Ipswich Town
From The Stand: Town 2-1 Leeds
By Sadie
October 4 2010
Welcome back but today to make a nice change, I’m not coming to you from the sofa through radio commentary, Today I get to see it for myself.
Yes I’m at Portman Road and immediately as I walk into the Britannia Stand, I see the familiar faces of the stewards a great number of fans and the players warming up ahead of me. I didn’t realise how much I had missed this place until I was back!
The teams line up like this:
Ipswich Town- Fullop, Peters, McAuley, Smith, Eastman, LeadBitter, Edwards, Livermore, Townsend, Kennedy, Scotland. Subs- Murphy, Brown, Healy, Wickham, Priskin, Murray.
Leeds United- Higgs, Bruce, Collins, Naylor, McCartney, Kilkenny, Howson, Johnson, Faye, Snodgrass, Somma. Subs- Brown, Gradel, Clayton, Hughes, Nunez, Becchio, Watt.
Town begin the match attacking the goal in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
Leeds kick off the match with Howson and Somma but as the ball is kicked the referee blows his whistle for the kick off to be has re-taken.
Town start an attack with Peters at the centre of it, play ends up going out for a throw to the home team, the ball is thrown into play and into the attacking box where it is headed out by Collins for the first corner kick of the match.
Leadbitter takes the corner which is cleared by Faye but only as far as Peters Town continue to dominate until ex-tractor boy Naylor clears the danger.
Bruce and Townsend get up close and personal and a free kick is awarded to Ipswich, Kennedy takes the kick supplying a long ball into the attacking box where Leeds regain possession.
In the 7th minute Leeds have a throw in the Town half, Kilkenny crosses the ball into the box but a foul by Johnson on Eastman ends any goal attempt as a free kick is awarded to Town to be taken by Fullop.
Onto the 9th minute and Leeds have a corner, Kilkenny takes the corner, only as far as McAuley who clears any threat.
Looking keen to impress, Livermore is currently covering the whole pitch trying to get a piece of the action.
It’s Peters, to Kennedy, to Scotland but interrupted by the head of Richard Naylor.
Some fancy skill by Johnson keeps Leadbitter playing chase, soon after heading towards the Leeds box Naylor and Scotland wrestle to win a header, Naylor leaves the challenge victorious.
15 minutes gone and the visiting subs come out for a stretch causing blocked view for a number of minutes, these tickets were not restricted view prices.
We’re on 18 minutes and I finally have a clear view ahead of me and just in time as Livermore takes the ball across the centre of the pitch and into the Leeds half, he plays the ball through to Scotland who picks up the ball takes it past Bruce and Naylor, in line with the penalty spot to the left of the goal, skips around Leeds goalkeeper Higgs, as Naylor catches up to Scotland he has one last chance to slide the ball into the net and that he does. It’s 1-0.
Within minutes Scotland is back to go for a second but this time he is off target.
22 minutes played and Ipswich have a free kick by the half way line in the Leeds half, the kick reaches the box only to be hit out by Collins, the home crowd call for a hand ball but nothing is given.
Shortly after play is back in the Leeds half where it’s Naylor on Peters, Naylor jumps for the ball whilst Peters remains grounded, on coming back to earth Naylor lands on Peters and a free kick is given… to Leeds, confused? Me too.
Anyway the kick is taken by Kilkenny, it’s a long ball caught by Fullop.
In the 26th minute Town have a throw by the left corner flag, Edwards throws the ball into the attacking box where McAuley jumps to head and sends the ball out of play.
On the half hour mark there is a lovers tiff going on between Higgs and Collins both of the Leeds side, not sure why, but it’s funny all the same, in the mean time as Priskin passes in front of me whilst warming up I am taken aback by his perfect facial structure, I’ve since been told I must be the only person to ever notice something like that at a football match.
Anyone know the trade point board somewhere along the bottom of the Cobbold stand? The writing is exactly the same colour as Leeds kit!
Back to the football and the referee is doing nothing to increase popularity amongst Town fans.
We’re in the Town half now and Leeds are heading for goal with Faye to Kilkenny but his ball is deflected into the arms of Town keeper Fullop.
As play bobs along from one end to the other with a few whistles in each direction half time slowly approaches and the smell of chips fill the stand, I can’t resist until I see the price, £2.50, WHAT!
A couple of free kicks, one each way, both leading to nothing takes us to the 1 minute injury time during which Town waste an opportunity with a corner then it’s a 15 minute respite for the weary looking teams.
The second half gets under way with no changes for either team.
Somma puts in some hard work to get the ball to the Town box only for his team mate to whack it out of play on his first touch.
I’m not the only one getting frustrated as today’s referee is missing many blatant offences however stops play for the ‘what was that for? Incidences and when it should be play on.
A tug from Faye on Livermore gives Town a free kick following which the first substitution takes place, It’s for the home team where Eastman makes way for Priskin in the 51st minute.
Somma has a great opportunity after passing the Town defence but his hesitation allows the defence to catch up and reposition to block any danger.
At the other end of the pitch the first card is given to Bruce for a foul on Townsend giving Town a free kick, they come close on goal but not close enough.
In the 58th minute Leeds have a great opportunity to pull even with a free kick just outside of the 18 yard box, however Johnson blasts this opportunity into the face of the Sir Bobby Robson stand.
Soon after Leeds find themselves on the other side of a free kick, Ipswich find no opportunities from the immediate kick however fight to get the ball back into the box where McAuley is ready to head the ball… wide.
During the above set of play something happened leaving Leeds glove man Higgs down on the pitch in pain, I can’t tell you what as it was in front of the Green King stand and I can’t see that end very well, anyway Higgs time is up for the match and is replace by Brown.
Whilst laughing at Leeds substitute Gradel there is an incident in the Leeds half leaving two blues down for treatment, but play resumes before long with no changes needed.
In the 67th minute Naylor is booked for unsporting behaviour following that a Leadbitter corner is cleared by Collins.
Leeds are ready to change in the 72nd minute with a double substitution with both Johnson and Kilkenny making way for Becchio and Watt
The fresh legs work for the visitors as soon after it’s substitute Watt heading for goal with Peters putting on the pressure, inside the box he slides the ball through Peters legs and across to Snodgrass inside the 6 yard box, with no one but Fullop to beat and the large goal mouth immediately ahead of him it’s a certain goal and it’s all even again at Portman Road.
Now the rain had started and I had very tired eyes so I had no choice but to put away my notebook and rely on the fantastic BBC sport coverage to help me with these last 13 minutes, so lets see what we can do.
Town respond to the Leeds goal immediately from Townsend but he just misses his target and hit’s the ball over the bar.
Bruce concedes a free kick for what was called an unfair challenge on Townsend, already being on a yellow card the Town fans rise to their feet in anticipation of a red, a flash of red from the far corner and a cheer roaring through the ground lets me know that whether it be a second yellow or a straight red, one way or another Bruce is off and Leeds are down to 10 men.
The resulting free kick is taken by Leadbitter and cleared by Howson
Into the 80th minute Town make a like for like change with goal scorer Scotland to be replaced by young starlet Connor Wickham.
Just 2 minutes later a long ball is supplied into the box by Edwards, Tommy Smith times his jump perfectly for the ball to glide off of his head and into the back of the net, Town are back in the lead.
That would be Edwards last contribution of the match as he is replaced by Troy Brown.
With 5 minutes left to play Wickham forces a save by Jason Brown giving Town a corner, nothing came from this one or any of the few to follow.
Leeds win a free kick for a foul from Leadbitter on Somma resulting in a yellow card for the Ipswich Town corner taker.
The clock is up and disgruntled noises fill the ground as 5 minutes of added time is shown, the 5 minutes were full of free kicks which created no opportunities and not worth mentioning until the final minute of added time when Connor Wickham is fouled by Collins, Collins receives a yellow for his unsporting behaviour.
The kick is taken by Leadbitter and sent up field to the attacking goal, Townsend has the last chance of the game but it is saved by substitute keeper Brown.
It’s game over and another 3 points for Town, no doubt next time I’ll be coming to you back on my sofa, but gosh, wasn’t that a treat!
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04/10/2010 19:52
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