McCarthy positive in defeat
13 Sep 2006 - 10:50:31
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy refused to criticise his players despite seeing them slump to a 1-0 home defeat against Derby County on Tuesday.
Jay Bothroyd's missed spot-kick midway through the first half and a Steve Howard goal 11 minutes before the break combined to settle the game, but McCarthy saw plenty of reasons to be positive, both with the performance and his side's start to the season.
"I am proud of the commitment of the team," he said.
"We took some time to get going and that might have been down to the fact that we played against Leeds United on Sunday.
"But I don't want to use that as an excuse as we were the better team in the second half.
"The fans stuck with us and the fact they were still there cheering us on at the end said it all to me.
"We could have got something late on, but missing that penalty in the first half was a turning point as it gave Derby a lift and took the wind out of our sails.
"The players are disappointed, but they should be proud of what they have achieved so far this season and we would have taken our points tally at this stage if we had been offered it at the start of the season."