Clarke's Ireland Through - Ipswich Town News

Academy striker Billy Clarke played 70 minutes as the Irish U19 side defeated Moldova 3-0 in Cobh to go through to the next phase of UEFA U19 Championship qualifying. Clarke, who scored in the 2-1 win over Northern Ireland on Sunday, was not amongst the scorers on this occasion.

Ireland complete their mini-tournament games when they take on Italy in Cork on Thursday. The finals are in Poland next summer.

Owen Garvan and Shane Supple were intially called up to the squad but Town requested their release for the games against Reading and Coventry. Former Town trialist John Paul Kelly, now with Eircom League side Bohemians, skippered the Irish side.

Ireland U19s: Randolph (Charlton Athletic), S Kelly (Arsenal), Nolan (Blackburn Rovers), O'Dea (Celtic), Stapleton (Reading), JP Kelly (Bohemians), Gibson (Manchester Utd), Morris (Leeds Utd) (O'Carroll (Celtic) 82), Hayes (Reading) (Chambers (Shelbourne) 65), Stokes (Arsenal), Clarke (Ipswich Town) (O'Brien (Celtic) 70).

What to read next:

Town Women Face League Leaders Charlton
Ipswich Town Women travel to face table-topping Charlton Athletic at the Valley this afternoon still looking for their first WSL2 point (KO 2pm, live on YouTube).

EFL Statement on Abandonment
The EFL has issued a statement relating to yesterday’s abandoned Championship game between the Blackburn Rovers and the Blues at Ewood Park.

Blackburn Rovers A-A Ipswich Town - Highlights
Highlights of yesterday’s abandoned game against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

McKenna: An Inevitable Decision
Town boss Kieran McKenna says it was an ‘inevitable decision’ for referee Stephen Martin to abandon the Blues’ match at Blackburn Rovers and expects to return to Ewood Park to restage the contest.

U21s Beat Chelsea to Hit Top of Table
Town’s U21s hit the top of Premier League 2 following a 4-2 away victory over previous leaders Chelsea at Kingsmeadow this afternoon.

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match Abandoned
Town look set to face a return trip to Blackburn Rovers later in the season after this afternoon’s game was abandoned after 80 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch with the home side 1-0 up and with the Blues down to 10 men. Jacob Greaves was shown a straight red card four minutes after the break for hauling down Yuki Ohashi, then Rovers skipper Todd Cantwell netted a penalty on 59, but the heavy rain had made the game increasingly farcical the longer it progressed and in the 80th minute referee Stephen Martin took the players off and then 25 minutes later abandoned it entirely.

Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time
The Blues’ game at Blackburn Rovers remains 0-0 at half-time at a very rainy Ewood Park.

Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town - Chatroom Open
Join us in the chatroom to discuss the game as it unfolds with hundreds of other Town fans.

Town Unchanged at Blackburn
Town have named an unchanged side for this afternoon’s game against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town - Predictions
Have you predicted the Blackburn score yet? Eighty three per cent of TWTD members are predicting a Town win this afternoon, 14 per cent a draw and three per cent a home win. The most commonly predicted result is a 2-1 win to Town with Hirst the first scorer but what do you think?