Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says he laughs at those who continue to look down their nose at the way his side go about their business.

The Blues took a giant step towards securing their first Championship play-off place in a decade with a 1-1 draw at top-six rivals Wolves on Saturday.

It was typically gritty away day display from the Suffolk side who continue to occupy sixth spot with a three-point cushion heading into their final two league matches – a home against Nottingham Forest this Saturday and away to Blackburn seven days later.

McCarthy talked last week about how his team are a mirror image of his personality. When he was reminded of that post-match at Molineux, having just described his side’s performance as ‘stubborn and belligerent’, he laughed: “You’ve probably nailed bits of my character there!

“The first thing I said to them in the changing room afterwards was ‘what a belligerent, stubborn, hard-working, tough, horrible bunch you are. And I love you for it! I’m proud of you’. You need all of those qualities, I think, to be a good team. And we can play.”

Wolves played with dynamism and athleticism, while the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Brentford have been lauded for their easy-on-the-eye football this season. Town, by contrast, have been more functional than fancy.

“It takes a lot to get yourselves into the sort of position we’re in,” said McCarthy. “A lot of those qualities I talk about are probably the reason we are where we are.

“There will be teams below us who are all fanning out and playing sexy football. There are some who peer down their nose a us, but we’re winning games and we’re in the top six and have a chance at getting promoted.

“To anybody who cocks a snook at the way we do it, I laugh at them. It’s comical. We do what we do and we do it well. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”