Ipswich Town
From The Sofa: Town 2-0 Cardiff City
By Sadie
September 19 2010
Sadie is back giving us her view of Town games, today it is yesterday's 2-0 win against Cardiff City at Portman Road.i
Hi There
So it's half an hour until kick off and I'm back on my sofa after missing the previous two games, one being an evening game (too late for me) and last weekend was missed as I made my way to Wembley Stadium to stand on the pitch for a second time in a few months, unfortunately this time round I was just too sick to enjoy myself. So with tired eyes I'm back in the comfort of my sofa to try my best to deliver what I can of Ipswich Town V Cardiff City.
Anyone got any Pro Plus?
Going into the game SSN report that there is a possibility of Connor Wickham starting whilst O'Connor is out with a Hamstring injury and O'Dea is a doubt.
Meanwhile for the visitors Bellamy, Bothroyd and Olofinjana all face late fitness tests.
Out of the last three meetings between the sides Ipswich have taken all nine points scoring seven goals.
Cardiff are playing with a 4-3-3 formation that's about all I can tell you right now as my Husband decided to be noisy during team news from Radio Suffolk.
Cardiff won the coin toss and decided to switch sides.
An early throw for Cardiff which Naylor will take, Edwards knocks it out for a second throw which turns into a free kick taken by the number 7 leading onto a corner, and then another, Burke takes on 3 minutes, Hudson tries to send it in but does the opposite.
Early on in the game Town can not get the ball out of their own half. pre game doubt O'Dea has made it onto the pitch and has been getting involved.
A poor pass by town skipper is picked up by Naylor who begins to reapply pressure to the Town defence but it's handled better this time by the home team. Bothroyd has also made the starting line up from a late fitness test.
Into the 8th minute the score remains even as Cardiff win another free kick in a good position attacking the south stand goal, taken wide left, eventually the ball ends up meeting the fans of the lower south stand.
Fullop restarts play.
Tommy Smith shows some good defending from an attack giving Cardiff their third corner, not a great delivery but a fourth corner is won, this time going straight to Fullop who releases quickly to provoke a Town attack, play ends up with Towns first corner. Leadbitter to take, not good, Wickham could not bring the ball down and it ends with a goal kick, a poor release gives town a chance to attack again, as the fans get angry appealing for a penalty the ref disagrees, with the fans now vocal and warmed up play also gets a bit more aggressive.
15 minutes gone and the commentators confirm that it should have been a penalty to the home team.
Scotland to Edwards, a long shot by Edwards is off target and wide, the positives though being that Town are now well and truly in this game.
Captain Hudson plays to Bothroyd but Fullop has his area under control.
A spell of comfortable and un pressurised play by the visitors leads to their fifth corner kick, but it's not well taken and bounces out for a Town goal kick. It's a poor kick which gives Cardiff the opportunity to get right back on the attack, however an Offside ends their run.
it's been almost 3 and a half hours since Town last scored.
Town have a free kick almost half way, Leadbitter sends the ball into the Cardiff area when a stroke of luck for the visitors finds the ball out of play in a momentary lapse of concentration.
Cardiff have a free kick at the back with the ball sent up a call out for a handball against Wittingham is dismissed.
A Cardiff throw awakens me from some kind of zone out as I become increasingly slow and sleepy.
29 minutes gone Naylor brings the ball into play and there is no chance of me catching scores on Soccer Saturday with their new format.
Edwards has a throw, headed to goal by Wickham but the Cardiff City keeper retrieves the lacking header by the Town front man.
At the other end more and more of Cardiff's attacks are ending with the flag.
Fans and commentator alike are extremely unhappy with the efforts of today's referee so far having missed a penalty with a possible sending off, a handball, booking claims and I don't know what else, as I say that McPhail receives a yellow.
Oops got distracted trying to catch a fly during what sounded to be the most promising Town attack so far.
Wickham receives a yellow card for a late challenge on Naylor.
Townsend to Wickham in the centre on goal, it's gone wide, and Its a corner, Townsend with the kick, cleared only as far as Norris, O'Dea beats Naylor, up goes Wickham but the ball ends up in the side netting.
Heading close to half-time and the game remains goalless but not short of action.
A minute of normal time to play in this half, if Town fail to score it will be the tenth successive first half in which Town have not scored.
One minute added is announced and play is with the home team until Leadbitter is outnumbered in the middle
.
The referee blows for half time and lets go put the washing out, well... come on I can't do it myself!
You would think being at home the advantage would be no cues for the toilet at half time but you'd be wrong and at least at Portman Road I get back in time for the re-start no such joy here and now with my Jessie deciding my arm is a good place to sit I have just one hand to type, then came the battle of the enter button as she pushed on that my power over the keyboard became obsolete.
During that battle both teams had a good chance at goal but neither provided results.
Peters is preparing to come on for Town replacing Townsend.
Ah I have no idea what happened there but apparently Connor Wickham done very well on goal, the score remains the same.
Just after Watford score a fourth Millwall finally get on the score sheet with ex tractor boy Liam Trotter.
Back to Portman Road and Town have a free kick, before I finish writing that the ball is in the net, after almost 4 and a half hours without a goal for Ipswich, Cardiff boy Matthews puts the ball in his own net to put Ipswich Town a goal up.
Local rivals Norwich City have also just gained the lead.
Free kick to Town for a trip on Edwards, Fullop to Wickham, headed away and play is back with the visitors.
Cardiff come close as sloppy defending by Town allows space but once again the visiting attack is stopped by an offside decision.
Cardiff have won just one of their last 15 visits to Portman road, hopefully it will remain that way.
18 minutes to go as Town continue to defend their lead.
Scotland and Wickham attack, after a bit of kafuffle a Strike from Scotland finds the goal, it's 2-0
I get rather distracted again from my joy of being 2 goals up and start playing with my cats, but I'm back and will try and stay focused.
Healy replaces Scotland for Town.
Free kick to Town as 11 minutes is confirmed of time left to play, Peters is strongly criticised for missing his chance on goal, apparently it should have been 3-0
Watford have a 5th making that game the highest score I've seen so far today as Priskin replaces Wickham.
Town have an attacking throw with Edwards, cleared by Blake.
Priskin holding the ball, finds Edwards but Lee Naylor intercepts ending the Town push.
If Ipswich Town can keep hold of these 3 points they will go above Cardiff in the league table.
As the pace dies down a little Matthews is desperate to create something, anything for his team to rectify his own goal.
We're down to the final 30 seconds of normal time and Cardiff are on the ball, 4 minutes are announced of injury time and I'm getting sloppy, pressing the wrong buttons and going in and out of focus, I hope the same can't be said about Town, I am hoping they are just as sharp as ever.
Half way through added time, Norris has the ball, to Edwards, once again Naylor gets there first.
Watford are now winning 6-1 against Millwall, and Norwich have finished with 1-0 victory.
There goes the Final whistle giving 3 points to Town, now to all those who started going crazy after our mid-week defeat, look, losing one match to the league leaders does not spell complete destruction, well done Town, you picked yourselves up, and got on with it.
Another 3 points and another happy Sadie.
From the sofa, Until next time...
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
19/09/2010 15:06
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
