Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy has expressed his desire to keep Liam Feeney at Portman Road on a permanent basis, but says it’s unlikely Fulham loanee Ben Pringle will be staying at the club.

McCarthy saw his side finish their Championship campaign off with a 1-0 victory at Derby County – the Rams already guaranteed a two-legged play-off semi-final clash with Hull.

David McGoldrick scored the only goal of the game frome the penalty spot and linked up well with Feeney, who was a menace down Derby’s right flank for most of the game.

After the game, McCarthy admitted: “I have had loads of thoughts about Liam, none of which I am going to sure with you. Ben Pringle is different, he has a year left at Fulham and probably not.

“We are talking to him (Feeney) and his agent. I would like to keep him and he would like to stay and if we can come to a mutually beneficial deal then that’s what will happen. If we don’t, we won’t.”

Town’s victory meant they moved up to seventh in the final Championship table and McCarthy was pleased to finish the season with a victory.

“They had some half chances, shots from distance, crosses in the box and possession, but Bart’s (Bartosz Bialkowski) has not been diving all over making saves,” he reflected.

“He made a couple of good ones but it was a good performance by us I thought.”

McGoldrick looked back to his best in the game, having suffered over the last two season with injury, while Teddy Bishop also impressed.

“We have missed them and I haven’t bemoaned that, but it’s highlighted it even more when they have come back fit and any team would miss them,” explained McCarthy.

Former Shelbourne youngster Adam McDonnell also did well on his Football League debut, McCarthy adding: “I thought he was excellent.”

Town finish the season unbeaten in five games but McCarthy does not regret the season ending when it has, the Blues finishing five points behind Sheffield Wednesday in the final play-off spot.

Asked if he wished there were still games left for Town to catch up, McCarthy quipped: “No.

“Not in the slightest, I’m delighted it’s finished, I’m going on holiday, we have been out of the play-offs, there’s nothing you can do, there’s 46 games to play and that’s it. There’s no point wishing, hoping, I don’t live in fairyland, the reality is we were not good enough to get into the play-offs.”