Blackpool v Ipswich: Mick McCarthy admits his half-time tactical switch ‘paid dividends’ following a dramatic 3-2 win at Bloomfield Road.

The Blues recorded their first away win of the season in dramatic fashion, Daryl Murphy heading home a corner deep into stoppage-time just moments after it had looked like Steven Davies had snatched a share of the spoils for the hosts.

A draw would have been unjust, such was the way McCarthy’s men had played in the second half.

Following a wholly uninspiring opening 45 minutes, in which they trailed to Stephen Dobbie’s header, the Suffolk side were transformed by personnel and formation changes.

McCarthy brought on Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor at the break, abandoning his favoured 4-4-2 system to play a fluid 4-3-3 formation which had David McGoldrick in central midfield.

A super run from McGoldrick set up Nouble’s leveller, with Taylor making it 2-1 with a fantastic piece of skill and strike in the 84th minute.

“That’s a reverse of what’s happened to us in a couple of games, so I’m very pleased,” said McCarthy.

“Barnsley were excellent in the second half against us and probably deserved to win and the same can be said about us today, having been pretty awful in the first half.

“I’d worked in training on what-ifs. We’d tried all different shapes in the week. Very often you’re playing 4-4-2 and you take one off and put another one but it’s still the same and you’re not causing them problems.

“We’ve worked on that formation this week and it’s paid dividends thankfully.”

Reflecting on the late drama – his side recording only their second away win of 2013 – McCarthy said: “It would be interesting if I had a heart rate monitor on. I think it would have been beeping at the maximum!

“We scored some really good goals.

“They are screaming about Frank being offside; I don’t know. I haven’t seen it again, but I always say put the ball in the net and then let people argue about it.

“We paid a lot of money for Tayls apparently and he’s starting to look like a handful again. It’s good to see your strikers score too, with Murphy getting the winner.

“I thought Hunty’s (Stephen Hunt) shot was flying in the top corner at the end but their man gets a head on it. They were all still congratulating him when the corner came in I think.”

– See Monday’s EADT and Ipswich Star for match analysis and more reaction.