The sun was shining over Portman Road as 23,311 football fans turned out to watch the Tractor boys play hosts to Roy Keane’s undefeated Black Cats.

 

Matt Richards was back in the starting line up as teenage loanee Simon Walton missed out due to a hamstring and shin injury, so the Town side looked like this:

Price, Sito, Naylor, De Vos and Harding defended the Town goal, Currie, Williams, Noble and Richards were the middle men with Lee and Macken again the striking pair to start. Wilnis took place on the bench after a week struggle, along side Supple, Bowditch, Clarke and Sammy Moore looking for his debut.

 

Just 4 minutes into the match Jason De Vos went down with a kick in the back, play continued with the skipper down studying our award winning pitch at close range.

 

Sito takes control of the defence and De Vos receives treatment once the ball goes out for a goal kick.

 

Referee Mr Mike Russell drops his cards so Noble, by name, by nature, takes them back to him, but not before having a not so sneaky read.

 

When Dave Williams passes by on his way back to the bench in the 6th minute I notice a glowing tan, he must have been hanging out at Darren Curries.

 

Onto 10 minutes and the other end of the pitch in front of the away fans, Alan Lee shows off his return to form with some fancy footwork before sending the ball into the Sunderland box which Macken sends over.

 

Sunderland have the first corner of the match which Currie clears, but the ref wasn't happy about something and awards the Black Cats a free kick which Price punches out.

 

Disappointment followed in the 15th minute after some very attractive up field play from Richards to Macken then falls to a stop when Lee is caught offside.

 

Town win 2 free kicks in the 17th minute but nothing comes from either and the ball ends up in Towns own half, great haired Harding produces a top challenge winning the ball and Lewis Price shakes his head, unhappy that someone had messed up the turf in his box and clearly disturbed that he no longer has the greatest hair in the world that is Ipswich.

 

In the 21st minute Sito gets crunched down like a drink carton under the foot of a bored school kid which creates a big commotion in which the whole world and his dog get involved, Black Cat Hartley receives a yellow, and an orange when Naylor sticks his head in.

 

When play finally resumes with a Town free kick which Lewis Price takes it wasn't long before the game was blown up again, I'm not sure what happened but I'm guessing someone done something to someone else and everyone has a hissy fit again, sorry folks I couldn't keep up with the madness.

 

Things calmed down abruptly in the 28th minute as De Vos decides that it might be a good idea to slam the ball into his own net, I'm telling you skip, it's not.

 

However it wasn't long before the aggression was back and on the half hour mark, Noble was seeing stars and Sunderland see their third yellow.

 

Richards and Currie stand over the dead ball, Currie takes the kick and sends the ball swiftly into the far side of the net. 1-1

 

Sunderland respond well with a strong attack but failed to break through the Town defence, the ball comes out to Williams who starts to break half way in the Town half, but he joins the pigeons in flight and Sito takes the free kick.

 

On 40 minutes tic tacs invade the South Stand and Sito produces another brilliant tackle.

 

The Black Cats break on the 42nd minute and manage to get the shot in, but hit it wide.

 

2 minutes added time to the first half was shown as Town fall asleep, but shortly after so too do Sunderland, Then it's half time.

 

Thanks to the wonderful invention that is crutches I finally get back to my seat just after the restart, instead of just before the final kick which it would have been had I tried to walk without them. Anyhoo, that meant I missed the 2 half time Sunderland substitutions, ah well, I didn't really care anyway.

 

It took a little while for both teams to get started and nothing really happened until the 52nd minute when De Vos was booked for something or other.

 

Richards sends a good ball up field in the 53rd minute that was just ahead of Macken’s reach, I was beginning to wonder when Macken was going to make an active impression at Town.

 

Sunderland take control of the game after that with strong midfield play and attacks a plenty, but unfortunately for them and much to my amusement, none of them troubled or tested Price.

 

I wasn't paying much attention in the 61st minute as we had our own 'issue' to deal with, but Town had my full attention in the 63rd minute when Richards and Lee were both in the Sunderland box when a high ball came in, Richards jumped for the ball but unfortunately could not reach, but hey never mind, Alan Lee could, 2-1 to town.

 

Just 2 minutes later Lee was on it again when he got the ball clear through the defence, round the Sunderland glove man, and taps the ball into the net as easy as Aunt Bessie makes Yorkshire puds. 3-1 to Town

 

In the 68th minute Williams loses out to Sunderland’s Grant Leadbetter who forces an attack against Town which Price heads clear continuing on his excellent form, from which to the other end Lee strikes again, this time winning a corner. De Vos heads for goal but the ball is headed out for another corner which Williams sends into orbit.

 

In the 70th minute Sunderland make their third substitution with Collins making way for Laurence, Williams is book for some reason and Clarke comes on for Macken.

 

Richards intercepts the ball in the 73rd minute and passes on to Clarke, who is immediately hassled as with as much help as a Japanese instruction manual to a dyslexic English man, from the Tractor Boys he loses the ball.

 

A few minutes later it is again Richards to Clarke who this time manages to get through on goal but didn't quite have enough power to beat the keeper.

 

I win funky sock competition thanks to the wonderful bandaging, see there are some perks to intensely painful injuries!

 

Wallace receives his second yellow for a foul on Clarke leaving Sunderland to finish the game with 10 men, Currie takes the free kick, but this one wasn't to be as it was saved.

 

Bowditch replaces Williams in the 86th minute but barely gets to see the ball before the game is over, even with the 5 minutes injury time.

 

In the 93rd minute with Hardly enough time to get both feet on the pitch Sammy Moore comes on for Matt Richards to make his Town debut.

 

Bowditch pulls a funny face, Price makes a crucial catch, then to the other end Lee falls over and the game ends.

 

Another 3 points push the Tractor Boys up to 8th in the table, next stop Colchester’s Layer Road Live on Sky, and as always I'll be watching, dododododo (fade to spooky music)...

 

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