After putting up a decent performance for three quarters of the game we didn’t properly defend a free-kick that we shouldn’t have given away in the first place and the ensuing goal won it. Let’s hope we get one or two experienced players in this transfer window.
BEFORE
With last Saturday’s disappointment behind us we can get back to the more pressing business of trying to maintain our top-six spot later this afternoon. Ipswich remain second in the league though they’ve gone off the boil in recent weeks with four draws and a defeat in their last five matches. I wish we’d signed Broadhead. He’s got eight goals so far this season and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his ninth today. I haven’t heard any definite team-news yet but I was pleased that Matete will be in the squad as he always adds some bite to our midfield. I’ll be listening to the game via SAFSEE and my match prediction is 1-1.
I got the team-news about half an hour before kick-off and saw that Ba was starting instead of Rusyn, which disappointed me. Nothing against Ba, I just wouldn't have dropped Rusyn after he scored his first goal in our last Championship match. Bennette and Matete were among the subs with Roberts missing again. By that time Ipswich had slipped to third place due to Southampton’s win and we’d also gone down, to seventh spot, so both sides had plenty of incentive to win the game.
THE GAME
I got SAFSEE on and was pleased to hear that we were playing in red and white. After a minute’s applause to remember those connected with Ipswich Town who had died in the last year we were off and we were a bit late as it was 5.34. We had a couple of early chances with Pritchard shooting over the bar and then a Jobe effort was hit straight at Hladky in goal after some good battling work by Alese. In the sixth minute we were lucky to escape when Jackson just failed to connect with a cross that proceeded to sail though our box. Jobe seemed to be getting stuck in a lot more than he did last Saturday when he looked pedestrian at times. Next thing we blocked a Taylor shot on our six-yard line after Burns had again created the chance down their right. In contrast Clarke had barely been in the game so far. In the twentieth minute Jackson put a shot just wide of the post and we were on the backfoot.
Harry Clarke was the first player to receive a yellow, for a foul on the half-way line. From the ensuing free-kick Jobe did well and Clarke had a shot on target that resulted in our first corner. When the ball came over, Ba took it into the box before feeding Clarke who lashed a right foot shot into the net to put us ahead. One goal and four shots on target so far– things were looking up. Well done to Ba too. A few minutes later Ipswich won their first corner when Patto fingertipped a Harry Clarke shot away but the danger passed. In the thirty-third it was 1-1 when our defenders got in a tangle and Jackson pounced near the edge of the area to hit it home. Both sides continued to attack with Ipswich sounding more threatening especially down their right. There were two minutes of added-time and we were doing more of the pressing but it remained 1-1 when the half-time whistle went. I was pleased with our performance so far but felt there were a couple more goals in the game.
There’d been no changes for either side as we kicked off but almost straightaway Harry Clarke carved through our defence before Patto saved well from a Davis shot. Fortunately we didn’t concede as we did last week and we were soon back in the thick of things. Taylor was yellow-carded for a foul on Clarke as we broke quickly in the fifty-second but Pritchard’s free-kick went well over the bar. Soon afterwards Edmundson was also booked and this time an O’Nien header went well wide from the free-kick. The home fans were then howling at O’Nien after Jackson made a right meal of what he claimed was a bad foul but referee Sam Allison decided on a drop ball. The time was whizzing away and soon we were approaching the hour-mark while holding our own. Burns became the fourth home player to be booked for another foul and the home fans weren’t happy at all with the ref. Ba had also been booked for a bit of lip a little earlier. About twenty minutes into the half a few subs started warming up and next thing Ba was replaced by Aouchiche. Ba had done well according to commentators Barnes and Benno.
With almost his first touch Aouchiche missed a real sitter from near the penalty spot after we’d forced a mistake. Ipswich then made three changes, taking off Burns and Jackson who’d caused us a good deal of trouble, especially in the first-half. In the seventy-fourth Ekwah made a great block to keep us in it and then as Benno kept shouting, “Don’t foul! Don’t foul!” Aouchiche gave away an unnecessary free-kick near the touch-line. From Davis’ kick the unmarked Chaplin sent a bullet header into the net and we were 2-1 down. Still there were fifteen minutes left and we had time for an equalizer. Aouchiche had another decent chance to score but missed the ball – I bet he was wishing he hadn’t come on. Ipswich nearly got another goal after a free-kick in almost the same place as five minutes previously but Woolfenden’s effort hit the woodwork. It sounded like we were more likely to concede than score. We swapped Rusyn for Pritchard with six minutes on the clock and then it seemed like we were lucky to escape conceding a penalty. Time was slipping away and when Burstow came on for Jobe with just a minute to go, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Broadhead was also subbed at the same time and he’d had rather a quiet game. There were five minutes of added-time but we couldn’t get that equalizer and it ended 2-1.
