Town boss Mick McCarthy says his side had to work hard to eke out their 1-0 home win against Nottingham Forest, Ben Pringle netting the game’s only goal after 63 minutes.

“We had to work for everything,” he said. “They’ve got good players, they’re a good side, they proved that in the first half.

“They’re far from mugs. The players that they’ve got injured, if they get them back then they’ll be a good squad.

“We’ve had to just eke out a win, whatever it took today. It took a bit of perseverance and a bit of doggedness from Foles [Kevin Foley] but a bit of quality as well.

“He was up behind it, nicked it in the first place and then persevered and Prings, it was a good tackle and it ended up in the net. The lads have given him all that already!”

He added: “They missed a few chances in the first half, they hit the crossbar with a header, another went over and Bart’s made a couple of good saves, certainly in the first half.

“I think we’ve played some good football today, the irony of it is. In the second half we were better and we scored. That’s the upshot of it in my book, and we kept a clean sheet.”

McCarthy singled out home debutant Foley for praise: “Foles I thought was great, I thought he was terrific.

"It’s irked me because I keep getting asked about the loan market and what we’re going to do.

“I’ve signed Kev and he’s travelled around with us, I’ve signed Ben Pringle on loan and that’s been great, but I do believe that if you’ve got players in-house who have travelled up and down all over the country and been to all the other places that we’ve been to and have been supporting the others, that they deserve to play.

“And I think I’ve been well-rewarded with that because they’re a good squad. I thought Foles was excellent.

“Kev’s one of them that’s played right-back, left-back, centre midfield, wide right, he’s a very competent footballer. He understands the game, he can go and play and he’s technically very good.

“He’s done loads of roles but his two performances at Huddersfield and today have been excellent.

“I thought he played well at Bristol City actually. I thought he was one of the ones all the game, Kevin. He’s a proper footballer Kev. He understands the game, he’s a really good pro. And I think you’ve all spoken to him and know what a nice fella he is as well.”

The Town boss explained why Daryl Murphy and Jonathan Douglas missed out: “Murph’s got a calf strain, he was never playing.

“Dougie had four stitches in his foot at the end of the game last week having played with it for the last 10 minutes of the first half and the whole of the second half. It was a nasty cut.

“He could have padded it and he could have played, he wanted to play, but I wouldn’t let him because we are a bit thin on the ground.

“Had he trained on Friday and it had split open he may not have been fit for today and then he might not have been fit for Tuesday and, who knows, if he’d done it badly enough he might not have been fit for Saturday.

“It was my decision not to play him and I was well rewarded with Luke Hyam and Kevin Foley, they were great. Dougie will be fit for Tuesday, as will Skusey, but I don’t know about Murph yet.”

He dismissed suggestions that Murphy’s absence changed his team’s approach - “Not really” - but says the Blues expected to play a more patient game having seen Forest in previous matches.

“They changed, actually,” McCarthy continued. “We worked all week on that because I thought they might sit back in and they did in the second half. They had the best of the first half.

“We’ve played some really good football this year. Sadly, just lately, because we’ve been under the cosh a bit and we’ve lost players, maybe we have gone a bit back to front far too much, but that’s not been the plan.

“We’ve always got that if Murph’s in. If Freddie’s in we’ve got pace, you can turn them. Interestingly enough, it’s much maligned, but if you analyse the goals that we’ve scored, the goal at Huddersfield was stuck in behind their centre-half.

“It wasn’t a long ball, but nevertheless we turned him around and we won it. And against Reading we won the game and both goals came from turning their defence around.

“It’s not rocket science but I think we’ve not been playing well and we’ve ended up being a bit safe, just pumping it up and that’s not us.”

Last week McCarthy said he was sick of talking about the play-offs - “When I go out you can talk about them all you like,” he joked today - and says that while others were panicking that the season was over a few weeks ago when the Blues lost three in a row he remained level-headed.

“What has been my demeanour been like over the last few weeks while it’s been going bonkers and [people have been saying] we’re out of it, what have I been saying?

“And I’ll not be going out and getting langers drunk because we’re one point off the play-offs. I’ll carry on doing what I’m doing.”

Andre Dozzell, 16, was on the bench but McCarthy says it wasn’t the time to hand the England U17 international captain his debut.

“It wasn’t the game for him to go on, that’s for sure,” McCarthy added. “That’s one of those. If we’d been winning 3-0 there might be a chance for him to go on.

“Heaven forbid, if we’d been losing 3-0 it might have been a free one where you say ‘Go on, get your debut, it’s got nothing to do with you, we’re not going to win the game’ and introduce him for the last 10 minutes. A bit of a free substitute really.

“I do feel that if it was a wide open game and it wasn’t as tough and physical as that one was today, he could go on and cause a real problem. He spots a pass and he is technically very good.

“But we were hanging on for a one-nil-er, it wasn’t his day today. But it’s great that he’s on the bench. He’s done well, he’s training great, he’s trained with the first team as well now.”

Forest manager Dougie Freedman was disappointed with the result but not his side’s performance and blamed poor finishing for their defeat.

“We felt in the first half we had three or four fantastic opportunities and created enough chances to win the game and our inability to take them is crucifying us right now,” he said.

“The second half was more of an even game I felt. It still could have gone either way but somehow Ipswich managed to scramble that goal.

“We then found ourselves chasing the game. I brought on a couple of younger players, one a debutant, because that’s what we’ve got and we just huffed and puffed in the end.

“But it was down to the inability to take our chances. I thought we played well, I’ve got no real problems with how we played, none at all. I thought we passed the ball very well.”

Photo: Action Images

osborne added 18:50 - Mar 5 Much better to watch than recently. Murphy missing did change our approach though. Well done. Come on Town. Playoffs definitely on.
2

Mark added 19:01 - Mar 5 Sometimes when Murphy doesn't play we kick it up to Pitman instead expecting him to win it in the air, but today we played it on the ground more and it was much better to watch. Credit to Foley for coming into the midfield and doing really well. Well done to Pringle too for the goal, I wish he was a permanent player rather than a short term loan. What odds on another 1-0 win to Town at Bolton? COYB! Also, congratulations to Bialkowski for getting five Man of the Match awards on this site. :-) His saves kept us in it first half.

11

WhoisJimmyJuan added 19:20 - Mar 5 Credit where credit due. I've been "a moaner" (and proud!). But this shows what MM can do with a bit 9f quality when he puts his mind to it. I've never called for his head but it has been the overall direction of the club, the academy and style and team selection which has irked me but I always celebrate a win. And Foley and Prince look like useful signings. Better.

9

jert16 added 20:00 - Mar 5 Well done MM and the boys!!
3

miltonsnephew added 20:07 - Mar 5 Get on to Fulham and Extend Pringles Loan from Fulham till the end of the season.
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boroughblue added 20:13 - Mar 5 if anyway still says that gerken is the better keeper they need there head looked at...
1

alfromcol added 20:13 - Mar 5 Pringles here until the end of the season, isn't he? Entertained today. Hope it happens regularly.
3

Paulc added 20:19 - Mar 5 What only 7 comments in 2 hours? must have won and put in a decent performance!
13

dav86 added 20:24 - Mar 5 Love it when the town win
5

TractorBeezer added 20:55 - Mar 5 I listened on Player and it sounds like our midfield played well. Shorter effective passes and according to Mick Mills they were getting the angles right. Mick McCarthy said that he has Pringle for the season. Well done MM, TC and the lads.Top 6 here we come! UTTBs
3

ronnyd added 21:03 - Mar 5 Foles and Prings, love it.
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muccletonjoe added 21:07 - Mar 5 Next time we lose and you see the usual people on here slagging the team and the manager off. Might be an idea to remember they can't even be bothered to give them a bit of praise when they do keep the ball on the pitch and keep possession well...... And win
4

stowby added 22:01 - Mar 5 Provided that MM can continue to encourage players to keep the ball on the pitch and keep possession then i'm sure praise will be passed on - but its not guaranteed when we have put up with the opposite all season
3

lightingblue added 22:03 - Mar 5 With murphy missing and ipswich winning. Is it worth asking the question did we miss out on 4million last summer (providing reports were true) and get some money in the bank if teams were chasing him. With that and the potential 7 million for david mcgoldrick (appreciate the injury situation may not have helped) that's a lot of money for us lot
1

TractorBeezer added 22:20 - Mar 5 lightningboy....Murph still has lots to offer us. Did you see the way he won the ball and set up Pringle v Huuddersfield a few days ago?
3

htb added 22:32 - Mar 5 I wasn't able to go today, however my son let me know we played a much more possession based game and generally kept it on the floor and passed it . He particularly felt Foley was instrumental in this. Maybe because Murphy was not playing they felt they had to change the approach .However encouraging MM seems to admit we have been playing too much back to front of late. I do unfortunately believe this is typically his style of football, however if he can actually get us playing some more football willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. . Basically you have to respect the position where we are in the league with the lack of investment, but I cannot accept the lack of decent football generally we have had to endure.

2

harlingblue added 02:58 - Mar 6 A much more pleasing game to watch and a win. Great saves from Bart in the first half, fine midfield performance throughout by Foley ably backed by Hyam, a very commanding game by Berra and a fine finish by Pringle made my day. Having watched the U21 team gain an emphatic win on Monday, and 3 points today, this is a far happier, positive post. Salute!
3

essex57 added 08:24 - Mar 6 Um Sunday morning 8.30 only 17 posts there must be some people in darkened rooms beating themselves up because we won and passed the ball on the ground and are still only 1pt off play offs thanks for keeping the dream alive team and MM /TC
0

jas0999 added 08:34 - Mar 6 Good result. We don't look like a team who will score three or four, so defence will be the key for the remainder of the season, unless we sign that creative central player that has been missing all season!
2

essexboy added 09:20 - Mar 6 Full credit to the team.They played with determination and worked very hard for each other to gain a very valuable three points.Since Bart has been back in the team he has added something special and the defence is now much more assured.The style of played was great to watch,which makes a great change from the high ball game(to which I have been very critical of) and yes I hold my hands up after yesterday and say well done MM,but please keep it up.Do we think the change came about as Murphy was not playing.The jury may be out on that one.On to Tuesday now and another three points please MM.

6

yorksblue added 09:45 - Mar 6 Obviously happy with the win. Sounded like we were lucky to get to HT at 0-0. What does MM mean when he says pumping it up is not us? Talk about trying to pull wool over our eyes.
2

yorksblue added 10:35 - Mar 6 Cant stand the bloke or the recent style of play. Happy to give credit where credit's due when tactics change for the better, like yesterday. Unfortunately, when the 2 absentees from yesterday return, it'll be revert back to plan A, and forget that there's an alternative. Oops, that sounds negative for a Sunday morning. Perhaps I should wait til the next defeat before posting this.

1

TimmyH added 11:14 - Mar 6 Yep defense is the key to the run in...interesting that both Foley and Pringle have started fairly well for us so have to give praise for Mick in regards to those are the only players he has brought in this year and they're doing ok. Personally not sure we'll see much of Murphy now in the starting line up this season (certainly at home). Fairly good performance yesterday, we now just have to keep up the same mind set against Bolton and not take them lightly as they'll be battling to avoid the drop and every game for them will feel like they have to take 3 points.

3

GerkensBeard added 13:12 - Mar 6 How refreshing was it to see us play through the midfield yesterday. Was a joy to watch and the reason for that is kevin Foley. Yesterday he reminded me of just how Jimmy Bullard was when he was on loan here. Constantly picking up the ball from the defence, looking to go forward with it or spread the play straight away always wanting the ball. The difference it made to our football thanks to him. We have been missing someone who can do that for years. I'm not saying he's gods gift as his talents are limited. But he used them very well and ran the show the whole afternoon. With hyam they controlled the midfield who also had a very good game with his passion and tenacity. And is starting to look better on the ball now too. When Skuse is back I don't think he should come straight back in. Yes he's great defensively but so is Foley and he constantly wants the ball. Was a pleasure to watch

3

ChrisFelix added 14:09 - Mar 6 Thought Hyam & Foley played very well, complimenting each other. It wasn't until half time that I realised that Douglas was missing. Says it all
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