Frustrated Town boss Mick McCarthy was left bemoaning conceding two "awful" goals as the Blues were defeated 2-0 at home by Nottingham Forest in front of the Sky cameras. Britt Assombalonga netted after only 17 seconds, the fastest goal in the Championship this season, then added a second in first-half injury time.

“A bad day at the office? That probably sums it up,” the Blues manager admitted. “It couldn’t have been any more awful, the [first] goal we conceded, that’s for sure.

“I was asked on Thursday about having a fast start and I said that that wouldn’t matter if we started as we did against Rotherham [when Freddie Sears scored after three minutes] and it ended the same [in a 2-2 draw].

“But I didn’t expect them to have such a fast start. It was a real awful, awful goal for us to concede, and it was always going to make it tough.

“Both goals were awful, probably worse than the Rotherham goals. So, from a team which had seven clean sheets out of 11, we look like we’ve no chance of keeping one playing like that.”

He added: “Mistakes are made and if you make mistakes and they capitalise on them, which they did [you concede goals], perhaps before we weren’t making the mistakes.”

“It was a catalogue of them, a sequence for both goals. They were really poor goals to concede.”

Having gone behind and then conceded the second goal McCarthy says it was never going to be easy to get back into the match against a resolute Forest backline.

“It was always going to be difficult to get through them and we rallied in the second half,” he continued.

“Whatever we say about the first goal, giving that away, the second one was just abysmal, to concede that before half-time.

“If we come in at 1-0 then we can do something about it. We still attempted to do something about it, but it makes it far more difficult and it gives them that opportunity to have that siege mentality and they did. But all round, it’s a bad day at the office.”

The Town boss was at a loss to explain how the Blues had been so impressive as they won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago and then so poor today.

“If I could explain that I’d be doing very well,” he said. “I find that very difficult, to try and explain how well we played and how disciplined we were [at Hillsborough] and how tough and resolute we were and then give two goals away like we did today, is as far removed as you could ever get.”

Having won at Wednesday the Blues had a chance to build some momentum against a Forest side, which had won only once in 12, hadn’t previously recorded a victory on their travels or a clean sheet anywhere this season.

“It’s hugely frustrating,” admitted McCarthy, who revealed that striker Leon Best missed out on a place on the bench having suffered a minor knock.

Forest manager Phillippe Montanier felt the goal in the 17th second goal was key and said he hadn’t taken such an early lead in a game for many years.

“When I was a player we scored after 10 seconds and I had to wait 25 years to see the same situation,” he said.

“It was very good. It is very important when you play away to open the score but it was a tough second half.

“However, we defended very well and we conceded only two shots on target and we had many opportunities of scoring.”

Photo: TWTD

Robbo1966 added 04:49 - Nov 21 Once again a loss brings out whinging so called supporters, tactical experts and brilliant football minds. Stop living in the past, we are a mid table club with no money to spend. players and management are doing their best, stop moaning and get behind them win lose or draw............ like all of you I would love to see success but I am sick of reading spiteful attacks on people doing their best for my club.

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Dissboyitfc added 07:41 - Nov 21 Not even the most blinkered, most naive, most optimistic supporter can say with total belief that MM is now or in the future going to take us forward. Its dreadful stuff and he has to go Immediately!
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Razor added 11:11 - Nov 21 I have been watching the club since 1968 and never have I been so depressed or embarrassed---the club is dyeing on its feet. The man we should have got in will be at Portman Road next collecting an easy 3 points. For any buyer or potential manager this IS still a fantastic club, superb facilities,near London and a fantastic fan base if decent stuff is played. Problem at moment is it is being run by the wrong people.

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TJS added 13:03 - Nov 21 What planet are you on Mick ? Never mind the awful goals conceded - we have failed to score in SEVEN of the last ten games !!
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barrystedmunds added 15:52 - Nov 21 Most worrying thing for me, and there is a lot to worried about, is the fact that along with Wigan, we are the leagues lowest goal scorers!
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Seasider added 17:23 - Nov 21 Blueherts.Spot on! Have been in decline really for all this year,and feel it is no coincidence that this happened as soon as MIck and his Dummy signed their new/extended contracts. Once again shows Mr Evans has little idea how to run a football club. Whether he is running this little part of his empire as a tax loss is open to debate,and how much time he devotes to ITFC is not known,certainly in the public domain. I do feel however that he owes it to the shareholders to put in an appearance at the forthcoming AGM to explain himself and answer questions;otherwise he is showing the arrogance already evident in his Manager. Most people who are interested now know what he looks like,after his spat with the Brazilian authorities,and his appearances at the Charity Golf days in Portugal;so why the reluctance to appear at an AGM where it is virtually unheard of for a Chairman not to be present at an annual meeting. I fully realise in the convoluted way he conducts his affairs, that strictly speaking this AGM is for a separate company that only owes 12 1/2 % of the football club;but as there is no other avenue to connect Mr Evans to the supporters of the club;then I feel he should make the effort to fit this in with his many other appointments. By not doing so gives the impression,which some have already concluded,that he doesn't really care about ITFC or its supporters.

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AlexanderFields added 08:59 - Nov 22 I saw my first Town game in 1947. If memory serves, we were not too slick then. I watched this one on TV. Not much different as far as Town are concerned. But part of me enjoyed the game as it was a wonderful demo by Forest of getting the job done with some skill. If Assombalonga had lasted the entire game he would surely have scored more. Though on this showing Forest only need him part time. As for Town players, you would think that on show to the world they would be at their best. If most of them were, then heaven help us. I felt sorry for MM. He was plainly hurt by their inept display. Sad days.

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dukey44 added 19:18 - Nov 22 He's still our manager...... why?
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Bluroo added 12:46 - Nov 23 Swn98 - re your comment "Blueroo would you even if we don't come straight back up not guaranteed you know I doubt it somehow"... let me explain why I would sign on the dotted line right now. There are a lot of possibilities in play here and nobody knows the future... But lets agree that a realistic scenario ahead of us is that Mick stays in charge for a few more years and we continue to play a turgid style of football through a team frugally compiled of hard working journeymen and loanes, battling to stay in the league as the ultimate aim, a task that will become more challenging year on year as more well funded teams drop from the Premier League and our capabilities to compete both financially and in a sporting sense will diminish. In that scenario, even if at best, Mick kept us up, what is the point? Is turgid, survival football with no realistic prospect of improvement at the foot of the Championship really better than a more exciting, challenging style of football in the 1st Division with an actual possibility of advancement? In essence the raison d'etre of ITFC is currently to not fail. Its about protecting Marcus Evens exposure to loss through relegation, rather than any ambition to improve. But I've no intention of subjecting myself to a brand of football that is woefully unwatchable all in the name of continual irrelevance. I'd rather be entertained and I'd rather beleive we have a plan to try to improve. For that reason, the league we are playing in makes absolutely no difference to me. I cannot really distinguish between the bottom half of the championship and the top half of league 1. Neither are the promised land are they? But what matters to me is the football is attractive and the club is TRYING to progress. So what I am saying is this. Sometimes good things transpire from bad situations. IF it takes relegation to be the catalyst to remove Mick and the prevailing sporting and commercial philosophy at the club and reset, as the likes of Southampton, Leicester and Norwich have experienced in the past - I would sign for that today, even if it meant we spend several years in the 1st Division and indeed no guarantees.But its the improved brand of football and the possibility of future success that would be instantly gratifying even if they didn't manifest in immediate success. In other words, I would rather be at the bottom of the mountain, prepared with a plan to climb it that half way up, out of food and water and simply clinging on to it, going nowhere. If that makes sense to you I'll be delighted. If it makes no sense, I wont be surprised.

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