Watford v Ipswich: Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says his team let Watford – and all the other sides chasing sixth-spot in the Championship table – off the hook with some poor defending in this afternoon’s 3-1 defeat at Vicarage Road.

The Blues were well on top after Anthony Wordsworth’s 50th minute volley had cancelled out Albert Riera’s first-half opener, the game changing when Manuel Almunia produced a fine fingertip save to divert Luke Hyam’s thumping close-range header onto the underside of the bar.

Watford scored twice within the next three minutes, Gabriele Angella left unmarked to head home from a deep free-kick and Lewis McGugan lashing home on the angle after Daniel Tozser had burst between Aaron Cresswell and Cole Skuse in the box.

It meant the Blues were unable to capitalise on a number of favourable results from Good Friday and remain one point adrift of the play-off places heading into their final three matches, starting with the visit of top-six rivals Bournemouth on Monday.

“It was a game-changing event wasn’t it?” said McCarthy, referring to Almunia’s save. “I think that saved the game for them, then our poor marking from a free-kick costs us. It’s a great delivery, good movement, but he should have been stopped from getting on the end of it.”

He continued: “I thought our boys were fabulous in the first half. I think they scored with their first attempt. That was poor from us as well. They’ll think it’s a great goal, but it was awful that we allowed him on the inside to shoot. That’s not like us.

“We started the second half really well and I think we’ve let them off the hook. I think we’ve let all the other sides off the hook as well by conceding the goals that we did. Three minutes after hitting the crossbar we are 3-1 down.

“You have to look after your own result. That’s my mantra. Everybody else can do what they want, but if we win there’s nothing anybody else can do about it.

“If you ask me how it’s going to pan out, I haven’t got a clue. I can’t do anything about this game now. I thought our performance today, up until the second goal we conceded, was outstanding.”

– See Monday’s EADT and Ipswich Star for match comment, more reaction and a preview to the Championship visit of Bournemouth.