Boss Mick McCarthy felt "a penalty and a worldy” were the difference between Bristol City and the Blues following his side’s 2-0 defeat at Ashton Gate. McCarthy had no complaints regarding the first-half spotkick won by Tammy Abraham and netted by Lee Tomlin, with Luke Freeman slamming home a brilliant volley after the break.

“The difference between the two teams was a penalty and a worldy, that was the difference,” he said.

“I thought they started well, I thought we got to grips with it. Was it a penalty? Yes, it was.

“I thought the referee waited a long time. He said to me coming off that if it had gone out he couldn’t give a penalty, I didn’t really understand his explanation, but I think [he meant] if it had gone out and [Bart had] caught him afterwards [he couldn’t have given it], I’m not quite sure.

“I just hope it wasn’t their appeals that got the penalty because they were quite vociferous. But I looked it at half-time and I’ve no complaints, I think it was a penalty. We’d have wanted it.”

He added: “Tammy Abraham’s reacted quicker than any of us. They’ve got their bit of luck just by reacting, nicking a ball, as Reg did last week, he chased one down."

McCarthy felt the Blues were in the game until Freeman’s goal in the 72nd minute: “The turning point was when that unbelievable flying bomb went into the top corner because we were on top then and we’d had some good chances and we didn’t make the most of our final pass or final cross. We wasted a few really good opportunities.

“Of course you could say the turning point is if [David McGoldrick’s shot which hit the post] goes in, then we’re one-all. I think we go on and get something out of the game, whether we win it or not, who knows.

“But I don’t think we’d have been beaten because we were doing alright then, we were playing well.”

The Blues are still to record back to back wins during what's been an inconsistent season, but McCarthy wasn’t unhappy with his team’s performance today.

“One step forward, one step back, but the difference is that I’m not going to grumble about how we played or the performance playing against them,” he continued.

“I know when they get to 2-0 we’re winging it a bit, we’re trying to push forward and they had a couple of chances.

“But that’s at 2-0 when we’re [chasing the game], like QPR last week, they were down 2-0 against us and they were winging it and we got another goal and could have got four or five or six.

“Up until that point in the second half we’d been playing well. Goals change it, of course.

“How do we change it? Just keep playing the way we are. The freekick that we gave away for the [second goal], I said it was a rubbish freekick by them and it ends up in the back of our net. Maybe it was their day. Looked like it.”

He added: “I’ve no complaints about the performance. Bristol City, with their players, who have got a good side and play 4-4-2, with the two lads up front, they started well, they needed a performance, they’re the home team. Let’s give them a bit of credit for the way they started.

“But I thought we got to grips with that and before the penalty I thought we just got to grips and were probably equal to them.”

His biggest frustration was that Robins keeper Frank Fielding wasn’t forced into too many saves: “We didn’t work their keeper enough because we broke on them and I thought we played some good stuff. We were lacking in that final third. We’ve only scored 17 goals, so that speaks for itself.”

He added: “We’ve had eight clean sheets and a lot of those we didn’t score in those games, apart from the couple that were disallowed. We need to get the first goal if we can, it changes the game, like it did today.”

Regarding Freeman’s goal the Town boss felt it was probably the best scored against Town this season - “I suppose so” - and that there wasn’t much his side could have done to prevent it.

“If I can’t do owt about it I don’t try and make excuses or find some reason for it, that was just an unbelievable strike,” he admitted. “Completely unstoppable. We were right behind it, as soon as it left his foot it was flying in the net.”

McCarthy says midfielder Teddy Bishop, who was left out of the 18, picked up an injury in training: “He’s got a bruised foot from Friday’s training.”

Bristol City manager Lee Johnson was pleased with his team's display having made five changes and matching the Blues' 4-4-2 system.

“It was everything I wanted from my team," he said. "It was a really steady performance, I think. It was very professional from start to finish.

“It was almost like an away performance in once sense but it was really important we held that position of strength and gave ourselves the opportunity to get the first goal.

“In recent weeks we’ve been conceding reasonably early and I needed to get a group out there you could trust, could communicate, round pegs in round holes at the right times.

"We know we’ve got the quality at the top end of the pitch, Tammy Abraham, Aaron Wilbraham, Lee Tomlin and Luke Freeman, to go and produce a bit of magic. We did that today and I’m very, very pleased and relieved that we won.”

Regarding Freeman's goal, he added: “It was worth the entrance fee alone, wasn’t it? It was a fantastic strike.

"We actually do work quite a lot on that sort of thing in training. It’s a difficult technique that, to get that control and dip as well as the power is not easy to do.”

Phi

menacinho added 19:29 - Dec 3 So MM, you've no complaints about the performance but you weren't happy that we didn't make their keeper make enough saves? Well that's a contradiction in itself. Do you have the faintest idea what you are dribbling on about nowadays? Clearly not. Please can this dinosaur leave the club so I can actually start to care what happens each week? There's no way I'm renewing my ST next year if this relic is still in charge.

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battyblue added 19:33 - Dec 3 Same lame excuses from a washed out manager week after week doing the same thing and expecting results to change .
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Woodbridgian added 19:33 - Dec 3 This man is a Muppet !
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NoelTheDub added 19:42 - Dec 3 Gingerblues Thinking the same since McGoldrick came back he goes all over the park trying to get something going but nobody replaces him in the box especially when Sears and Best are on the bench.Seriously we need to have all those guys in our team and get Skuse and Douglas out of there fast and play football.
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Daleyitfc added 19:43 - Dec 3 He's different class is Eminem... and Top Cat ; "providing it's with dignity" my Rs
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TimmyH added 19:57 - Dec 3 'One step forward one step back, the difference is I'm not going to grumble about how we played or our performance against them' - he never does!...as he's said it himself we're going nowhere, about time he started dishing out some boll*@kings and did some managing or is it that easy to earn 750K+ a season?* *this is just a guess but I'm pretty certain he's easily the biggest earner on the ITFC payroll.

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Blandford added 19:57 - Dec 3 I needed to get a group out there you could trust, could communicate, round pegs in round holes at the right time - Lee Johnson. If only we had a manager that could grasp this simple concept.
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Mick_Mills_Tache added 20:00 - Dec 3 How predictable of him to say this. As for the we'll win if we carry on playing the way we are bit....that's the definition of madness. "Round pegs in round holes at the right times" - Lee Johnson. Mick could learn a thing or two from young Johnson..
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heathen66 added 20:01 - Dec 3 I think only 4 goals scored away from home this season sums it up perfectly. We are not setting up to win, but hoping to nick something if we can hold on for 70 mins. Until you change this attitude we will always be looking over our shoulders at the teams below us. Thankfully I think there are 3 worse teams than us...just at the moment !!!
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Deep_Blue added 20:44 - Dec 3 Please, please, please just GO!!!! You are so painfully boring and so fantastically arrogant it hurts. Stubborn old dinosaur, you are dragging us into the wilderness. You're a disgrace, McCarthy. An utter disgrace.
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runaround added 20:56 - Dec 3 Same old story from Mick. After the refreshing excellent second half performance versus QPR it's back to square one again. His whole tactic seems to be stifle the life out of the game, hope to nick a goal try to hold on. If we go behind it's game over as the opposition sits back. His substitutions are usually like for like as they were today. Safety first, playing his reliable proper blokes week in week out irrespective of performance or form. No trust in youth & little ambition. One win every 3 or 4 matches will keep us up but the awful football is losing us fans for good. Surely we are better than just trying to grind out a lower mid table finish whilst ignoring cup competitions & providing little entertainment. Micks managerial record is on the whole good but it's obvious he & the club are now in a rut & neither he or the owner seems willing to change this. Meanwhile the club is sleepwalking toward the lower reaches of the division, haemorrhageing fans playing in a 2 thirds empty atmosphere less stadium in front of bored fans who have lost hope. Very soon I fear we will start to lose some of the promising youngsters as they don't get a chance thenthe standing of our academy drops further so the future stars won't come to us as kids. Change is required, starting with playing a young vibrant pacy team trying to win games instead of trying not to lose. Results might suffer short term but at least it will give fans something to get behind & a clear direction. If Mick won't change then for the good of the club he needs to go

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FromIpswichToPhoenix added 21:14 - Dec 3 Does anyone remember when Spitting Image had the John Major puppet in grey as he was so boring, I vote we trade in our team colors to grey. Seems fitting.... American MLS soccer is more exciting. YOU'VE GOT ME WATCHING FOOTBALL IN AMERICA!!! WTF???
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blue75 added 21:16 - Dec 3 runaround welcome to reality it's been like that since McCarthy took over!!
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norfolkbluey added 21:25 - Dec 3 Ostrich head in the sand comes to mind when I think of ME and MM. No ideas MM, no guts ME!
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Dissboyitfc added 21:26 - Dec 3 runaround... good post!
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brittaniaman added 21:28 - Dec 3 McCarthy got the sack from his last two jobs Sunderland and Wolves will it be a hat trick ???? I do not think so !!!!
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grumpyoldman added 22:00 - Dec 3 MM thanks for telling us that the difference were the two goals, as just a supporter and not an experienced football manager I did not understand the complexities and nuances of the game. Aren't we lucky to have a manager who takes the time to state the bleeding obvious without sounding condescending in any way.
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Lightningboy added 22:13 - Dec 3 Think that's the 10th game we've failed to score in this season? McCarthy has an air about him now that reeks of "right you whinging b4stards..i've got my feet right under the table and i'm not going anywhere..i'm going to pay you all back for doubting me by boring you all to death week after week with my terrible team selections and there's nothing any of you can do about it,so there". Mick's football style is that of that old Peter Kay John Smiths advert where he just wellies the ball 50 yards straight upwards into the sky shouting "'ave it!"

9

del45 added 22:31 - Dec 3 in 9 away games we have scored less then any other side including the bottom club.
5

roytheboy added 23:05 - Dec 3 Really not good enough Mick; what on earth can your reasons be for leaving Williams on the bench for such long periods, I've nearly had enough of this club if this is what we can expect week after week.
3

d0nk added 23:15 - Dec 3 Please please PLEASE just piss off Mick give us the best xmas present ever. You stubborn git
3

essexbluey added 23:15 - Dec 3 What i would like to know is at home games how can the academy worker milton can go into the dressing room and have a laugh with the players? Keane, Jewell, Magilton, wouldn't have him in the dressing room just shows what a weak mug mick is, since when has milton been on the coaching staff or a player for this side, Also after last home game he and the players all went to London on the train 40 mins after the game for a piss up for Freddys birthday, they should have gone home and got rest for today's game, Ipswich is an old boys act and all the old players care about is the wage they can draw from the club, If Evans every left non of them would have a job and that goes for the office staff to they all cover each other, OUR club us sick to the CORE.

3

shakytown added 00:18 - Dec 4 the only question left is which overpaid underperforming moron is going to do the we feel bad and are fully behind the gaffer speech this week???? Just f... off you moron and take douggie with you. Undoubtably the worst player to ever pull on an ipswich shirt.
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MicksZzzTactics added 01:13 - Dec 4 TIDBITS RELATED QUESTIONS TO OUR "IMPREGNABLE" BUT OTHERWISE "HARRY HOUDINI-SUSCEPTIBLE" TIP-TOP MANAGER: Isn't' it really wünderbar -- or tragic-comical depending on your current ITFC pov lol --- how your Master Mick's TC-trained 'proper blokes' laden XI soooo eagerly comply to be the 1st of "something", "something" negatively from our perspective but great for the opposition's one mind you!!!! within just this 2016/2017 season??? Well for an appetizer here is 3 "freakish"??? :-) recent occurrences that springs to mind: 1) Lowly lowly -26 GD Rotherham hadn't earned a single point on foreign soil.... until they payed a visit to the nowadays awesome fortified football fortress known as PR that is!, and ohhhh btw we all know how incredible unlucky they were not to take all 3 points courtesy of Didz's 95+ minute chance equalizer! 2) Next, THEN all dysfunctional -- not the least defensively -- Nottingham Forrest hadn't held a clean sheet all season.... until they faced an ehmmm "tip-top motivated" & chronically ultra dangerous :-) ITFC side that is, and VOILA!!! suddenly even they had themselves a clean sheet! following a from our perspective far beyond appalling 95+ minutes later! 3) And today, yet another at-the-time of us meeting them: struggling and undebatable true sheiiiiiiiiite performing team, Bristol City, turns up haven't scored a single 1st half goal on their own home field all season long.... and ding-dong! what do you know??? lol old clinical foe Lee Tomlin converts a somewhat soft-looking (but seen through non-bluetinted glasses: perfectly "fair" and rules-abiding to give) penalty after half an hour, with us thus once AGAIN invariably winding up looking more than eager to comply to put an end to yet ANOTHER one of our miserable Championship division opponent's negative streaks ... and on this sad & tame performance today btw eventually also end City's in-all-competitions 5 game winless skid! And now my good Doctor Freud..... ohhhh excuse me I mean Master Mick!, WHAT IF ANYTHING tangible, meaningful and non-astrological can we possibly derive from all this including woefully faltering as a team AND you as a manager!!! time and time again + season and season again against these supposedly very weakened league opponents & need-to-be-beaten! to really compete for promotion, I wonder oh big Yorkshire Football Genius???? :-) :-) :-) :-)

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bobble added 04:28 - Dec 4 If we want to tread water like the previous recent seasons we wil have to kick a lot harder than this...its all bit tedious ..what with the wallabies being wronged by refs again and town completing the usual double.
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