Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side’s 4-2 home victory over Nottingham Forest was "particularly pleasing" and was happy with the Blues' tally of eight points from their tough run of five games in 15 days.

“There’s no such thing as a bad win, but that was particularly pleasing,” he said. “Especially scoring four goals and, after we conceded the two, defending as well as we did after the second one.”

McCarthy thought his side coped with the blows of conceding Forest’s goals well: “I don’t think you’ve ever seen heads drop from the lads. We might not play well but their heads don’t drop but they’re a really good bunch of lads.”

Martyn Waghorn took his total for the season to 10 goals and claimed two more assists to take his tally to four for the campaign, all at home.

“He epitomised the performance really, five games in 15 days,” the Town boss enthused. “He was a real thorn in their side, he was fabulous."

McCarthy said earlier in the season that Waghorn and Garner cost less than a million between them when he signed them in separate deals from Rangers in the summer and he revealed that the former Forest striker cost most of that combined figure.

“I think Joe was three quarters of it,” he said. “The breakdown of it doesn’t matter, I don’t know the end figure but that’s what I think we paid.

“I thought Waggy was a good player, I wouldn’t have tried to sign him otherwise. But it’s funny when they come on the training ground and you see them play, his awareness, he’s clever.

“His pass to Santie for the fourth goal was terrific. He was on his right foot. He didn’t lash at it and blaze it wide, he’s put it right on a plate for him.

“He is better than I thought he was. Isn’t that nice to say when you sign players, other than he’s a pile of so and so when you’ve signed them? I’ve done that and all a few times, I have to be honest.”

Emyr Huws made his second start of the season and McCarthy says the Welshman is a player who ought to be playing at a higher level.

“Emyr is one of those players,” he reflected. “When I signed him, I sat him down and said, ‘What are you doing here?’. He said, ‘What do you mean?’.

“He shouldn’t be here, he should be in the Premier League, Emyr Huws. I think he’s been unfortunate with injuries throughout his career but he’s such a talent and he’s a great lad as well. He’s a good size, he’s quick.

“To be fair, I thought he was toiling a little bit and then he chased somebody back just in front of us and he opened his legs. He’s a good player.

“He’s getting back to full fitness. I took him off as we’d got subs on the bench but the last thing I needed him to do is end up getting really tired and doing his hammy again.”

Callum Connolly netted his second goal in two games and McCarthy has been delighted with the on-loan Everton man’s displays in midfield.

“He’s been great, he’s played really well,” he added. “I did say he’d got goals in him, he’s got a terrific strike in both feet, although bizarrely enough one was a rebound and the other was a header.

“I think we saw against Sheffield Wednesday when he checked on to his right foot and made the keeper make a good save. He has been outstanding, he’s been great.”

McCarthy was pleased to learn that Dominic Iorfa’s goal was his first at senior level - “a good time to get it” - and said his assistant Terry Connor played a part as the on-loan Wolves man made a lung-bursting run from deep to score having started the move on the edge of his own box.

“Because TC was barking at him to go and get in the box, that’s why,” the Blues boss said. “He’s 6ft 4, got to be, and he’s got Ben Osborn, their left winger, marking him. It’s an unfair fight. He should get in the box and he did. I’m giving TC a bit of credit for that.”

Reflecting on the five games in 15 days McCarthy is pleased with the eight points, although believes it should have been 10.

“Of course, and the reality is the Sheffield Wednesday game still rankles but we’ve made up for that by beating Derby away and beating a good team here today. That was very pleasing,” he added.

“We would have taken the amount of points we’ve taken out of them, however they’ve come.”

Given the busy run of fixtures, he says he’ll give those who have played the most football some time off.

“The lads who have been playing all the games, they’ll be back in on Wednesday,” he continued. “Some of them who haven’t, the likes of Bish, will be in on Tuesday and we’ll go through the rest of the week then.”

Quizzed on whether his critics among the Blues support could question the entertainment value of a game such as today’s, McCarthy reflected ruefully on the chants at Burton in October, which evidently still rankle, as he got up from his seat to leave for his post-match radio interview.

“Always remember, ‘Mick McCarthy, your football is shite’, ‘Mick McCarthy, get out of club’, ‘Mick McCarthy, you’re a boring bastard’," he said. "Always remember, because I do.”

Forest manager Mark Warburton was frustrated to concede Town's two second-half goals after twice pegging the Blues back in the first period.

“In first 10 minutes we found ourselves one down and we hadn’t got the ball into the Ipswich box, we hadn’t got into the final third literally," he said.

“So we started the game slowly and we were one down again. A great set piece and we were back in it, a good goal.

“And then from a great attacking position down our left flank we found ourselves 2-1 down.

“I thought our second goal was tremendous, I thought it was a great goal, a great finish, and it’s two-all. Great for the neutral, but we’ve given two soft goals away and we’ve come back.

“We said at half-time that when we moved the ball we were very dangerous and I thought we started the second half really well. Daryl Murphy dropped his shoulder, got on his right side and the keeper made a good save.

“We missed a couple of good chances and I thought we were in real control and looking dangerous.

“I was aware that Ipswich had had a game in midweek and had a couple of players missing and I thought we were looking very dominant then.

“But we’ve made two calamitous mistakes, simple as that. To get back in the game and to be in that position and to give away a goal, but it’s not about Michael Mancienne making a mistake.

"For us he’s been outstanding, he’s the skipper in Chris Cohen’s absence, he’s been outstanding all season.

"That happens. We win as a team, we lose as a team but we can’t give away goals of that nature. Too soft to give away, you give yourself a mountain to climb.”

Warburton says Blues striker Waghorn's threat was no surprise to him: “I know Martyn very well, I signed him at Rangers. He was one of our first signings.

"We were well aware of the threat he posed, dangerous left foot, physical and enjoying his football.

“We weren’t in for Martyn [in the summer], I have to be honest. We had the situation with Britt Assombalonga and we weren’t in for Martyn, but we were aware of the quality he possesses, likewise Joe Garner.”

Photo: TWTD

rugbytomc added 09:33 - Dec 4 It's only taken until nearly halfway through the season (and for Huws to come back) for Mick to play to his strengths as a manager. He can b***h and moan about the fans and they can do the same about him, but as a fan I just want our club to do well and progress, I have no personal agenda with the manager, like the majority of our fans. Would i like us to pass and move like we did under Burley? Yes. Is Mick capable of making us a success playing like that? No - but his pressing and counter attacking style and a bit of hoof ball is what he can do successfully, so he might as well stick with it. Very astute in the signings (permanent and loan) that he makes. Imagine if Bishop and Huws had been available to him all season and Dozzell hadn't got injured. Imagine further if he'd been given funds in previous seasons. We still wouldn't be playing my preferred style but we might have been finishing higher up the table

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BobbyBell added 10:27 - Dec 4 Great result!! Second highest scorers in the championship which is awesome.. It still irritates and confuses me that with such an attacking force we still try to defend one goal leads. WHY?? when we clearly have the players to go on and score more and put games to bed. We should have buried Wednesday instead of trying to waste time and hold one.
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