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McCarthy: Deserved Winners of Tough Game
Tuesday, 15th Mar 2016 22:55

Boss Mick McCarthy says the Blues ultimately ran out deserved victors after a “tough, hard-fought” game against Blackburn Rovers, Daryl Murphy netting two second-half goals, the first from the penalty spot.

“It was just a great victory, a tough, hard-fought game,” McCarthy said. “I thought they had the better of the start but that we got into the game and we ran out deserved winners.

“It took a penalty to change the course of it. I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t really comment, but I think [Blackburn manager] Paul [Lambert’s] said it was a penalty and they’ve no arguments about it.

“It was just a tough game. The first half was really hard. But we’ve just had to stick with it, we’ve been here before, stick with the game, don’t concede and we’ll always get a chance.”

Regarding goalscorer Murphy, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, he added: “It’s a great birthday. He’s had it tough this year, he’s had knocks and niggles, and I thought his performance tonight was excellent. The penalty, you’ve got to score it, but I thought his second goal was outstanding.

“I think if you play well and you’re a pest and you upset defenders, you’ll get goals. If you’re concentrating on scoring goals but not doing all the other stuff first, you don’t get the chances. And I think he’s been a real threat over the last two or three games, back to it.”

The Town boss, who was suffering with a heavy cold, also had praise for Luke Varney, who created the second goal.

“I am [pleased with him] but not just tonight,” he continued. “I’ve been delighted with him since he walked through the door.

“He’s a wonderful pro, he’s been brilliant to have around from the moment he walked him he’s just been outstanding.


“He’s had a snapped achilles and he’s a model pro, he’s an example to anybody who wants to get back from an injury. He’s been great, and that’s off the pitch, and tonight he’s really contributed.”

McCarthy said it was important to win the early battles in what was never a pretty game.

“I heard the ironic cheers when all the headers were going on in the first 10 minutes, but I tell you, if you lose that scrap in the Championship you lose the game,” he said.

“So, when it’s being headed and thumped and kicked and scrapped, if you lose it, if they do it better than you, you’ve got a really good chance of being beaten. And we didn’t get beaten.”

He added: “It’s never going to be less of a scrap because there’s pressure at one end for points to be gained and pressure at the other end for points to be gained.

“As we all know, I suppose for you when you’ve got a deadline, when you’ve got 30 minutes to to write 2,000 words or something, the old arse is twitching, isn’t it? It’s not as easy.

“That’s like it for us and it’s the same in every walk of life. We all have the things that cause you a bit of angst and you don’t perform as well. But it doesn’t really matter at this stage, it’s about winning the game.”

The win moves the Blues up to eighth, one point off the play-offs with nine left to play with Rotherham the visitors to Portman Road on Saturday.

“We’ve never been that far away,” McCarthy said. “It’s three points, it’s put us on the back of the top six.

“We’ve got a home game on Saturday, but equally it will be another tough game against Warny’s [Neil Warnock’s] team who are scrapping to stay in the league, and they’ve just had three or four terrific results. Anyway, we’ll enjoy tonight and worry about that on Thursday.”

Blackburn manager Paul Lambert was disappointed with his side's performance having made five changes to his team.

“Rotten that was, from our point of view," he said. "I’m disappointed because we’ve been playing really well of late.

“I changed the team because that was our 10th game in 31 days and we’ve still got one more to go on Saturday.

“I changed it because lads were running on empty, but I still expect a lot better than that.

“I thought it was a nothing game, it wasn’t great viewing. We had a lot of fans come down and they expect better in the second half, to try and get a goal back.

“It was a penalty, I’ve got no complaints about the penalty because I think it’s a stonewaller, but from there I expect better to try and get back into the game.”


Photo: Action Images



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alfromcol added 23:02 - Mar 15
Crap, but we got 3 points!!

If you are happy with that then OK..
5

righty added 23:03 - Mar 15
Got to be an idiot to say deserved we deserved nothing rubbish both fullbacks useless Skuse OK the other two Sunday morning footballers Sears good Murphy only decided to play for the last 20 minutes the rest utter rubbish McCarthy OUT
-20

WhoisJimmyJuan added 23:04 - Mar 15
As a fan I will never turn down a win. So we'll done on that side of things by the players and management. This is the way it is folks: every game is going to be an ugly scrap and we will always be sniffing around the play offs as a consequence. As I've said before its what this does for our attendances and young players that worries me.
9

Mark added 23:06 - Mar 15
A welcome three points and good to see Murphy on the scoresheet again, but the quality of football was dire. Starting with three defensive midfielders at home made me wonder how we would create chances, and so it proved. A scrap, yes, but we need to play better football for the paying supporters. Only Sears and Varney when he came on tried to run at them. Hopefully Feeney joining will help us be more positive.
6

Foreverdon_Blue added 23:11 - Mar 15
It wasn't a great game and the entertainment value was low again, but a win is a win so please righty be a bit more positive!
4

bluefeast added 23:11 - Mar 15
We will get promoted ,Mick has taken a right old slagging ,from me especially ,just watch him get us up mow. Its a weird world..
0

KiwiBlue2 added 23:22 - Mar 15
An ugly 3 points.....? Is there really such a thing in this league, more of the same on Saturday I guess. Lets hope Foley and Bru get a start then but the success tonight might militate against it.....
1

KillarneyBlue added 23:28 - Mar 15
SUPER MICK
-8

gippeswyk added 23:32 - Mar 15
I agree it wasn't entertaining, especially the first half but I thought Murphy and Bart were a different class to the rest, even though Murphy was heavily marked by their big defenders. Sears ran his socks off and Knudsen had one of his better games. We kept another clean sheet and got the 3 points, so I came home happy. Good news that McG is closing in on a return. We are just a point off the play-offs. If we can get Frazer back we might just have something to celebrate come the end of the season. I haven't lost faith in the team or MM.
5

HarryS_H added 23:41 - Mar 15
I feel for the lads really, they win and about 5 of our fans cheer for them. We played in the way we've been crying out for and you're still not happy...

I was entertained and still confident we'll make the play offs, the midfieldsame looking more creative, the defence were more like their usual solid selves and our attack seemed quicker and with more fight!

I'm happy as for you negative lot, bloody bores the lot of you!!
-1

HarryS_H added 00:14 - Mar 16
That rant was mainly at that righty gut and all those fans who go to games to moan, I sat in front of two people who would find something to moan about if Tommy Smith banged in a 40yarder so that was the only dampener on the game for me!!

Some nice refreshing comments today, for a change
3

JimInGreensboro added 01:40 - Mar 16
Rather play ugly and get 3 than play beautifully and get 0. It's not synchronized swimming and, besides, who'd rather watch that?
6

Gandj64 added 02:48 - Mar 16
wow......such opposing views......extreme...passionate....honest......and sincere.

This is my first post......first game my dad took me to was Arsenal .....August 1974. We moved to the town from Saaaaaaffend in Essex. (that's the official spelling) Kevin Beattie scored a tremendous header and we won 3 nil.....I was 10 and that was it for me....despite flirting with Spurs and West Ham which you were forced to do living in the Thames estuary, there has only ever been the super blues.

My wife is a life long cov city fan......a good friend at work follows Pompey......so why not a play off treble.....I can dream can't I ? Pleased to meet you all.
14

footyblue added 03:26 - Mar 16
MM must watch a different game to me then it was the worst game for a long long time we lack any direction leadership ideas how to play football there was nothing between the teams and although we won 2-0 we didn't deserve to win the game. If we did get promoted we would need a complete squad overhaul or the lowest total points and 9-0 biggest defeat would definitely be in sight for us

Just being realistic nothing more..........................................
4

prebbs007 added 06:19 - Mar 16
Replace the word tough with dire and you might be right Mick !! It was an awful game between two terrible teams. Lambert has a huge job on there if that's any judgement of his team. Blackburn possibly the worst team I've seen here this season apart from us !! We gritted out a win but played boring unskilled hoofball and to say Murphy was outstanding is just factually wrong, he scored a good goal but created nothing for anyone around him. The selection again beggars belief. Skuse & Hyam NEVER works together and to add Douglas to the mix is comical. Easily the worst midfield group to have played in a game for us for years, no pace, no creativity, no skill, no guile, no clue. It was always going to be a scrap after that team sheet was announced.

Let's hope Feeney can add some desperately needed quality to a shocking squad of bang average championship dross and we can fluke our way into top 6 and then you just never know. Keeping the dream alive, somehow, and it is a dream because this bunch are so far away from premiership level it's embarrassing.

Let's also hope our captain, the worst RB in the league, can think twice before slagging fans as he walks off at half time. These people pay your wages Luke and your rant is not acceptable. No one questions your effort but like others in this horribly limited squad, you're useless in your wrong position and there's nothing you can do about it so don't have a go at the fans who pay the highest prices in the league for the worst entertainment, there will be far less here next season because of it !!!!!
12

Bob7881 added 07:01 - Mar 16
Lets get one thing straight if people on here dont agree with MMs tactics it dosent make them a moaner football is about opinions and many see it in a different way. If and it is a big if ITFC by some miricale were to get promoted we would be the worst playing team to do so.
Thats my opinion im not moaning im just being realistic.
10

keighleyblue added 07:46 - Mar 16
10 points from 12... promotion form :)
3

mattyboar added 07:58 - Mar 16
@prebbs Not going to dissect your comment but no team "flukes" their position in the league. If you finish top then you deserved to, if bottom then you are the worst team in the league. To say anything different discredits teams achievements.
12

carsey added 08:23 - Mar 16
Bob7881 - agreed we were poor last night and have generally been poor all season.If by some miracle we get promoted things will have to change dramatically otherwise the record for the highest Premier League defeat and the record for the lowest points total will both be broken.
I'm not moaning I'm just calling it as I see it.
6

essexboy added 08:40 - Mar 16
I walked away from the ground last night,and having slept on it I still cannot get my head around the way we played.Yes,we won and got a welcome three points,but let's be honest with ourselves,this match was dire.The whole team just huffed and puffed for 90 mins.There did not seem a plan of action anywhere on the pitch.LOOK,MM said he rested some players,but I disagree,these are professional footballers who should be able to play twice a week,SO put your strongest team out MM.Never underestimate the opposition which you do more often than not.This is not a criticism but a fact.Now we are back in the hunt,play your strongest team and be positive.We cannot rely on the ref,I think he felt sorry for us last night.Roll on Saturday.COYB?
3

essex57 added 09:01 - Mar 16
With regards to the chambo incident I just got back to the car when a guy said it was all misreported I would like to add in no other workplace would workers or management have to put up with such foul mouthed abuse as players sometimes have to so it's no wonder they some times react on the spur of the moment this might of been triggered by the ridiculous booing at half time this really does nothing for the players, or the reputation of our supporters who were once renowned for the sporting and friendly way they conducted themselves. Sometimes some of the things I witness home or away make me think our standards have slipped.
0

Cheshire_Blue added 11:56 - Mar 16
2-0 and three more points and the usual 'keyboard warriors' are expressing their negative opinion, which of course they are entitled to do.
For my part my opinion is that MM is doing a great job on limited resources and long may he continue to do so whilst the funds to rebuild are not available. My opinion is formed on the experience of SUPPORTING Ipswich Town over 50 years and what MM is achieving is like getting blood out of a stone. Long may super Mick and his boys keep us in the hunt for a play off place again when the odds are stacked against it.
2

tractorintheloft added 13:01 - Mar 16
Essexboy - MM has never underestimated the opposition. Read the build up to the Bolton game. Also already saying how tough relegation haunted Rotherham will be at home.

We have no money. MM is the best guy in the eyes of ME to deliver promotion and a return on his investment without laying more money than the bare minimum (which is probably £5m a season out of his pocket just to keep this squad). It's awful to watch but we can't do anything about it. Our best hope is to be the 12th man, cheer them home, get the mega £m from EPL and hopefully buy some players that can play be a bit more expansive football next season. 6th place would be overachieving - we all know this, we are so close, lets all pull together and get it done. Roll the dice in the playoffs.....
5

Bluetone added 13:03 - Mar 16
@Gandj64 I think that was the game when Alan Ball was having a good old moan and the crowd made it worse by chanting.
"Alan Ball Ball, super star.
Wears frilly Knickers and a padded bra."

Happy days in Churchmans.
1

Seasider added 17:11 - Mar 16
Nice to see Paul Lambert admit it was a penalty,few Managers do
4


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