Championship: Mick McCarthy pleased with Ipswich performance in win over Watford
Monday 10 November 2014 10:23, UK
Mick McCarthy paid tribute to his Ipswich side after a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Watford saw them move to within two points of the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
Tommy Smith's 83rd-minute goal was the difference between two evenly-matched sides with McCarthy believing the game was a great advert for the division.
The Town boss said: "I'm really pleased with the performance and the win. Watford are a good side and we had to play exceptionally well.
"I don't know how it was just 1-0 with both goalkeepers and both defences playing very well.
"I said to my boys at half-time that Watford are a very good Championship team who, like us, have a chance of going up there."
Both sides had great chances to take a first-half lead with Gianni Munari denied by the onrushing Bartosz Bialkowski early on for Watford.
Ipswich's in-form striker Daryl Murphy then brought out the best in Hornets keeper Heurelho Gomes before both sides carved out opportunities rather than clear-cut chances before the break.
The home side, who have now lost just once in 13 games, upped the pressure in the second half with Jonny Williams and Kevin Bru going close from distance before the deadlock was finally broken.
Bru was again involved, drilling a ball across goal which caused panic in the Watford defence before Smith smashed the ball in from eight yards out.
Disappointed
Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic believes it will take time to get the Hornets playing the way he wants.
Jokanovic said: "I am disappointed with the defeat. But we need more time as we are playing well in some parts of some games.
"I was happy with some parts of the game. My team made some good chances, especially in the first half when we were more dangerous than Ipswich.
"But in the second half, we played more like they did, from a physical point of view, and they got control.
"The team is working hard and has character but we need to have more of the football to gain more control.
"We were too long ball and this gave control to Ipswich. We will have to work on that but my team is not yet ready to play in a different way."
McCarthy's mood was slightly tarnished by Watford's rough tactics with playmaker Williams a particular marked man, his game ending prematurely following a poor tackle by away defender Joel Ekstrand.
McCarthy said: "I thought it was an awful tackle on him, a cold, cynical, dangerous tackle."
