Town boss Mick McCarthy felt a point apiece was fair from the Blues 1-1 draw at home to Preston. Daryl Murphy equalised in the 38th minute, Daniel Johnson having put the visitors in front on seven.

“I think it was a fair result,” McCarthy said. “I’ll take the point after having to come back again.

“They’re on a good run, they’re a good side, very hard to break down, especially having conceded a goal.

“You can’t win them all. We’ve been on a good run, we remain unbeaten, which is the thing - if you can’t win it, don’t lose.

“They [dominated the early stages], we didn’t get going, I haven’t got an answer why, so don’t ask me. And I haven’t got an answer why we keep conceding goals.

“The season throws up all sorts of things up - concede away goals, late goals, lose at home, win at home, win away. It’s all a real mixed bag.

“All I know is that was a really tough Championship game and fair play to them, they deserved the point.”

McCarthy feels goalscorer Murphy’s season has been similar to Town’s campaign overall: “A bit like Murph, the season’s a mixed bag of all sorts.

"He started off and he can’t score, then he has a rich vein of form and scores lots and when did he last score? Against Brighton, was it? So one comes along [today]. But it was a great goal.”

Did the Town boss believe his side ought to have had a penalty when Paul Huntington appeared to handle Luke Hyam’s shot.

“I think they are saying they had one, [Simon Grayson] was asked by the TV,” he said. “They were saying that Joe Garner could have had a penalty, but if Garner doesn’t want you to move him you can’t knock him over with a bulldozer.

“If he wants to fall over he looks like he’s been hit by a baseball bat if you just tickle him, which is normal now.

“The referee didn’t give the penalty, but also didn’t book him if he thought it was a dive. It’s either one or the other, I would guess.

“They had an offside goal, which they say was very close, and I haven’t seen it, although I know the assistant flagged very early, he had his flag up, whether it is or it’s not. I was told it was close.

“But the one incident I have seen, we should have had a penalty. It hits his hand and he grabs it and pulls it under his body!

“There were all sorts in the game and if he gives it, he gives it, if he doesn’t, he doesn’t and we’ll get one some other time.

“But, like I say, we deserved a point and they deserved a point, so I can waffle all along all I like.”

McCarthy says he was targeting six points from the two home games against Leeds and Preston: “I wanted six. I wouldn’t have accepted four points at home, we had to try and win the six points.

“I’ll accept it now because we’ve had to come from behind to win one late on 2-1 and we’ve had to come from behind again and really eke a point out of a really tough game.

“At 93 minutes I said to TC, ‘I’ll take the point now. Just let’s take the point now and walk off’. We’ve had our four points from two games.

“If you get two points every game, you get promoted. We’re not at that. We’ve taken four points off Preston in two games, we’ve got Birmingham to play next week, so we need to beat them to take four points off them.”

The result sees Town drop out of the top six, but McCarthy says he’s not particularly concerned at this stage: “The lads have just said to me we’re seventh, so I reminded them that it’s May 7th that counts.

“We’re out of the top six, but what are there, 19 games to play? I’m not too worried about that yet.

“We’ve been different class, we’ve been on a great run, we’ve lost to Middlesbrough and Derby and we’ve picked up points. We’ve had a fabulous run, my lads have been different class. We’ve just been stopped in our tracks today by a good team.”

Preston manager Simon Grayson also felt a point was a fair result: “I think we performed really well, a different type of game than you get sometimes. You know you have to stand up against Mick McCarthy’s team.

“They’re well-organised, hard-working, you have to win second balls, deal with balls up to Daryl Murphy at times but also deal with the pace that they’ve got out wide as well.

“Overall, I thought we started the game really well, we had some good chances, we got the goal and from then on we looked like we could go on and get the second one.

“Unfortunately, they got a good goal just before half-time and you can see why Ipswich do well because they keep asking questions of your players all the time.

“You have to stand up against them and you can see why teams crumble against them, and every one of ours did a fantastic job today. It’s a well-deserved point and on another day we might have got all three.”

Regarding his side’s disallowed goal, he added: “It was really tight, without having the technology where you can draw the line across the pitch, he’s either level or at the most half a yard offside. It’s a really tight one from the angle I saw just now.

“Garns is adamant he should have had a penalty, the referee said he’d handballed it and Garns is adamant he’d been clipped and never touched it with his hand.

“You get decisions sometimes go for you, sometimes against you, but we withstood a lot of the competitive side of a game today where we’ve done really well against some experienced players, a team who were in the play-offs last year and are striving for that again today. Overall, we’re really pleased with a point and maybe could have got three.”

On Town’s penalty claim, he said: “I’ve not seen that but allegedly it might have hit Hunts on the hand but I don’t think he’s put his hand up, he’s lying on the floor when it’s hit him. That’s what I’m led to believe.

“Some of the players have said he’s not put his hand out deliberately."

Photo: Action Images

rosseden added 18:37 - Jan 16 and that's why Mick has more class than fatcrookEvans the horrible fat sh1te, he just says it how it is. Fair play to Grayson too, honest enough assessment.......
13

blueherts added 18:40 - Jan 16 Two good championship managers giving an honest assesment - That Steve Evans , is how you conduct an interview post match
16

blueherts added 18:41 - Jan 16 ...But I would love to add some midfield creativity in there , games like this really highlight the need for that
9

Lathers added 19:02 - Jan 16 Grayson has summed us up perfectly "you can see why teams crumble against them". We are persistent and stick to a plan. We are nothing special Mr Evans but we work harder than most which is why we will always be knocking on the door. I'll take a point too and know that we are capable of taking 3 points anywhere (when we make them crumble). God bless.
7

billlm added 19:10 - Jan 16 Needs to wake them up before he sends them out cant keep coming from behind and expect to win
6

shaunest1 added 19:18 - Jan 16 I would like to see andre dozzell brought into the squad,, 👍
0

VulpineBlue added 19:53 - Jan 16 Grayson set out a very organised Preston team. A fair result. We desperately need a box to box central midfielder who can take the ball forwards at their feet to be able to progress.
9

muccletonjoe added 20:38 - Jan 16 We do need, that little bit extra quality to get a result out of these games. . I don't think we will see it coming in though
5

Granthamblue62 added 20:42 - Jan 16 "That was possibly the worst game of football I've ever seen in my life!" So said my 15 year old lad as we walked back to the car. It was hard to argue against him. Could hardly string 3 accurate passes together, couldn't play to feet, and the ball spent most of the time up in the air. We appeared second to each of those hoofed up balls. The lack of movement made the team look more like the chinese terracotta army! It would be insulting to schoolboys to compare the defending for the first goal, more like a pub team. I think 'togetherness' as MM calls it is good, but this team lacks quality, particularly in midfield. The 'sideways' football of Skuse and Douglas made it obvious that no one wanted to take responsibility to be creative. Unless Evans releases some cash to acquire a 'box-to-box' midfielder (like Jonny Williams), Town will continue to ply their trade in the second tier - because that's their level. The only player today with any nous to run directly at Preston and cause them problems was Fraser. On this showing a play-off place looks highly ambitious.

11

Cakeman added 22:15 - Jan 16 Agree that it was a fair result. I was surprised with how effective at stopping us play Preston were. Probably down to them having an excellent manager who just like Mick knows the division inside out. I would say that it was a poor match which never got going. Not to disappointed though as there is much to play for with 57 points still available. I am sure it will go to the wire again. It could be that we gain more of our points away from home as home teams should be pressing higher up the pitch and that's when we can hit them quickly on the break through Fraser and Sears.

4

yorksblue added 22:27 - Jan 16 Let's see how our recent good away form fares against a tough looking Birmingham side
2

battyblue added 05:42 - Jan 17 Granthamblue marked you up totally agree with your post but the bloody thing down marked you sorry.
0

battyblue added 05:43 - Jan 17 Granthamblue marked you up totally agree with your post but the bloody thing down marked you sorry.
-1

BrettenhamBlue added 06:49 - Jan 17 Made a huge mistake. After watching the live (awful) game against Portsmouth I had heard some really good things about our style of play against Leeds (didn't see it) so decided to drive up once more to Portman Roac to watch us in action against Preston. The atmosphere was good, if a little cold at times. But the football was once again woeful. It's great that we are somehow in 7th but that was dreadful entertainment. It felt like Portsmouth all over again and I spent the next few hours reminiscing about our old days of passing football. Don't get me wrong. I think results wise MM and TC have done a great job and it is a results driven business. But the football is hoofing at its very worst. Huge hoofs up the pitch with no real thought of where they are going. The strikers job is to compete for the ball and they never seem to know where it's going either. I feel like our only strategy is to launch the ball from one end to the other. I had heard such good things about our game against Leeds so I was gutted to see the football on display. I just hope we go up and change our tactics when we have a bit of money to splash on creative talent. We'll taken goal by Murphy.

2

Penguinblue added 08:00 - Jan 17 Awful. Some of that kicking, I won't say passing,was pure rugby league. For those of you who love to shout budgie at a hint of criticism of the one trick pony MM - are you the same people who love to sing Sir Bobby's name (RIP). He would turn in his grave at this dross and Sir Alf, Burley, Royle, Magilton and even the dark one would be ashamed of this hoofball. What do they do in training? - kick the ball as hard as can for 2 hours each day. Sears and Fraser are exempted from this criticism. Enough of this. MM out. With a change we could still make it this year - there is a lot of football talent available at the moment - Sherwood, Monk, Pearson, Hoddle to name a few without even poaching

5

tallguy6767 added 08:10 - Jan 17 Different class eh Mick ? I'll agree with different !
-4

blueherts added 08:36 - Jan 17 Penguin - whilst I admire your passion for us to play better football - something all of us would like - you have to also realise what we are , as a club ,you mention some decent managers who would no doubt jump at the chance IF they were given lots of money to spend - as you may have noticed we have none , I would love us to go buy a.midfielder as we have really missed Bishop - Moncur or similar Penguin - I am Also not sure how you can mention that Irish buffoon in the same sentence as SAF SBR and GB

0

bluefeast added 09:16 - Jan 17 I went yesterday ,having only a few weeks ago stated i will never go again. I now realise that under Mick we revert to panic lump it fight it football. There is a real lack of composure when we are put under pressure. We don't look relaxed. Also we play systems that allow the best players to be in the team ,but not the best players playing in their rightful positions. This all leads to disjointed inconsistency in terms of performance. We are are very very hard to beat ,if we could add a couple of players that take us to the next level in terms of creativity then i believe we have a chance. Until then ,its money spent on not entertainment or enjoyment. Tough league this is ,its horrible. 19 games to go ,lets see what happens. Im going for an 8th to 9th place finish ,unless the issues we have are addressed.

5

sidtheswan added 09:48 - Jan 17 What happened to the football we played against Leeds ? Why did we revert to hoofball ? Why did a couple of the Preston players jump into our defenders instead of going for the ball ? Why did the girl with the long black hair argue every decision made by the referee ? So many questions so little time . Just glad I didn't buy a ticket for Pompey away although to be fair we're good away .

1

jonbull88 added 09:58 - Jan 17 @ PenguinBlue meant to mark you down not up! You quite clearly NEVER watched us play under Keane. Most balls we hit up to Walters and then Murphy on the wing! Plan A was not to concede and try and hit on the counter. If we conceded 9/10 times we lost. Even when Jim was here he played the ball from the keeper to Walters on the wing a few times. We haven't played proper passing football since at least 2004/05 imo. People have very short memories. For me the football at PR is a massive improvement 95% of the time on Keane and Jewell.

0

oldegold added 10:16 - Jan 17 Just about sums up the limits of MM's football philosophy and why we are not protagonists but also-rans. At this stage of the season we should be busting a gut to beat teams like PNE but instead he will settle for a point..ridiculous. MM lacks the bottle to take us to the next stage and this time last season was a case in point when we were top/second and then after the Southampton dèbacle we slowly slipped down the table when we should have grabbed the remaining third of the season with both hands with an attacking philosophy. Now we will have the farce of the Portsmouth replay where I'm sure we will exit with his approach to cup matches and rest assured he will play as usual a sub-standard team. Oh where has the free flowing Ipswich style ?

5

blackcat added 10:28 - Jan 17 FAIR, I don't want fair I want wins ,I Don't care how we win just win . It's not the taking part that counts !
1

grumpyoldman added 12:21 - Jan 17 bluefeast, unlike you I have not weakened, as long as MM is there I won't be. Were you duped by one excellent performance. I want ITFC in the premier league and do not expect us to get there until he goes, he gave us stability but we need more than he has to offer to progress
-1

not_a_witty_name added 14:01 - Jan 17 Can't be as bad as the Duncan years
0

999blue added 14:35 - Jan 17 firstly the draw was a fair result.....I got the impression that due to our recent good results the team turned up expecting to win ..1st half we didnt press,we were sloppy with the ball etc .....unfortunately were not good enough to do that ....especially with the lack of creativity , im sure that by adding someone in the mould of jonny williams replacing douglas or Bru this would add to the likes of sears / fraser whom on occasions yesterday were one step ahead of their team mates .......otherwise keep it going MM/TC.

1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls