and take time to cross.

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ChrisFelix added 07:49 - Dec 5 can't understand why the money from Mings wasn't used to improve the team. There must be talent playing in the football league better than Coke & Douglas. Also where are all our young lads, why arnt they coming through
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Tufty added 07:56 - Dec 5 This game was lost in midfield, they were better than us in this area, coke is not playing at an acceptable level. Bru Bishop Hyam all much better but not available, Tabb would at least have put himself about a bit. MIDFIELD SORT IT MM
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essex57 added 08:34 - Dec 5 Correct Tufty our midfield has been decimated through injuries That's like a 16 valve car running on 4 . With regards to our hoof ball and attractive football I think midds played more hoof ball than us and I didn't see too much fancy football.
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delias_cheesy_flaps added 08:50 - Dec 5 You can blame Knudsen for the first if you like but it was Smith showing Adoma inside what caused us to concede, pish poor defending, and what was Smith pointing at when he let him run past??? Again another pish poor piece of defending from Smith who backs off and off for the best part of 20 yards until Nugent is in range of our goal, whats wrong with going to the player when he's 30 odd yards out you pleb??? Shades of the old Smith again I'm afraid, drop him and bang Chambers in his place. Parr for Knudsen

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itfccymru added 08:50 - Dec 5 Here we go then, people jumping on the standard 'Long ball' bandwagon again. I actually thought we played well last night, especially first half. The difference was that little bit of quality and fair play to Boro, they played well and just edged us. The long throw I completely agree is ineffective, too predictable and needs to be scrapped. However, as for the 'long balls' when you have Murphy in your team, what do you expect? Arguably our best striker, and when so many goals have been created through his hold up play and ability in the air, it's obvious we're going to play to his strengths. Of course it would be nice to play 1-2 football at times but not many teams in the Championship have the bottle to do it. I still believe we will be in top 6 in May. Fraser, Bishop, Varney and Hyam all to come back, that as well as a fully fit (we shall see) David McGoldrick can be a real threat. No matter what you think of Mick and his '19th centuary football' just look at how far we've come and get behind the lads for the rest of the season and I'm sure we can be a success! COYB!

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itsonlyme added 08:51 - Dec 5 Once again Mick comes up short! What is the point in replacing Niles with Coke? No plan B! The back four are OK against the bottom teams but out of their depth against the better sides. Problem is Mick is too blind or stubborn to see it! Time for a change!
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