| To wish impossible things 18:49 - Apr 6 with 1859 views | Mullet |
A game shrouded in doubt, despair and at its beginning, bathed in sunshine. Ipswich returned to their old enemy and fellow relegation favourites Bolton, rooted to the bottom of the league. It was to the same ground with yet another name, we came looking to inflict a positive change on a season already long fated to be a failure.
Carnival atmosphere greeted those who walked through the turnstile late to see voices loud, beer on the floor and spirits sky high. Above ground the songs continued as a flamingo, a penis and balls of varying colours and sizes bounced off joyful blue faces amongst a blitzkrieg of inflatable-based fun. Once enough rubber had been launched into action to give the Vatican cause for concern, the teams came out.
Bart had Emmanuel, Chambers, Collins and Kenlock ahead of him. Skuse sat with Dozzell and Bishop as almost inverted CM’s. Their stronger feet on the inside of the formation’s isosceles engine, to enable them to find Judge on the left and Edwards on the right, as Quaner completed the line-up.
Bolton opted for a flatter 4-5-1 that saw old loanee Callum Connolly in central midfield and Magennis their only outlet up top. It was enough to see town have most of the ball in the opening minutes, but the Trotters most of the chances, if you can call them that at all.
Blue Action were living up to their name as a repertoire of defiance rang out, even if the game wasn’t anything near to their moniker. Dozzell sent away Kenlock with a first reminder of his close control and vision. The full back could only watch his cross beat everyone and go beyond Edwards in a poor recreation of the season’s opener.
As the fans traded renditions proclaiming allegiances “until [they] die” (and then some of our number caveated Bolton’s with an existential jibe “until July) Chambers and Emmanuel in particular, put their bodies on the line.
The young right back spotted the danger superbly to close out the Wanderers on the left for a corner. The second kick of that phase of play fell to Ameobi who was 3 yards out. Had Chambers not been 2.5 yards out and on him like a second shadow, the former Magpie’s backheel might have crashed into the net and not the hoardings via the captain’s boot.
Ipswich were playing nicely within their thirds, but not through them or through Bolton. Skuse might shield a long ball down for Emmanuel to move it on, or Chambers to find Collins but beyond the odd miscontrolled backpass to Bart, those waiting beyond, were kept doing just that.
Collins reads the game like it’s on an autocue and slammed the door shut with more than one great block tackle. But when he’s not averting danger with a strong header or well-timed step forward, he was inadvertently creating it. Wasteful sweeps forward came straight back once too often to be coincidence.
When it was his partner who made a miscalculation in where the ball would drop, Bart was forced to come and aged ex-Canary O’Neil was no better than Luke. His studs and apologues meeting the Poles head with accidental force and the fury of the travelling contingent. It wasn’t malicious, but typical.
Ipswich only swapped wingers briefly in the first half, but it was from out wide any chance might come. Judge tested Matthews at the near post with a neat, but fairly simple drive. Quaner was felled as much by his enthusiasm as the chasing defender when Kenlock lofted a ball into his path and the force of run seemed to snap his hamstring, and send the German skittling and shaking his fingers as the ball cannoned wide.
No penalty, no injury and no convincing us or the ref, of a chance to take the lead. It would be several minutes later before the on-loan Terrier would change that. A thwarted corner after Bishop, Kenlock and Judge overplayed their hand down the left, and was sent out on the other side for the set piece. The ball again was repelled before coming to Chambers on the wing. With a cross so good it was literally unbelievable to have come from the captain. Jumping in stages, the German extended his neck and then his forehead to take the acclaim from the other end of the field. The ball bounced low and into the corner to put Ipswich in the lead.
Bolton and their fans seemed more shocked than we were and both wingers got into the box, but not into a position to score. Bart looking solid after his head injury then saw his elderly attacker replaced by Jay from the Inbetweeners. The change was stark.
Whilst the youngster injected a bit of spunk into their play, it was the Blues who got their blood up again. Dozzell and Quaner interchanged down the left side, crossing the halfway line of today’s temple of doom, momentum slowly built, and possession stayed with Town. Kenlock played it crisply into the German who turned as powered by the breeze and like a slow-motion Murphy slammed his second across Matthews’ and beyond any dive the keeper could make. Eruptions in the away end. Then our redemption song.
Both sides emerged from the tunnel still huffing in clouds of disbelief. It was therefore little surprise to see Bolton really come at us from the kick off. A sweeping counter attack saw Buckley again fire wide when he should have worked Bart. It produced audible derision and disgust from relative corners of the ground.
Ipswich meanwhile had little reason to keep things anything other than steady. Bishop perhaps struggled to make much headway in either half. It was no surprise to see him dispossessed and crowded out, as Edwards and Judge swapped permanently, and the usual options disappeared with it.
It was barely past the hour mark when Bishop went off for fellow youth player Downes and the midfield changed a little. With it the game remained a mixture of turgid long balls hoping to set away either striker or bamboozle any of the centre backs.
Bolton had a scare when big Collin dropped his centre of gravity just a little. Sent way down the right he got close to the line, and found the foot but not the connection of Judge. The Irishman wafted what needed to be batted into the net, and it fell all the way through to their right-back who was relieved to give away a corner.
Downes was unlucky when his header looked like he’d met one of the many beach balls rather than the match ball. Skuse sent a cross that just sat up a yard too long, or the substitute was just a yard too close to steer it anywhere but upwards and off target.
Chambers went off for treatment after a brace of blocking shots with his face. Parkinson moved Connolly to left back to bring on the tiny Oztumer. The former Wallsall magician conjured up a volley through a crowded box. Bart needed two attempts to smother it, but any chance of the game catching light was put out. You could tell despite the fun and accepting tone either side of the stewards, this was rock bottom versus a club in utter turmoil.
Ipswich brought on Jackson in the later stages for Edwards. Instead of removing Quaner from the slim chance of a hat-trick, the former competition winner took up position on the left wing. Lambert perhaps spotting that when Edwards nutmegged his man, and charged forward, and then Kenlock did the same there was room to exploit on that side.
The Welshman walked off to an ovation. His highlight reel moment perhaps being early in the half when he looped a ball over his man near our corner flag and ran away with it, waiting to be felled for a cheap free kick.
Such trickery was a welcome distraction, and the unknown pleasures of watching Judge demand the ball and reparations from a linesman who was flagging against him in every close call, was the only thing to really eclipse it. André again showed good close control and vision to send him away on the turn and touch in a move that deserved more than a scrambling stuttering halt from the players and referee.
Chalobah entered the fray for the #23 who was clutching his bum as he walked towards his manager. Whether for fun or relief, it perhaps meant nothing more than his race being run. With the game all but over, it wouldn’t be Ipswich if all the good things we’d done could be stained with calamity.
Skuse opted not to take a mandatory card as Oztumer greeted him with the ball and an eye for goal after Downes sold his colleague short. Town let Bolton continue down the right and tried to see them out. But the cross was uncharacteristically well placed. Confusion reigned and as the ball was scrambled out of the goalmouth the referee took a second to decide it had crossed the line.
The four minutes of injury time was all but elapsed, but it was a long thirty seconds until the end. Paul Lambert joined his players near the touchline in saluting us. A raised hand from the dugout throughout the game greeted every song directed his way, now came up close. His sweater a contrast to the track tops and sweat-soaked polyester of his men as Chambers’ rare victory fist beat out a few cheers.
If this was a dress rehearsal for League 1 next season, it’s hard to pick too many faults with the team today. Emamnuel alongside Chambers acquitted himself well, and the rest of the academy boys were guided or beguiling enough to warrant further patience. However, as a few Bolton fans clapped us and said “fair play lads” as they passed the away end, you could be forgiven for hearing the diddling of an organ in your head. Compared to them, perhaps we really don’t have to worry too much?
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| To wish impossible things on 19:04 - Apr 6 with 1772 views | Steve_M |
So it wasn't sh1t then?
Nice to get a win regardless of anything else. Point of order on Chambers, he put loads of good crosses in from right back - one for Pitman at the franchise stands out. |  |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:07 - Apr 6 with 1768 views | Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 19:04 - Apr 6 by Steve_M |
So it wasn't sh1t then?
Nice to get a win regardless of anything else. Point of order on Chambers, he put loads of good crosses in from right back - one for Pitman at the franchise stands out. |
You may have fell for my... oh, nevermind. It was wonderful mate. All of it. Bit weird to celebrate a win and know it means nothing for us though. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:14 - Apr 6 with 1712 views | Steve_M |
| To wish impossible things on 19:07 - Apr 6 by Mullet |
You may have fell for my... oh, nevermind. It was wonderful mate. All of it. Bit weird to celebrate a win and know it means nothing for us though. |
Oh well, consider it subtly empathising your point.
Reading away last season was a bit like that, weird win against a rubbish team but welcome - and definitely to be enjoyed - all the same. Be nice to get another one or two before the end of the season. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:35 - Apr 6 with 1624 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 19:14 - Apr 6 by Steve_M |
Oh well, consider it subtly empathising your point.
Reading away last season was a bit like that, weird win against a rubbish team but welcome - and definitely to be enjoyed - all the same. Be nice to get another one or two before the end of the season. |
It does mean something... signs of progress.
This early pre-season of ours is shaping up OK, we are becoming more difficult to beat, scoring goals, and even getting a win.
...one day a clean sheet might come! |  |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:50 - Apr 6 with 1571 views | Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 19:14 - Apr 6 by Steve_M |
Oh well, consider it subtly empathising your point.
Reading away last season was a bit like that, weird win against a rubbish team but welcome - and definitely to be enjoyed - all the same. Be nice to get another one or two before the end of the season. |
I may or may not have a photo of Snr clutching said Flamingo like an idiot. There were people getting genuinely protective over various things, which was weird. One guy got hissed at by some women "we have a plan for it on the coach home". I dare not ask what or why.
But yeah, overall a surreal and satisfying day. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:52 - Apr 6 with 1552 views | Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 19:35 - Apr 6 by Marshalls_Mullet |
It does mean something... signs of progress.
This early pre-season of ours is shaping up OK, we are becoming more difficult to beat, scoring goals, and even getting a win.
...one day a clean sheet might come! |
All depends how much of today/recent teams are playing.
Edwards, Judge, Lankester and El Mizouni as wingers is quite exciting. I'd have Emmanuel as first choice RB based on what I've seen. If Donacien is too expensive to get rid of, we may as well keep him but it seems clear he and Lambert don't see eye to eye.
Not sure Quaner or Collins have a future here, likewise Bart. Lots of goings, and maybe some sales to steady the drop in money. I'll just take what comes for now. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 19:57 - Apr 6 with 1533 views | SitfcB |
| To wish impossible things on 19:50 - Apr 6 by Mullet |
I may or may not have a photo of Snr clutching said Flamingo like an idiot. There were people getting genuinely protective over various things, which was weird. One guy got hissed at by some women "we have a plan for it on the coach home". I dare not ask what or why.
But yeah, overall a surreal and satisfying day. |
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| To wish impossible things on 20:03 - Apr 6 with 1503 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 19:52 - Apr 6 by Mullet |
All depends how much of today/recent teams are playing.
Edwards, Judge, Lankester and El Mizouni as wingers is quite exciting. I'd have Emmanuel as first choice RB based on what I've seen. If Donacien is too expensive to get rid of, we may as well keep him but it seems clear he and Lambert don't see eye to eye.
Not sure Quaner or Collins have a future here, likewise Bart. Lots of goings, and maybe some sales to steady the drop in money. I'll just take what comes for now. |
Out of the XI today, I can see all staying except the two you mentioned. I actually think Bart will stay, prob has a pay cut in his contract, and has stated he wants his family to stay in the area long term. Also, he has good L1 experience.
And Nsiala is a good L1 player, so can easily step in for Collins.
Also we have Sears and Harrison to come back up front, who both have very good L1 records.
I'm looking forward to L1. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 22:48 - Apr 6 with 1255 views | Johnny_Boy |
*womp womp* |  | | |
| To wish impossible things on 08:05 - Apr 7 with 1071 views | Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 20:03 - Apr 6 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Out of the XI today, I can see all staying except the two you mentioned. I actually think Bart will stay, prob has a pay cut in his contract, and has stated he wants his family to stay in the area long term. Also, he has good L1 experience.
And Nsiala is a good L1 player, so can easily step in for Collins.
Also we have Sears and Harrison to come back up front, who both have very good L1 records.
I'm looking forward to L1. |
I can only see it as testament to how bad Hurst and Doig were that Bart wouldn't get offers elsewhere. If he was willing to write off that extra cash to stay put and not commute for what might be a valuable few years to him, that's fantastic. But I'll not begrudge him moving on and suspect it might come to him being pushed if we can get his wages off the books.
There's nothing good to come from League 1. It's happening and I get people need to deal with it in their own way, especially if they forced Mick out, turned a blind eye to Hurst etc. but it's a disgrace that Ipswich on Evans' watch are anywhere near the third tier, and a bad joke due to the aforementioned.
We can argue that plenty of our squad have league 1 experience, but how many have promotion experience? Jackson at the level below that alongside Donacien. We didn't buy the cream of that division, we took what was below that because Derby and the like had more money etc.
People are already talking like we're back up, going to Wembley etc. Dangerous caper, that. | |
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| To wish impossible things on 08:05 - Apr 7 with 1068 views | Mullet |
| To wish impossible things on 20:39 - Apr 6 by GlasgowBlue |
You did well to hide that inflatable penis under your jacket before the game mate  |
Good to see you and Newcy yesterday for a bit. Especially as it was a good day on the pitch too. | |
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