MICK McCarthy hopes that Ipswich Town fans weren’t disappointed by his side’s goalless draw at Huddersfield on Saturday.

The Blues didn’t have a meaningful shot all game against a team who had shipped 10 goals in their previous two games.

However, McCarthy was delighted that his side were able to deny a fellow relegation-threatened side all three points, admitting that he ‘wouldn’t have bothered getting on the bus’ had he been offered the draw prior to the match.

Asked what he thought the travelling army of almost 1,000 supporters would make of such a statement, the agitated Blues boss said: “I’d like to think they’re thinking Mick’s played 4-4-2 away from home and we’ve come and tried to be an attacking force.

“I’d like to think they appreciate the fact that we didn’t come here to try and shut up shop, but it just didn’t happen for us today and they are going four-and-a-half hours back in the car knowing their side are a point nearer safety.

“We’ve taken two points off our rivals – brilliant. It’s better that than them coming home thinking we’ve played well but been beaten 2-1 (like at Bristol City).

“I haven’t tried to play negative, I haven’t set out to play badly.

“I apologise for the standard of **** game that they’ve just all watched, but I’m not going to apologise for getting a point away from home – no way!

“It was important we didn’t lose two on the bounce.

“If we stay up with one point we’ll be looking back on this as a great result. I’m a pragmatist, I’m a realist – let’s just stay in the league.”

Ipswich – who won just one of their nine matches against the five teams below them in the table – are four points clear of the Championship drop zone with 12 games to play.

The majority of sides around them have at least one game in hand though, with just 11 points separating the bottom 11.