Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy has conceded that his side "deserved to lose" this afternoon's Championship match against Millwall.

The Tractor Boys went down 1-0 at The Den to Lions debutant Ryan Fredericks's cross that soared into the far corner five minutes before half time.

"We deserved to lose," McCarthy told the East Anglian Daily Times. "They played better and we played badly. I thought they played very well to be honest."

It was Ian Holloway's first game in charge of Millwall and a first win in eight for the struggling South London side.

"They've got a good squad and fair play to Ollie he's got them going today," he said. "That was always going to be the case, the crowd were up and they played well."

Ipswich have now dropped down to 10th in the table, five points adrift of the playoff places.