Mick McCarthy on Blackpool's FA Cup defeat to Southampton, 'appalling' goals and potential red card

The Seasiders pushed Premier League Southampton all the way in their FA Cup fourth round tie, only to succumb to a narrow 2-1 defeat.

There was very little to choose between the two teams though, which has given McCarthy optimism for the final 19 games of the Championship season.

“I’m encouraged by the display,” he said.

“I thought we played well, we were organised. I was pleased with the shape of the team.

“They were two atrocious goals we conceded, mind. I’m sure Nathan (Jones) thinks the same about the goal they conceded as well.

“Overall, the performance was good, I was very pleased with it and I think the 1,000 or so fans down here were encouraged by what they saw - certainly the endeavour and togetherness coming back from 2-0 down.

“We probably should have made it 1-1 with Ian Poveda’s chance. I forgive him this time because he’s played well today.”

The home side were slightly fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men early on when Sekou Mara floored Chris Maxwell with an over-the-top, reckless challenge.

But McCarthy felt there wasn’t a great deal in it, adding: “Did he catch him? I don’t know. I don’t know how much he caught him.

“I’ll have to see it again. If he’s not caught him and it’s a reckless challenge, it’s a booking. If he caught him and clattered him then it could have been a red card, because he did jump in.

“I just said to Nathan (Jones), if he’s jumped in and caught him it’s a booking. I’m not going to whinge about it.”

The first of Southampton’s two goals was especially frustrating, given the manner in which Romain Perraud’s free-kick beat the wall before wrongfooting Maxwell.

“It’s appalling, they jumped and turned,” McCarthy said. “It shouldn’t happen, we’ll fix that.”

Blackpool threw the kitchen sink at the Saints in the final stages after reducing the deficit through Charlie Patino.

Debutant defender Charlie Goode was sent up front while Chris Maxwell even came up for a last-gasp corner.

“I was pleased with how we ended the game,” McCarthy concluded.

“When the six minutes went up our fans were buoyed by that and they were desperate to end the game.

“I said to the lads before the game, if we score first we’d win it. But it’s just the nature of a Premier League team playing against a Championship side. We’re second bottom in the league, so everyone thinks they should beat us.

“It becomes nervous if you concede a goal, we’ve got our tails up and they got a bit nervy. We just couldn’t take advantage of that.”