By Aston
February 4 2005

Ipswich Town can extend their lead at the top of the Championship table to five points if they beat Sheffield United tomorrow.

Preview: Sheff Utd

Ipswich Town can extend their lead at the top of the Championship table to five points if they beat Sheffield United tomorrow.

Neil Warnock’s men will be out for revenge when the blades and Town kick-off tomorrow after the 5-1 defeat they suffered earlier in the season.

Four Sheffield United players have recovered from injury in the past week but are not expected to be added to the Blades squad that drew with West Ham in the FA Cup last week, midfielder Alan Quinn is expected to be the one change from that game after serving a suspension.

Blades boss Neil Warnock has singled out Towns front men as the main threat tomorrow: “If we don't handle their forwards, Shefki Kuqi and Darren Bent, better than we did then we'll pay - it's as simple as that, but we're capable of doing it providing everyone, players, coaching staff and fans, all pull in the same direction.

“For long spells of the game at their place I thought we were going to come back and equalise. But we made some mistakes and we got punished for them.

“Everything is set up for this to be a cracking game. They're strong and so are we. It should be a great occasion and we've got to make sure that our ground is buzzing.

“That, and doing the things we've been working on in training, are the key.”

Town manager Joe Royle has confirmed that David Unsworth will start tomorrow but there is no room for Jimmy Juan in the squad or Pablo Couñago who was told earlier in the week he would not be travelling.

Royle has said: “We love being top and the challenge of staying there is what we want.

“It is so much better being top than second, because when you are second and you lose you may go out of the top two.

“The players are full of it at the moment and that break did us the world of good.

“It is always an intimidating atmosphere and beating them 5-1 here earlier in the season won't make our task any easier.

“Neil did declare after that game that he won't be playing football against Ipswich Town. We are expecting an aggressive game. Certainly, they were aggressive against West Ham last week.”

Other games on interest to Town fans this weekend will be second placed Wigan’s game against 16th place Stoke City at the JJB Stadium and Sunderland’s visit to Wolverhampton this evening.

Ipswich Town Squad: Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Darren Currie, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Kevin Horlock, Daniel Karbassiyoon, Shefki Kuqi, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, David Unsworth, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.

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