I'm Goin' Down

Some wishes do come true!

Sorry, but I couldn't resist one more blog to wrap the season up.
How exciting we've got the "Old Farm Derby" back next season, following Narwich's limp end to the season and subsequent relegation, confirmed today after their two nil loss at home to Arsenal.
We've got that along with trips to Brentford for the four pub challenge, Fulham, Wolves, Brighton and possibly Orient or Rotherham - I can't wait for the fixtures to come out and get planning!
Enjoy your summer.

Making a welcome return next season

The playlist

I'm Goin' Down by Bruce Springsteen - No particular reason!!

My Eyes Adored You

ITFC v Sheffield Wednesday May 3rd 2014

The last game of the season, so the whole of the Championship had to kick off early to accommodate Sky TV. I'm not a fan of 12.15pm starts, far too early in my opinion.
Following the loss at Burnley last week our season was all but over, as was Wednesday's, they were sitting safely in sixteenth position.

We had another twenty thousand plus crowd (only the second of the season) buoyed up by over two thousand Sheffield fans - who were all in party mood.

Who eat all the pies?

In fairness for an end of season game it wasn't too bad, it did take me about twenty minutes to find any enthusiasm though!

The Owls looked a lot better side than the one we drew 1-1 with, up at Hillsborough at the beginning of October. Out has gone Dave Jones and his replacement Stuart Gray seems to have got them playing some football.

Tommy Smith opened the scoring for Town with a close range goal after thirty-seven minutes, a lead that lasted until Kieran Lee equalised ten minutes after the break. At least the season ended with a home win, thanks to Paul Green's second Town goal, he headed in Stephen Hunt's free kick midway through the half.

So that's it then, we ended up in ninth place, just two points short of the playoffs, which in my opinion is a decent effort following the last few! Hopefully we'll strengthen a bit more in the summer and have another go at getting out of this league.

Last fist pump of the season

Sharon won our TWTD's prediction league with 56 points, I was second with 50, whilst dad had a bad season with 40 points - what do women know about football??

Launch of the new home strip

Ipswich 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Smith 37                         Lee 55
Green 67
Att: 20,862

The playlist
My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - "So close, so close and yet so far away"

Blue Monday

ITFC v Bournemouth 20th April 2014

"The boys are back in town" Always good to see the legendary John Houchill, not to mention Mr Schollar and nice guy Eddy the marathon man!

The launch of next seasons Adidas away strip

The future is orange

At last we've had a crowd of over 20,000 at Portman Road this season, it took a family day promotion, along with 1,500 free kids tickets to reach that milestone!

Having seen Bournemouth away this season I knew that this would be a tough game, for me they are the best "footballing" team in the Championship, Eddie Howes has done a really good job there.

Both sides needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, so a good open game was anticipated. There was a good atmosphere generated from the expectant North Stand, on a warm and sunny Easter Monday afternoon, so all the ingredients were in place.

The teams led out by our favourite ref - Andy Durso

It took thirty-six minutes to break the deadlock and it was Town that took the lead, Paul Anderson firing the ball in to the roof of Lee Camp's net. Bournemouth hit back just before halftime when Steve Cook hit a spectacular overhead kick past Dean Gereken, who probably should have attacked the initial ball.

Paul Green restored our lead with a close range header after fifty-six minutes, but Bournemouth were far from done and they kept on attacking us. They got their reward ten minutes from time, Andrew Surman took a short free kick to Matt Richie, who then hit a low shot which took a huge deflection to beat the wrong footed Gerken.

So with just the one point from two matches over Easter our playoff hopes have probably gone now. Realistically we need to win at promoted Burnley next Saturday and then beat Sheffield Wednesday on the last day of the season and hope that everyone else slips up.

Ipswich 2-2 Bournemouth

Anderson 36                  Cook 44

Green 56                        Ritchie 80

Att: 20,356

The playlist

Blue Monday by New Order - Win Lose or draw it was always going to be a Blue Monday for different reasons. I have to admit that although I'm not bothered about making the playoffs this season, I felt really deflated after the game, so perhaps deep down I am?

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

Watford v ITFC 19th April 2014

Reading's loss at Wigan and Brighton's draw at Huddersfield on Good Friday meant that our playoff fait was now in our own hands - all we had to do was win away against our nemesis Watford, to put the pressure on the chasing pack.
Max, Mark and I had a really good trip to Watford, getting there with no hold ups at all. We were sitting down in Domenic's Cafe just after midday for a healthy English Breakfast. Next stop was The     Oddfellows, just around the corner. Being designated driver I left them in there and went to the ground, where they turned just before kickoff!

The game was a sell out, partly because of the redevelopment of the East Stand, Town had sold their two thousand tickets within a matter of days and the Blue Army were in good spirits, making plenty of prematch noise, there was a feeling that something special was about to happen.

Terracing

 

Harry the Hornet - looking very suspicious with the ball boy

Watford, still with an outside chance of making the playoffs had other ideas and took the lead though a curling Albert Riera shot from outside the box, midway through the half and that's how it stayed until half time.

Ipswich came out firing after the break and equalised through Anthony Wordsworth after just five minutes. The defining moment of the match came just after the hour mark, Hornet's keeper Manuel Almunia, brilliantly tipped Luke Hyam's goal bound header on to the bar and Daryl Murphy was unable to scramble the loose ball in. Two minutes later Watford restored their lead from a free kick, Daniel Tozser, sent the ball into the Ipswich box, Gabriel Angella ran on to it unmarked and headed the ball past keeper Dean Gerken.

To make matters worse the Hornets scored a third just two minutes later, Lewis McGugan from close range, his shot managed to go between the legs of both Christophe Berra and Gerken, leaving Town a mountain to climb.

Harry the Hornet (Watford's mascot) really pissed me off, before the game he was collecting up any inflattables that went on to the pitch from the away fans and then threw them into the building site, that is the East Stand, he was then doing a smart arsed wiggle. Then when Watford took the lead he turned up in the Family Stand, which was adjascent to us, wearing a bloody drum and banged away at it . He disappeared up to the other end of the ground for the second half but reappeared at 3-1,  banging that f**king drum again and cupping his hand to his ear at the Town fans. After they responded with "Are you Saville in disguise" and "You're only here for the children" he sheepishly disapeared!

Anyway all is not lost and I'm happy that with three games left our season is still alive. What's the worse that could happen? Brentford have been promoted, so the four pub challenge is on for next season, along with trips to Molineux and hopefully Carrow Road.

Watford 3-1 Ipswich

Riera 21                           Wordsworth 50

Angella 63

McGugan 65

Att: 16,615

The playlist

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You by Sting - We were stung by the Hornets but we'll always keep the faith!

Paparazzi

ITFC v Doncaster 12th April 2014

Pre-match at The Thomas Wolsey

Ghost Ship

With just four games left of the regular season we're still in with a chance of nicking a playoff spot.

It was the weekend of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, where ninety six fans died during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Today's match was preceded by a minutes silence. John Wark along with a Town fan carried an Ipswich shirt on to the pitch inscribed with, 'Never forgotten' and the number 96 in the middle of it. All Premier & Football League games in the country kicked off at 3.07pm, six minutes later than normal to mark the time that the semi-final was abandoned, plus a minutes silence.

On paper this was the easiest of our last five matches and like the majority of Town fans I was expecting and hoping for a comfortable win.

A disappointing first half finished goalless and so Mick McCarthy went for an attacking look after the break, swapping Paul Anderson and Stephen Hunt for strikers Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Frank Nouble.

Within two minutes of the restart Daryl Murphy headed in a Tyrone Mings (in for the injured Aaron Cresswell) cross, to give Town the lead and therefore hopefully open the floodgates. That didn't happen though, the longer the match stayed at one-nil, the more I sensed that Donny, still not guaranteed their place in the championship for next season might sneak an equaliser. They did, courtesy of a penalty, needlessly given away by Mings following a push on Mark Duffy. Ex Scummer Chris Brown put away the resultant spot kick with just seven minutes remaining.

Captain, Luke Chambers came to Ipswich's rescue three minutes later when he ran in at the far post to blast a deflected ball past Rover's keeper Sam Johnstone. When the the ninety minutes were up we had to endure a further six minutes of injury time, before finally collecting three more valuable points.

Post-match at The Plough

Ipswich 2-1 Doncaster

Murphy 47                     Brown (pen) 83

Chambers 87

Att: 19,496

The playlist

Paparazzi by Lady Gaga - I read Josh Edward's re-tweet during the midweek victory at Huddersfield - @tomitfc: I'm you biggest fan I'll follow you until you love me, Daryll.........Daryll Murphy. I didn't really get it until Max played me the song on Thursday night. It therefore seemed the only choice, seeings how I can't get the tune out of my head, plus Murphy scored his thirteenth league goal today.