Cardiff v Ipswich: Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy labelled tonight’s 3-1 defeat at Cardiff City as his side’s worst performance of the season.

The Blues took the lead through Daryl Murphy’s fabulous 29th minute strike, but Peter Whittingham levelled things up before the break with an equally impressive long-range effort and the Welsh hosts then dominated the second period.

Federico Macheda (47) and Adam Le Fondre (69) both profited from some slack defending, Town slipping to ninth in the Championship table as their eight-match unbeaten run came to an end.

“It’s disappointing,” said McCarthy. “I thought first half we played very well; we scored a great goal, they scored a great goal. It was a pretty good first half from both teams and I was pleased with us. Where the second half came from I don’t know.

“If you make as many mistakes as we did in contriving to give them a goal then it’s going to be tough. We did it for their second and their third.

“I’m not going to take it away from Cardiff; I’m not here to talk about them and I’m not being derogatory to them. If we play badly they’ve got to pick it up and play well, but let me tell you that’s as bad as we’ve played this season. No doubt.”

He continued: “We gave two awful goals away. They should have been playing the circus music. It was just ridiculous. The first clearance (by Tyrone Mings), the second clearance (by Jonathan Parr)... Then it ends up being a shot, he (Macheda) sticks his leg out and it goes in.

“It was similar with the third one. That’s not like us at all. It was very comic cuts. They still had to take their chances though, which they did.

“We had an opportunity on Saturday (1-1 home draw with Blackburn) to put a game to bed with our chances and we didn’t. They did tonight.

“The league has concertinaed up and it will be as tough as ever. Twenty-four of us all start the season dreaming in this division.”