Unlucky Town came within a few minutes of beating Arsenal in a pulsating encounter at Portman Road. The game finished 1-1, but Town were one up for forty minutes of the second half after Marcus Stewart had headed home past David Seaman. A late Denis Bergkamp goal evened the game.
Town lined up 4-4-2 with Titus Bramble and Mark Venus at centre half. Injury worries James Scowcroft and Fabian Wilnis both started.
The beginning of the game saw Arsenal well in the ascendant but with little in the way of chances. The nearest they came was a Martin Keown effort from virtually on the line which the centre half managed to put over the bar. Even more bizarrely referee Paul Durkin (a member of the top five least favourite Town referees after his antics at Norwich in 1994/5) gave a corner.
Town gradually began to take control, although they created nothing in the way of opportunities. Jamie Clapham was looking good down the left and Magilton and Jermaine Wright were at their best in midfield. Arsenal wrested back the momentum, but Town again came back at them. Jermaine Wright pulled off a lovely little move (I can’t explain it you’ll have to watch the telly later) to wild applause form around the ground.
As the teams trooped off at half time it was the Blues crowd who were cheering the loudest.
The second half began and almost immediately Town went ahead. The ball was headed out of a packed area to Matt Holland looped the ball in to Marcus Stewart who had been missed by the defence. The west countryman stooped to place his header to David Seaman’s right. As at Leeds last week the Blues were a goal ahead with over forty minutes to go. The tension on the terraces was palpable.
Town continued to press and were playing much the better football. Arsenal were looking very poor with passes going astray and Keown being given a particularly bad time by Stewart and Scowcroft. At the back Titus was his usual aggressive best with solid challenge after solid challenge.
James Scowcroft was replaced by Richard Naylor and the Wembley hero came close to scoring almost immediately. David Seaman kicked poorly when ten yards to the right of his goal. A long ball back over the top saw Bam Bam running one on one with the England keeper, however with the goal gaping Naylor hammered the ball inches wide of Seaman’s right-hand post. Had the ball gone in their would have been no way back for Arsene Wenger’s side.
Naylor went close again when a Jamie Clapham cross was headed back across the goal and Naylor glanced a header just past the post. The increasingly uncomfortable looking Keown pulled Naylor back when put through down the right, but referee Durkin failed to see a foul, never a surprise seeing Mr Durkin fail to give us a decision.
Arsenal tried to put on more pressure, but their passing was not up to it and the Blues were excellent on the counter attack. However, just when it was looking as if Town might have done enough to win the game a ball over the top saw Bramble and Richard Wright get in a bit of a mess. Bramble followed the ball in towards the keeper who dived on the ball. Unfortunately for Town the ball ricocheted out where Denis Bergkamp hit the ball home into the empty net. It was a huge blow for Town who had more than deserved the victory.
After the goal Town continued to pressure, Jim Magilton mis-hit a shot when he could have done better, but once Arsenal had scored a draw seemed the most likely result.
Still, another point against a side we weren’t given a prayer against by the media. Eight points and eleventh place are more than satisfactory for this stage of the season, but another famous win was so, so near…
R Wright, Wilnis, Hreidarsson, Bramble, Venus, Holland, Magilton, J Wright, Clapham, Stewart, Scowcroft (Naylor).