Reaction: McCarthy labels 2-2 home draw with Wolves as ‘poor result from a good display’

The Blues twice took the lead through slick goals from Jonathan Douglas (16) and Daryl Murphy (54), but twice the spirited visitors got themselves level through close-range finishes from James Henry (38) and Benik Afobe (75).

For spells Town played some fine attacking football in the wet and windy conditions, but they lacked ruthlessness in their own box as Kenny Jackett’s men scored from a poorly defended corner and cross from the right.

“It was an exciting game, it must have been great for any neutrals, but my assessment is we let them off the hook – we got in front twice and let them back in the game twice,” said McCarthy, whose 10th-place side have drawn four of their last five home games.

“I thought we played very well today, it was a very good performance, and that’s what makes it even more frustrating that I’m sat here with a point instead of three.”

When it was put to him that he must take several positives out of his side’s performance, he replied: “I always do take positives from games, but I’m sat here an hour after the game and right now I’m disappointed.

“I’ll take a look at the positives more when I look back on it on Monday. Right now I’m just telling you how I feel; I know there were loads of positives, I know we played well and that we had some real attacking threats, but we got a point when we could have had three.”

Asked about the goals his side conceded, Henry turning the ball home from close-range after Mike Williamson had stabbed a deep corner delivery back across goal and Afobe getting between defenders Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers to head home Adam Le Fondre’s cross, McCarthy said: “Before their first goal we had the ball on the edge of their box but it ends up being a corner for them, we don’t defend the corner kick and it ends up as a goal. That’s not right.

“The second, if we’d have scored it, I’d have been waxing lyrical about it. They’ve stuck it in the channel, it’s a good cross and a really good finish. They will be saying how good it is, but I’m quite the opposite because I think it should never have got to that position.

“Listen, I’m not going to elaborate on it further. We shouldn’t have conceded the goals. I’ll have those discussions with people on Monday, not in here now. I’m sure they’ll be bemoaning the goals we scored as well.”

He added: “Scoring is the hardest thing to do and we’ve done that twice, so I think we’ve been pretty ruthless with that. We’ve not been ruthless enough in our own box.

“I’m pleased with the performance but disappointed with the result and the goals conceded.

“I think the performance has been good, I can’t elaborate on that any more. It was a good performance, it’s just a poor result from a good display.”

Town remain 10th in the Championship table and have closed the gap on the play-off places to three points ahead of a trio of televised matches – Charlton (a), Middlesbrough (h) and MK Dons (a). Wolves, still in 14th-place, have now won just one of their last seven matches.

“It’s a tough place to come Ipswich and we’re pleased to come from behind twice and we’re not disappointed with a draw,” said Wolves boss Kenny Jackett. “Having said that we are disappointed with the goals we conceded because I thought we restricted a strong Ipswich side to not many chances.

“The quality and the character that we showed to come back twice was good though and I thought when we went to two up front, when (Adam) Le Fondre came on, it became very open and we looked as likely to win it as them.

“Our second goal was really good quality with the ball down the side, a really good delivery and a good header.”

He added: “Today we have shown inconsistencies in our game that sum up our season and that we need to iron out. We’re making mistakes that are costing us. Winning games will breed confidence but you have to work hard to earn that.”