Town boss Mick McCarthy felt the performances of young full-backs Myles Kenlock and Josh Emmanuel were among the positives to be taken from the Blues’ 3-2 home victory over the MK Dons.

Reflecting on the game overall, he said: “Exciting? It was frustrating for me. We started really well, we could have had a second and then gave an absolutely bonkers goal away, we were all out of shape, lost it, they broke and we gave away the penalty.

“The second half wasn’t really happening. We got a second and gave another goal away, which we were really disappointed with.

“And then we won it and Myles Kenlock, who I thought was excellent, one real plus point out of the game, out of the season looking at him, crossed brilliantly and Reg Varney got on the end of it.

“So we get the winner, we all come off and it looks like an exciting game, and I guess it was because there were chances at either end. But 3-2, some good and some bad in that.”

Regarding Kenlock and Emmanuel’s performances, he added: “It’s convinced me that I’ve got two young full-backs that can actually play in the team, if I was thinking of looking elsewhere.

“They’re both young still, both only 18 or 19 the pair of them, and they’ve done really well. I’m delighted with them.

“[They’ve probably been a bit unfortunate not to play more of a part this season], but the senior lads have been great for three/four seasons since I’ve been here.

“It’s been Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Mings or Knudsen and they’ve served me and this club so well, so it has been hard for them to get in.

“If I want to be brutally honest, I think Myles has got done for the second goal, he’s got nudged by Revell, but then he’s made up for that. His whole performance has been outstanding.

“But those are the things you can’t allow to happen. And others made mistakes for the first goal. I’m being ultra-critical of him because he was outstanding, his cross for the winner was brilliant.

“And Josh, he’s been doing great but he’s still young and that back four has been the bedrock of the team.”

McCarthy was pleased to see the returning David McGoldrick put in another promising performance and score his first goal since August 29th.

“I’m sincerely hoping that he is fully fit for Ireland [at the Euros] and that he goes and that he plays and that he has a great tournament.

“He deserves that after the couple of seasons he’s had, it’s been a bit stop-start with injuries.

“Didzy’s just such a good player and I still don’t think he’s 100 per cent. I think there were times he lost the ball today and under different circumstances, had he played more often, you get battled hardened and I don’t think he’s that.

“He’s fit to play and I think he’s had a good game and got his goal. I think he conducted a lot of the play for us today, orchestrated a lot of the play, which was good, but he’s still getting there.

“If he’s lucky enough to be picked by Martin O’Neill, who picks the squad, I’ll be delighted. And I hope he plays, I hope he gets a chance to play because he’s got the ability to play at that level.”

Teddy Bishop made his first start of the season but McCarthy feels the 19-year-old midfielder is still some way off his best.

“I wanted to start him,” he said. “I said to him coming off, ‘Well done, but I think you were knackered’. He said, ‘No, I was all right’.

“Well if that’s him all right, if that’s his best he wouldn’t play every week, so I think there’s a bit more to come from him.

“That cameo when he ran through, that was him. But when he’s fully fit he does that on a regular basis and he doesn’t get caught in possession. He’s a really talented lad. Hopefully the end of the season will get him right for the start of next.”

The Town boss says he’ll be speaking to winning goalscorer Luke Varney, whose short-term deal is up at the end of the season, about his future soon.

“I’ll be talking to him this week,” he added. “It was always the case with Luke, nothing’s really changed with that. We’ve still got a game to play, the last one is coming up next week. We’ll talk to him this week.

“He’s been fantastic, he’s an outstanding pro, an outstanding character. He’s a shining example to anybody who snaps his achilles.

“I’m so glad that [owner] Marcus [Evans] supported him. We put him up, we gave him treatment and I think we’ve both been rewarded. That’s been a symbiotic deal. He’s been rewarded with our support and we’ve been rewarded with a goal and a performance like that.”

McCarthy says he enjoyed the lap of appreciation after the match: “I really wanted to show my appreciation to the fans because I’ve had nothing but support from them from walking in here in November 2012.

“It’s just been a little bit tough [recently]. I’ve had some tart comments at me and some caustic comments, but in the main I’ve really enjoyed the support.

“I went to the Supporters Club do [the Player Awards Evening] and it was quite humbling how much support we were all receiving.

“It was lovely today and I’ve enjoyed it. I was never, ever going to do anything other than walk around and say thank you to the fans.

“I think the ones who stay behind were always going to applaud us and they saw a nice victory in the end.

“And I do think in the end, if we all analyse it, we’ve probably had a good season anyway, we’ve just had a really difficult end to it.

“The support’s been there all the time and I think over the piece they’ve seen more good performances and good results than they have bad. I think they appreciate it, appreciate the effort the players give every single week.

“When I walked in in November 2012 that was one of the things, ‘They’ve given up, the club’s shambles, people don’t care about it’.

“That couldn’t be said now. It’s a well organised, well run club with a team that fights tooth and nail. There’s a lot to be said for that.”

He says the planning for next season is already under way: “That’s ongoing. There never really comes a time when you start thinking that.

“I think that’s an ongoing process where you’re constantly looking at players, what you can do to improve it and change it sometimes. We’re in that process and we’ll be doing that up until the end of August, I guess.”

MK Dons manager Karl Robinson felt the match reflected his already relegated side’s season.

“I think the game showed two sets of players who were willing to put the right sort of effort in at this time of the season with both their fates sealed,” he said. “I’d swap fates, obviously.

“It was two sets of players who put a good shift in and it was a very honest game of football refereed really well as well.

“It was disappointing for us to lose, it summed up our whole season - good, good, good and then poor in key areas.

“It’s the difference in the set-ups, look at the quality of the goalscorers that they possess, streets away from where we are right now. But it’s been a tremendous learning curve for everybody involved in the football club.

“We try and play the right way, even though our fate is sealed. We still hold our heads up high and play a style of football that I believe in immensely and now it’s a case of the club rebuilding itself and going again.”

Photo: Action Images

bluey123 added 16:22 - May 1 You actually think he will tell anything other that the official McCarthy line grow up
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jonbull88 added 16:27 - May 1 His word will mean more than yours does, oh sorry no your "source". Who you still haven't said who it is?
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Elto added 19:11 - May 1 Dissboy I didn't say that Bart had mental health problems, I was suggesting there may have been underlying reasons for his non-selection other than perceptions of favouritism. I agree(obviously) Bart is the better keeper, but back then opinion was divided. I hope you are wrong re. Gerken starting next season. We will see. I don't really agree with the favourites theory, but when I saw the team selection for the Rotherham game I had some doubts, so you may be right. Tabby was last years 'favourite'.

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ronnyd added 22:20 - May 1 Am i being cynical but is it coincidendal that MM plays a more attacking formation just when season tickets are being sold. Perhaps he had a nudge from ME and the board?
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