Boss Mick McCarthy admitted that Portsmouth probably deserved to beat the Blues in this afternoon’s FA Cup third round tie, which ended 2-2, Ryan Fraser having grabbed Town’s 88th minute equaliser.

McCarthy admitted that a draw was a result which neither manager would have been after at the start of the game.

“I don’t think either me or [Pompey boss] Paul Cook wanted it but we’ve got it and after 88 minutes I would have taken it because I didn’t want to lose,” he said.

“I didn’t want to get beaten in the game, although we probably deserved to get beaten, I thought they were excellent.”

He added: “I was relieved it was still 0-0 at half-time, I thought they were excellent. I thought we were better in the second half.

“I was disappointed to concede almost immediately after scoring but then delighted that we kept going as always and ended up with a draw, which we didn’t deserve really, they deserved to win.

“But, you know what, it’s testament to the players that they kept going and didn’t get beaten.”

McCarthy admitted that it rarely looked like there are two divisions between the teams: “They’re one of the better League Two sides with a lot of quality and some players with experience, who have played a fair bit.

“It didn’t [look like there were two divisions between the sides], absolutely not, it probably looked the other way around, to be honest.

“I don’t know what I can add to that, other than we were lucky to get a draw, I think they deserved to win, I thought they were excellent, I thought we were below par.

“Maybe having Peter [Malarczyk] playing, Diggers [Paul Digby] playing, Tommy Oar playing and Reg [Varney] playing who haven’t been playing had an effect on it, who knows?

“I’ve gone through them, I’m not making them as an excuse, I thought [Portsmouth] were excellent, they deserved to win, they didn’t and we’ve got a bloody replay a week on Tuesday.

“But, like I say, after 88 minutes, I wanted that, I didn’t want to be beaten. We’ve got Leeds and Preston coming here now, so we remain unbeaten.”

Having conceded that the changes he made contributed to the disappointing display, he says that he might otherwise have been forced into switches of personnel for the two important Championship games.

“That then could have been Leeds United on Tuesday night or Preston on Saturday, had I got somebody injured, the [players coming in] haven’t played and they have to go in and play and they’re below par because they’ve not been playing. So, if anything it’s worthwhile for them.

“They’re the positives that have come out of it, that Tommy Oar has now had 90 minutes, Luke Varney’s had them, Peter’s had them, Diggers has played.

“He did all right, I thought, it was a tough game for him, coming in, he’s not been playing to then be playing at that level.”

Having started Digby, who joined on loan from Barnsley last week, at the centre of the defence, McCarthy quickly switched the debutant to right-back.

“I just wanted Chambo to more vocal being in the centre of the pitch,” he explained. “I’ve got Peter who hasn’t been playing and Diggers, who hasn’t played. It just looked a little bit disjointed, it was better with Chambo in there.”

The draw for the fourth round takes place from 7pm live on BBC1's The One Show on Monday.

Portsmouth assistant manager Leam Richardson was pleased with his team’s performance and not too disappointed that the game ended in a draw.

“I think first and foremost the manager and myself just want to come and play football and give a good account of ourselves and apply ourselves the best we can and I thought we did that today,” he said.

“There’ll always be a tinge of disappointment when you’re in the 80-plus minutes and you don’t end up winning the game and you don’t end up going through, but it’s still a positive result.

“If you spin it round, certainly in a cup competitions, if we were 2-1 down and we got the same result, 2-2, you’d have a different elation and I think the lads know individually and collectively that they performed to a certain level and when they digest it I think they’ll realise that.

“We know Ipswich through the manager and the players they’ve got and the club itself, it’s a very well established, good quality club with a quality manager and quality players.

“As a chance for us as a young management team to pit our wits up against such a team and manager it’s good for us.”

Photo: Action Images

Dissboyitfc added 07:31 - Jan 11 I have always said and believed that armchair supporters are just as entitled to an opinion on ITFC as anybody else. But i have a problem with those that never go, yet feel entitled to have an opinion on supporters who do spend hard earned money watching Town play. It is expensive and should be entertaining should be enjoyable. So please if you never go, keep your thoughts on the team, no judging those that do go, because when you spend money to watch the team you can feel entitled to venting frustration and I just hope MM pays the travelling town support respect when we go down to Portsmouth..Mick put a team out to win. If in tonights draw we get an away game at a Premier club. MM will see it as un winnable ( Man U away springs to mind) and an inconvenience, something that gets in the way of league football.If thats the case expect a weakened team again. Not bothering at Man U didnt yield results in the league did it?

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phillo added 08:10 - Jan 11 chevymalc - the thing is he wont !!! He'll play a weakened side again and the chances of that happening will increase if we get one of the big boys. Mick will think "well we wont beat them so we may as well not waste the first teamers". We aren't Man Utd Mick !!! We are a small club in the Championship to whom cup runs represent the best chance of glory & a distraction from the weekly grinding out of results in the league. At our level we should be trynging to win these things !!!!!

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Seasider added 15:05 - Jan 11 Mr Evans is a 'money man'.I expect he hardly knew where Ipswich was,before he took the opportunity to buy a debt for a cut price,which nevertheless is shown as the full amount previously owed to Barclays etc. Before that I understand he had tried to take over Southampton,now look where they are! Nobody has mentioned that the FA Cup brings in money,which I thought would appeal to this entrepreneur.

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