Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side were excellent during the second half despite conceding the goal which saw Barnet to a 1-0 pre-season friendly victory at The Hive. John Akinde netted from the penalty spot in the 68th minute.

“It was a good workout for us,” McCarthy said. “I knew it would be a competitive game against Martin Allen’s team. I guess when a League Two team plays a Championship team it’s always going to be competitive.

“I didn’t think there was much in the first half and I thought we were considerably the better team in the second half and we’ve conceded the goal.

“We’ve tried to get the ball down and pass it, and I thought we did. In the second half I thought we were excellent apart from the backpass, which ends up as a penalty. Other than that, without creating chances, I thought we passed the ball around well.”

Andre Dozzell was amongst those impressing their boss after the break: “Doz is a good player and I thought James Blanchfield was very good in the second half as well.

“I thought the second half was a better performance. I thought Cameron Stewart played well, his delivery from freekicks and corners was excellent. I thought it was a much better performance. We’ve lost through a penalty and yet I thought we played well.”

The Town boss says results aren’t the most important aspect of pre-season, but admits he’d much prefer to be on the winning side.

“I’d sooner win it, don’t get me wrong,” he added. “I really hate it, I wanted to get something out of it, we were desperately trying to get a draw or something out of it because I don’t like losing.
"“Of course, people see that we’ve lost, they’re not at the game and it just reflects badly on us that we’ve lost to a League Two team.

“But, I keep saying, whatever happens in pre-season, our start will be defined by what we do against Barnsley and what we do after that.”

The Town boss refused to be drawn on links with Blackburn’s Elliott Bennett: “I’ve openly said I need some wide players so everybody’s going to put two and two together and get five. I had Elliott at Wolves and I like him.”

He added: "It’s unfair to speak about any players that are under contract. But anybody knows I had him at Wolverhampton, so I’ve known him of old.”

Blackburn are believed to be willing to sell the 27-year-old winger for the reported £250,000 they paid Norwich for him in January.

McCarthy says there has been no further progress on bringing in loan players: “The loanees, all the Premier League clubs will take their players away with them on pre-season tours and we’ll get to know whether we can do any deals with them when they come back.”

Photo: Action Images

TimmyH added 20:55 - Jul 14 At least Mick is consistent...still losing to League 2 teams. Nothings changed!
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Bob7881 added 21:15 - Jul 14 Essex57 you claim ITFC would be out of business if it was not for McCarthty so what do you base that on. Its like saying if Keane was still Manager he would of turned it around and Town would of won the Premier league.
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runningout added 21:43 - Jul 14 EXCELLENT? Come on...
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MicksZzzTactics added 21:53 - Jul 14 Well runningout ( and all other OBJECTIVE Ipswich fans with close to 20/20 vision, obviously! lol) it seems Dinosau Mick isn't the only one around here misuning the word "excellent" :-). Leading "novellist" as well as head of the local "Spanish Inquistion" on the TWTD Forum, the ever so "factual" Mullet, is at it again :-) .... Now claiming on the ITFC Myths thread that the perennial-ever so-highly-sought-after Cole Skuse is an "EXCELLENT" midfielder .... at least by Championship standard!lol Hmmm I wonder how many footbal fans, football reporters, football historians, self-proclaimed football experts (not to speak of former and present true football greats) etc. etc. out there on Planet Earth NOT a rosy-tinted Tractor Boy fan, would seriously characterize the esteemed "grinder" but woefully 1-dimensional Mr. Skuse as "EXCELLENT" i.e. in other words "EXTREMELY GOOD/OUSTANDING" at what he does overall, even at so-called Championship level??? lol

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blueboy1981 added 22:16 - Jul 14 This man doesn't care two hoots - he talks nonsense - and knows full well by now that he can simply get away with it. Why ? ......... because far too many are prepared to accept anything that's served up - and will continue to do so. What the hell have we become ?
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blueboy1981 added 22:20 - Jul 14 ...........and still the excuses roll off the finger tips of essex57. He and MM must be related - or should be. No other logical explanation..... or is there ?
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midastouch added 22:54 - Jul 14 Some bookies have Ipswich down as short as 7/1 to get relegated this season! Surely that has to be a concern! http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/championship/relegation
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midastouch added 22:58 - Jul 14 Although so are lots of other teams that you might not expect. It just goes to show how unpredictable the Championship is, even the bookies haven't got a clue how to price up half the teams in the table! I suppose that's what makes it so exciting as you'd be hard pushed to find a more unpredictable league!
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Sindre94 added 04:33 - Jul 15 Some of our fans are so boring. Moan, moan, moan, and maybe moan some more. Get a grip and back the boys, in my opinion Mick has been terrific for us, and he's still the right man.
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runningout added 11:05 - Jul 15 us moaning gits have been backing the 'boys' for over 40 years, and winging for the past 5 ...
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essex57 added 15:16 - Jul 15 Blue boy. ...........??????!!!!!!why don't you do us all a favour and take the season off. To all the anti Micks and Evans why don't you support the club come what may.
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blueboy1981 added 20:53 - Jul 15 ........ I have - along with many others. So that will please you and your clan ( just about double figures I guess) - let's hope you stumble across some ambition one day, because that's the only way you and yours will find any. Just keep coughing up and subsidise the Golf as well - they'll be laughing behind both hands them as opposed to just the one. In the meantime just be happy (as you are) with anything and everything. After all there is nothing else in life - Is there ??

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blueboy1981 added 20:59 - Jul 15 essex57 ........ you seem to be very vociferous for someone who 'left' the site - for ever .... !!!!! Maybe you should keep to your word - just like your messiahs the Manager and Owner does ...... !!!!
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essex57 added 22:10 - Jul 15 I seem to remember blueboy you were leaving the site when you got 82 down arrows for one of your ludicrous pompous statements.
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blueboy1981 added 21:56 - Jul 19 essex57 ......... keep being satisfied, cough up well - while MM and ME laugh behind their hands. Guess who they'll be laughing at .... ?? - not me, my money is still in my pocket. Who's the one who has MUG printed across their forehead ... ?? Several Tattooist's in Ipswich if you're interested... !!
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