Message from Mick

Dear Coxhoe Branch,

I've got a sense of pride for our performance. We were supposed to have come into an eye of an storm here and we've quietened that storm for long periods of the game.
I didn't think we'd get the penalty when Liam [Lawrence] was brought down - there was not much chance of that here.
Things happen in the game, such is life. The width of a crossbar is the difference between the sides: the difference between a really great performance and a great result or me sat he peeved off.
It was sad that we were having to respond to goals instead of us taking the lead. I wonder how it would have affected them. We never got the opportunity to test it.
I can only admire my group of players who I got every last drop out of. I think there is more to come from this team.
Everyone knows it's dificult to come and play here and I thought we were the better side in the second half.
It doesn't matter - they got the bragging rights because they beat us but I can only admire the performance.
They got the initiative when we had Steve Caldwell off the pitch; until that, not much had happened. After that, they took the game to us.
It was a fantastic performance and I've got pride in my group of players.
They were two great strikes by us but when we've had the game by the scruff of the neck, we did not get that final pass or that finish we needed.
We scored two great goals but they had the one that counted in the second half.
Stephen Elliott has been fantastic and he's only going to get better and better. The goals will give him a huge lift.
If you have to score four to win the game, it's going to be extremely difficult in the Premier League.
We've played well against Manchester United and we did so again today. We can only get better by continuing to do the same things. We have some talented players.
I will change the team on Tuesday, play a few who have not been involved. I thought it was important we had some time before we play a vital game against Portsmouth [next weekend], that's why the cup game is close to this. It's two teams scrapping away at the bottom.
Gary Breen got a bang in the ribs. We don't yet know how bad he is.

All the best,

Mick McCarthy