Noel Noel... Tis The Season To Be Jolly?

Things like this just don't happen to us! Mick McCarthy signs a player on Thursday, puts him on the bench Saturday, brings him on after eighty-four minutes, he then scores the winning goal in the ninety-fifth minute - all of this live on Sky TV! Take a bow Noel Hunt.

It certainly made our lunchtime drinks in Degeros flow!

We got home just in time to learn results elsewhere had gone our way and that we are now in second place, just one point below leaders Derby.

The Bishop Pops His Cherry

This was my first away game of the season. A sell out crowd at Dean Court in a second versus fourth place encounter, so all the ingredients for a good match.

Will I see a better game this season? I wonder?

Bournemouth are a very good football team, as in they play really good football and they got at us right from the start, Matt Richie hit the bar within a minute or so and Yann Kermorgant gave them the lead almost immediately afterwards with a spectacular overhead kick.

Everytime I hear Kermorgant's name I think about the YouTube video posted on there by a Leicester fan, well worth a watch, I've posted a link to it at the bottom of this post. 

Town were really up against it and had to dig in and concentrate. It probably took us half an hour or so to get into the match and stifle the Cherries fast flowing and pleasing on the eye brand of football.

Bartosz Bialkowski was a busy man in the Ipswich goal and pulled off several decent saves, to go in at half-time just a goal down was no mean feat.

Having said all of that we did create one or two chances of our own, particularly from set pieces. Paul Anderson, recalled to the team, had a very good game especially with his dead ball deliveries.

It was the visitors who looked the sharper after the break and got an equaliser through Teddy Bishop (who had replaced the injured Kevin Bru after just seventeen minutes). It was eighteen year old Bishop's first senior goal for Ipswich.

For the first time during the afternoon the home crowd were quiet and I could sense a little nervousness. However this only lasted for about four minutes before Richie put Bournemouth back in front.

The most controversial moment of the match came just after Tokelo Rantie had replaced Callum Wilson. Within seconds of his entry onto the pitch he was caught in a Tommy Smith & Luke Chambers sandwich, inside the Town box, which had the home crowd & players screaming for a penalty. It was waved away by referee Michael Bull (correctly according to Mick McCarthy!)

After receiving treatment for what seemed like ages, he was stretchered off, his afternoon's work complete, Rantie over!

Ipswich levelled the match again with fifteen minutes remaining. Anderson delivered a perfect free kick from the left wing which, that man, Daryl Murphy headed past Cherries keeper Artur Boruc, sending the travelling support delirious!

Sharon & I had travelled down to Bournemouth in the morning and had tied the game in with her friend Dawn's 50th birthday party in Reigate that evening. We parked the car strategically so that after the match we could make a hasty getaway, which was great until the fourth official held up the board for injury time. TWELVE minutes. "Bloody marvellous" said Sharon "The only time we really need to get away as well!" I don't think that I've ever been to a match with that much extra time added on before. They'd be no Tokelo Sunrises for her that night!

Luckily my exit strategy worked a treat getting away from Bournemouth and we had a good run up to Reigate, arriving just before seven o'clock. Does life get any better?

A Song For Yann Kermorgant - well worth a watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iad3gV-9C1U

Sad news earlier in the week. RIP Gino

Remembrance

The 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

Football paid it's respects to those, who were killed in conflicts since the start of World War 1, throughout the Remembrance weekend.

At Ipswich on Saturday afternoon the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery joined the players of both Town and visitors, Watford, in the centre circle for a minutes silence prior to kick-off.

The Ipswich team wore, one off edition 'Football Remembers' poppy shirts, as did the rest of the Championship clubs. I'm sure that Town have never ever done this before?

His prayers are being answered - two clean sheets in three games

After the match the shirts were signed before being auctioned off on ebay, with the proceeds going to the 2014 Poppy Appeal.

For the second time in a week, we were up against the team occupying, third place in the league table and as against Wolves on Tuesday we came away with the three points. A healthy crowd of 22,490 - no doubt buoyed up by the £10 a ticket promotion offer available through season ticket holders, can only have enjoyed the match.

Watford, who have become our bogey side over the last few years, looked a very good side and must be a good bet for a top six finish, so victory over them was even sweeter.

I remember saying to Sharon after sixty-four minutes 'If you're a good team, you win games like these'. It could have gone either way and at that moment I'd have taken a nil-nil draw.

It was Tommy Smith who got Town's winner seven minutes from time, following a low free-kick routine between Stephen Hunt and David McGoldrick. Smith reacted first, to a rebounded shot from Kevin Bru and slotted the ball past the Hornet's keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Fist pump!

This match reminded me of when we use to be good - at least ten seasons ago and I came away from Portman Road thinking perhaps we are again! Mick McCarthy has definitely got something good going on here, plus he's got the 'know-how' to keep us in the hunt and then... who knows?

Next stop Bournemouth away in two weeks time, my first away game of the season.

In other news - Norwich lost!

Kenny - Get Your Coat

Promoted Wolves were the visitors to Portman Road on a chilly November evening. Kenny Jackett's men were sitting third in the Championship table after an impressive start to the season. 

Town were missing five first team regulars through injury, Dean Gerken, Johnathan Parr, Cole Skuse, Teddy Bishop & Jonny Williams. To be honest I wasn't overly confident of getting anything from the match, in fact I had predicted a 2-0 loss!

How wrong was I? It was Ipswich's best performance of the season, we never let Wolves settle, forcing them into lot's of mistakes from the kick-off. 

Bartosz Bialkowski, making his home debut between the sticks had quite a comfortable evening, his pre-match prayers being answered! Kevin Bru had a really good game in mid-field and would have been a strong candidate for 'Man of the Match', but for Daryl Murphy.

The Murph is now the joint top scorer in the league with ten goals, following his brace. His first goal yet another contender from his collection for 'Goal of the Season'. 

The only time during the match that the result ever looked in doubt was when James Henry's cross from the right beat everybody to level things up, after fifty-three minutes. Murphy restored Town's lead just six minutes later.

There's no doubt that Mick McCarthy will have enjoyed this result immensely against his former employees.

Just saying!