Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has warned his players to guard against complacency after last night’s 3-0 home win over Wigan saw fears of relegation ease.
Freddie Sears scored twice, and David McGoldrick the other, as the Blues produced their most positive display in weeks and ruthlessly exploited some shambolic defending from the second-bottom visitors.
Town are now nine points above the Championship drop zone with six games to play.
“I’m delighted about the result, the performance and I’m probably a bit relieved that all the other results seemed to go for us too,” said McCarthy.
“The two front lads, Freddie Sears and David McGoldrick, epitomised what we were about today. They got after them and got their rewards for that with the goals.
“And yet, at the start of the second half, it looked like we were conspiring to give a goal away, which was infuriating me I have to say.
“He’s a good footballer Myles (Kenlock), he really is, and yet I was going to kill him for giving a free-kick away just after half-time that allowed them to get the all in the box. I had punters behind me saying ‘leave him alone’. If it had ended up in our net it would have been ‘Mick McCarthy your football is s***e’. See your job out. We’re 2-0 up and you don’t do that.
“There are a lot of aspects of tonight’s game I am delighted with and others I am furious with.
“It’s about being ruthless and not letting teams off the hook. Everyone will look at the scoreline and think that was the case for us tonight, but we all know that but for the brilliant Bartosz (Bialkowski) it could have gone to 2-1 and then who knows?
“Overall it’s a good performance and good night for us but I’m not coming in here crowing because there are other things we could have done better as well.
“Don’t think for one minute that’s it over and done with (avoiding relegation). It would be a hell of a thing to give it away now, but that hopefully will give us some confidence going to Fulham (on Saturday) because they are a good side.”
On an improved atmosphere at Portman Road, he added: “Win games and they will come and they will cheer and they’ll be happy, that’s all it is.
“Free pies, free pints, f*****g half price, cushions on the seats, happy clappy, it’s all b******s.
“You win games and people like you, and that’s all what it is. I don’t know, maybe I’ve gone a bit too far, even winning games might not turn a few of them around, but I’ve always found when you win games it’s a really good recipe for a happy place and a good place.
“When you’re winning games it’s a piece of cake, the job. It’s when you’re not winning, I think that’s how you’re judged – and how you judge yourself probably because it’s tough, let me tell you.”
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