Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy is confident that his team’s winless streak will end soon.

The Blues played out a goalless draw with Cardiff City at Portman Road this afternoon to make it seven matches without a victory – albeit five of them being stalemates.

Cardiff, who have now kept four successive clean sheets, had keeper David Marshall to thank for two good first half saves, while Town striker Daryl Murphy – who is yet to find the net this season following his 27-goal campaign in 2014/15 – lacked confidence in the box.

Ipswich were back to their best defensively, but have now scored just once in their last five outings and dropped to 14th in the Championship table.

“We’ve got our attacking players on the pitch, it’s just not happening for us at the minute,” said McCarthy. “I’m delighted with the clean sheet and we’ll just keep working and try to turn it into a win. Last year we’d have probably nicked that but it’s just not happening at the moment.

“I thought we played well against a good team, though I’m not coming in here saying we deserved to win. It was always going to be a goal either way because they’ve only conceded 11 goals and are a tough nut to crack. I thought we played well, it was a good performance.”

With second-bottom Bolton at Portman Road on Tuesday night, McCarthy continued: “We’ve been far more competitive in the last two games. We didn’t start competitive, it took me and TC (Terry Connor) to start barking at a few I think, but then they started chasing things and hunting things down and competing for everything.

“When we did that we got to grips with things and it was a far better performance.

“Provided we keep going like that, scrapping like that and playing like that – because we did create some chances – something will drop for us and it will turn.”

On Murphy, who hasn’t found the net in 10 starts and three sub appearances this season, McCarthy said: “It doesn’t matter what job you’re doing, if it’s just not happening for you then your confidence will hardly be flowing. He needs to find one from somewhere.

“He had a couple on his right foot when he checked back and they defended it well. On a different day, when he was scoring 27 goals, he’d have probably swung his right foot and it would have ended up in the net. That’s football and that’s strikers.”

On the 79th minute incident which saw Kevin Bru booked for simulation, after going down dramatically in the box, McCarthy said: “I only had a complaint because I thought it was a foul on Murphy (outside the box) before and I was appealing for that.

“It was one of them that could be given, but I said to Kevin afterwards ‘was it a penalty?’ and he said ‘no’. I could have come in here and bemoaned it and gone into the referee and made a case, but I wanted to know the truth and he (Bru) said ‘no’. That saved me all that embarrassment didn’t it?”

On keeper Dean Gerken, who looked composed throughout, the Blues boss said: “He’s been outstanding Gerks, fabulous. I felt sorry for him when all the goals were going in because it’s not been his fault. He’s played well again today, as has their goalkeeper I should add.”

And on the Town fans, who responded to his pre-match call for support by singing both his and Terry Connor’s names, he said: “They were brilliant. I think there was an added bit of support for all of us today, it was lovely.”