By Aston
November 4 2004

Ipswich Town kept up the pressure on league leaders Wigan with a 5-1 thumping of Sheffield United on Tuesday night at Portman Road.

Report: Town 5-1 Blunts

Town had the visiting side under pressure for almost the entire 90 minutes, only 5 minutes each side of the half time break did Sheffield really look like scoring, which they only managed once out of 18 efforts, Ipswich got 5 in just 12.

Tommy Miller got the first goal in the 21st minute after Darren Bent was bought down by Paddy Kenny who by rights should have been off as he was the last man although Kenny was not sent off he could not stop Tommy Miller converting the penalty keeping up his 100% record from 12 yards.

Less than a minute later town were 2-0 up, Shefki Kuqi heading in Fabian Wilnis’ cross from just inside the Sheffield half, Kuqi sending the ball over Kenny for his 7th goal of the season.

Former Norwich loanee Leigh Bromby gave the blades a chance just before half time, Richard Naylor heading the ball from Andy Liddell’s free kick into the path of Bromby who volleyed the ball home from the edge of the area.

2-1 at the break and after the restart Sheffield did look like “the blades” but Richard Naylor’s goal in the 61st minute made up for his earlier mistake, scoring his 1st goal of the season and town’s third of the night.

Sheffield lost what fight they had after the third goal allowing town to go on and score two more before the night was out, Shefki Kuqi made it 4-1 powering home Darren Bent’s header in the 67th minute.

Three minutes later the scoring was completed by Ian Westlake who turned in Tommy Miller’s cross from close range and with that goal Ipswich became the highest scoring side in the football league championship, one goal ahead of Wigan.

Neil Warnock made three changes soon after the goal in an effort to get something out the game but to avail as Town went on to win with ease, so much with ease the Town crowd started a Mexican wave which went the ground 5 or 6 times and even got the directors box involved.

Town remain second in the league still 6 points behind Wigan who got an 87th minute goal to defeat Stoke City 1-0 but Town are now ahead of Sunderland and Reading by two points.

Ipswich Town squad: Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Aidan Collins, Pablo Couñago, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Drissa Diallo, Kevin Horlock, Shefki Kuqi, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.

Sheffield United Squad: Kenny, Bromby, Morgan, Jagielka, Harley, Liddell, Quinn, Thirlwell, Gray, Shaw, Cadamarteri, Lester, Barnes, Forte, Geary, Montgomery.

Miller (21)
Kuqi (23, 68)
Naylor(62)
Westlake (71)Forte on for Shaw (72)
Lester on for Cadamarteri (74)
Montgomery on for Quinn (75)

	Ipswich Town 5	Sheffield United 1
Yellow cards	None	Morgan Harley Quinn Cadamarteri
Red Cards	None	None
Goals		Bromby (45)
Substitutions	Richards on for De Vos (24)
Attendance: 22,977

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