Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his team passed the ball much better during their “tough, hard-fought” 0-0 home draw with Brighton but admitted they’re finding it hard to convert chances at present.

“It was a really tough, hard-fought game,” he said. “Not a lot of chances in it either way. They’re a good side, I think they’ll be a top-six team, I’ve no doubt about that at all, having missed out on goal difference first of all and then the play-offs last season.

“He’s retained his players, they’ve just won three on the bounce they came here full of confidence.

“While we’ve not had loads of chances, we’ve been hard to break down and if you’ve got that you’ve got a foundation from which to build.”

Regarding the Blues’ lack of goals, Town have scored only eight times this season, just four in the last 10 games in all competitions, while tonight's match was Town’s third without a goal on the trot and their second successive home goalless draw, he added: “We’re just finding them hard to convert at the minute but we’ll keep practicing at that, we’ll keep working at it.

“We are missing a few fairly inventive, talented players as well. We took Jonny Williams and he’s not right yet, Bish has had a broken nose.

“We’ve lost Pits, we’ve lost Varney, we’ve lost Didz, we’re a few strikers down and a few creative players down.

“One real bright spark I thought was Tom Lawrence, he looks like he’s got a goal in him and he’s a threat.

“And the one I’m really delighted with was Josh Emmanuel, I thought he was excellent. He didn’t look overawed, he was very good playing against Jiri Skalak, who has been playing well and creating chances, I don’t think Josh gave him anything at all, to be fair, I thought he was good.”

Emmanuel had a tough time in last season’s corresponding fixture but he didn’t allow that to affect him.

“I think Josh is pretty strong-minded, I never mentioned it to him,” McCarthy continued. “Kazenga LuaLua just did him in the first minute and he had a tough time.

“But Josh has played well since in any game he has played, Doncaster, Manchester United, the MK Dons here. Whenever he’s played he’s played well and he’s played well again tonight.”

Could the 19-year-old do enough to keep his place in the side even after the current injury crisis clears up? “If he plays like that, of course.”

📹 REACTION | Defender @JEmman97 gave Ipswich Player HD his thoughts after helping #itfc to a point and a clean sheet against Brighton. pic.twitter.com/jSw7KcJMgb– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) September 27, 2016

The Town boss was also pleased with his left-back Jonas Knudsen, who kept Anthony Knockaert quiet throughout.

“He had to because he’s been ripping it up and I don’t think he caused him too many problems at all,” he added.

“I thought Jonas was excellent and he’s had a couple of tough games playing against Hadi Sacko at the weekend and then Knockaert today. I’m pleased with him.”

Does McCarthy, who was again pleased with Leon Best with the striker still short on match fitness, believe Town will be able to score the goals to get themselves in contention for the top six? “We’ll have to create more chances and we’ll have to create more. Let’s get [the injured players] back and we’ll see what we do when we get them back.”

He added: “If you’re not getting beaten, you’ve got something to build on. If you’re creating nothing but you’re getting slapped then you’re in real trouble.

“That’s not been the case, we’ve been pretty solid all the time. And that’s not just trying to be solid, we’re trying to open teams up and play. It’s just not happening at the minute.”

He thought his side were more comfortable on the ball than they were at Leeds at the weekend: “I thought we passed it much better, to be honest, out of the back and tried to be progressive from there.

“And I thought it worked, it gives us a breather, we’re not chasing the ball. I thought we were better, there were a couple of times we gave it away, but overall I thought it was a much better performance.”

The Blues manager was also pleased with his skipper Luke Chambers, who returned to the centre of the defence.

“Chambo’s great, you know my feelings on Chambo,” McCarthy enthused. “He is a centre-half, he has been shoe-horned into being a right-back and he’s gone there and done that pretty selflessly and made a really good fist of it most of the time.

“But I know how difficult it would have been for me to go and play at right-back because I was a centre-back and he’s terrific wherever he plays and he’s such a good influence on the team. I never had any worries about him.”

McCarthy explained his decision to leave Freddie Sears on the bench: “He’s been carrying a bit of a groin strain and he’s been in the treatment room and you never see Freddie in the treatment room, he’s always out doing his work and his finishing, so there was a bit of that. And I know I’ve got Tom Lawrence to play on the left.

"I’ve got two strikers at the moment, so if I just keep whipping Freddie and asking him to go every week and he’s played every minute of every game just about, Fred, he’s going to get injured and I can’t afford that.

“I know he’s better up top and maybe in games we might be able to get him up top with Varney or Pits or Besty. But he needed a break, he’s done a lot of work, Freddie.”

Brighton manager Chris Hughton thought a draw was a fair result: “I thought it was a fair result. I can’t say that any team deserved to win it. I don’t think there was a really clear chance in 90 minutes.

“It was a tough game. I suppose as the away team and having gone down to 10 men for that last period, I think for us it’s a good result. It certainly needed that one little bit of quality that was going to break the deadlock.”

Regarding Dale Stephens's red card for two bookable offences, the first for dissent after he felt he was fouled, Hughton added: “I think it’s something that every club has got to learn this season, and certainly us.

"Gaetan [Bong, who missed tonight's game as he was suspended] got a red card because of a booking for dissent and the same with Dale.

“I know Dale’s frustration because it was a definite foul on Dale. The referee was there and saw it but what Dale’s got to do is not vent his anger at the referee because the referees are going to book you these days. So I think he’s got to learn that one, but I can see the frustration.

“No problem with the second one, I think he’s attempted to go for the ball and it’s a yellow card.”

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 08:57 - Sep 28 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sorry Mick ,what were you saying.
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jocasaja added 09:00 - Sep 28 I actually agree with MM - we did pass the ball better and at half time the stats were that we had 58% possession and 5 shots on goal 1 on target to their 1 shot off target. I would like to see us play 2 up top as Leon Best needs a partner to play at his Best
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jocasaja added 09:01 - Sep 28 I actually agree with MM - we did pass the ball better and at half time the stats were that we had 58% possession and 5 shots on goal 1 on target to their 1 shot off target. I would like to see us play 2 up top as Leon Best needs a partner to play at his Best
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Penguinblue added 09:03 - Sep 28 It has to be over for McCarthy. Tedious, negative, defensive (no matter what) contemptuous, favourtism, dire, boring, suppressor of any flair, hoofball, 'they have spent a lot of money they have', embarrassing repetition in in pre and post comments. Don't you want your club back people? This is awful. Sorry, but even the editorial of TWTD is insipid. OUT McCarthy OUT

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Razor added 10:32 - Sep 28 We are not converting my friend because you did NOT replace smurf and you bought and loaned the wrong players in the summer. We needed young hungry STRIKERS as I keep trying to say, if Bristol and Barnsley can do it for example why cant you---I think I know. Great shame last night with no attack as defence looke strong and sound,Josh was fantastic and Berra back to his sublime best----does he feel better with Chambo next to him? Back to basics Mick----it is GOALS that win games dont you know and you need the right players to get them----sort it out and stop keep making excuses.

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Mick_Mills_Tache added 11:10 - Sep 28 I wondered how long it'd be before he started blaming the lack of creativity on injuries despite having Lawrence, Ward, Grant, Bishop and Dozzell all fit and yet he still decides to play Skuse, Douglas and Bru together. Unbelievable man. Also, don't expect Emmanuel to play once Webster or Smith are back. If Mick has just said that Sears is better up top (seeing as he is a striker) and he has Lawrence who can play left wing (and played well there last night), why does he still insist on destroying Sears on the left?!

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TR11BLU added 11:30 - Sep 28 Well maybe thats because we play with a back 8 or at a stretch a back 7. How can you expect to create chances when the emphasis is always on defence, Anyone who is happy watching that dross has a seriously low excitement threshold. I was bored senseless. Less than 15k last night speaks for itself and if he is still there come next May, it will be two less, I will not renew. He is strangling this club with his pig headed negativity. Forget the cash, he has enough young and creative players at his disposal but he fails to pick them. Count all the midfielders we have competing for one place (Skuse, Douglas and Bru a given), most would flourish under a forward and flexible thinking man at the helm. I know he will not leave, too stubborn. Would I take relegation to get rid of this fossil....you bet, in an instant. Anything is preferable to continued mediocrity with absolutely nil entertainment. Mark me down, Im not a 'supporter', blah blah blah but the demise of this once great club I have watched for 40 plus years is saddening. Do us all a favour Dino and ship out - now

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BackTheBlues added 12:06 - Sep 28 We played passing football - improvement WE were solid at the back - improvement But... Brighton were awful! Their best CM wasn't available! They only play 4 across the middle! So WHY - Play 5 across the middle consisting of Skuse Bru and Douglas the 3 most uninspiring players I've ever seen! Connor Grant, Teddy Bishop and Andre Dozzell all on the Bench fit (excusing Sears for the injury he may have)... Why not play one of them in there so we can create something??? Not losing is acceptable - but not when you don't have a go at home! BORING BORING BORING DULL DULL DULL And worse than that... Simply not good enough! Brightest spark was seeing Emmanuel play well! But I can only see Chambo back at right back when Webster is fit! For me - at Christmas when every is fit... Emmanuel Webster (one of the old guard) Knudsen Should be the back four!

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Lathers added 12:10 - Sep 28 We are passing the ball better??? What are we... an under 10 side? Funny but I thought our players were professionals earning thousands a week...... and they are just learning to pass the ball a bit better? The club needed stabilising and MM did that but he has now taken the club backwards in the past 18 months. Any new manager will be shocked by the lack of technical ability of the players he inherits.

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Michael11 added 12:11 - Sep 28 What disappoints me the most is hearing how well Josh Emmanuel apparently played. Purely because it doesn't matter. As soon as Webster is back fit then Chambers will be straight back in there being branded as Captain Marvel while putting in 3/10 rated performances every week.
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Fatcatevans added 12:54 - Sep 28 Pleased for Emmanuel but Man of Match? Surely that was Knudsen who hardly gave Anthony Knockaert, a player who has been tearing apart defences, a kick. Also feel that MM is doing the same to Ward as he has done to Sears but hey what do we know?
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alfromcol added 12:59 - Sep 28 If MM had given Emmanuel a run in the team at the start of the season, which he deserved, he would have been our established RB by now. But that is MM, he won't take a risk on youngsters, especially in defensive positions. What's the betting that when Webster is fit again, back will come Chambers at RB???
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JimmyP45 added 13:02 - Sep 28 Can't stand the way that Mick raves on at how great the opposition are each game to try and hide the fact that we are so inept. Brighton may well be up there at the end of the season but last night, they did not play well at all and were completely there for the taking. 3 very poor subs made too early to steady an already defensive ship and then they go down to 10 men. Should have seized a very possible 3 points.

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Pip50 added 14:16 - Sep 28 Whilst I would like to see the back of this manager, fans are not deserting in their droves. We are averaging 300 less than last season!
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hinchers1066 added 20:19 - Sep 28 Pip50 300 less than last season. Well last season is still not very good, is it. Bristol City a few thousand more, fantastic owner and young progressive manager. Ring some bells of the late nineties, maybe. Crowds will improve greatly when the ENTERTAINMENT improves, I for one will return. And before the 'loyal supporter' jibes kick in living in Minehead requires a great deal of travelling and cash. Time I have, cash I can find but incentive is as yet not an option, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

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gippeswyk added 23:34 - Sep 28 Late in the thread for a comment anyone's likely to read but I was at the game as I am virtually all home games and the occasional away game (as I have been for the past 8 years). So I am not commenting based on what I've heard or read. I was disappointed we didn't force home our dominance second half even before the sending off, and I share Mick's concern that we are not clinical or creative enough in front of goal, but we outplaged Brighton for most of the game and they are a top 4 side. We had more possession, more shots and more shots on target. In fact we restricted Brighton, who have won 3 on the bounce, to ZERO shots on target. So I don't share all the negativity on here. Yes, Freddie can't score, Best isn't Murph, but then Daryl took time to flourish for us, we are blighted by injuries, we kept another clean sheet, and could have nicked it (which would have silenced all the critics on here - oh what a difference 3 points makes to people's assessment of our team, our manager, our season, but it's fickle to base an opinion on all of this based on one successful shot/deflection/own goal). I am realistic. We have over achieved the past 2-3 seasons and that is thanks to Mick and what he wrings out of a very hard working, albeit technically limited bunch of honest players. Having said that, I have to applaud Lawrence, Knudsen and Emmanuel (and of course Bart) for above average performances. I thought Bru, Douglas and Skuse did their jobs well. If we can get Didsy and Jonny back from injury, and a striker in the Jan window (there wasnt time after we sold Murph), then we could see our play in the final 3rd achieving the much need goals and 3 points. - See more at: http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/30355/ipswich-town-0-0-brighton-and-hove

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