Boss Roy Keane was delighted for Connor Wickham as the striker netted his first league goal to win the Blues three points against Scunthorpe. The 16-year-old became the Blues’ second youngest scorer after Jason Dozzell.

Keane said: "I'm pleased for Connor. I had a feeling he might have an influence on the game.

"I was surprised by the way it opened up for him and it was a good time to score. But it remains to be seen if he's a natural finisher. We'll know in the next few years.

"The goal came at a great time. We've not had enough of those in tight games this season. Only Pablo's against Coventry comes to mind.”

The Blues boss says he is hopeful that Wickham will sign his professional deal with the club when he turns 17 on March 31st, despite interest from the big four and other Premier League sides: "He hasn't given me a promise but his dad and agent have been speaking to the chairman and chief executive.

"All I can do is keep him involved and hopefully the contract will take care of itself. We believe this a good club to learn your trade at but I live in the real world and there's always dangers out there.

"There are pitfalls for lots of players, whether it be other clubs coming in, women, drugs or bad injuries. That's why I've never been one for getting carried away with Connor.”

Keane was pleased to get the win after a less than attractive match: “It certainly wasn't a classic but they're the games we need to win if we're going to progress as a football club.

"I've sat in front of the media enough times saying we've played really well but not got the results, so it's a change. It wasn't a great performance but we got the win and we'll take it.

"Credit to Scunthorpe, they closed us down quickly. We didn't pass the ball well and we couldn't get a flow to the game like we did against Cardiff.”

Keane didn’t feel referee Pat Miller had a bad game but believes both red cards were questionable: "I thought the referee did well but maybe the red cards were harsh. I'm not sure for what reason Damien was sent off. We will have to wait and see what the referee says. It certainly wasn't for preventing a goalscoring opportunity.

"I'll look at the video before deciding whether to appeal. You have to be careful about appeals - as we know."

Delaney is likely to face a three-match ban with the referee probably deeming his challenge 'serious foul play'.

The central defender was unsure why he was dismissed: "I don't know why the referee sent me off.

"It wasn't a lunge or anything like that. The lad has broken and I've caught him with a trip as I've gone to ground. It's challenge you will see professionals do up and down the country in that situation.

"It was a foul and a yellow card at worst. I thought Cliff's red card was harsh as well, so the referee might have looked to even it up.

"I don't know whether the club will appeal or not. It will be down to the manager. I will just have to get on with it whatever happens."

Delaney's red card could see Town recall Tommy Smith from his loan at Brentford with Pim Balkestein the only centre-half with any first team experience waiting in the wings. Smith and Balkestein are both left-sided like Delaney, while the Blues are unable to recall the right-sided Alex Bruce from his loan at Leicester.

Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins was unapologetic for his team’s approach to the game: "It was very disappointing. Ipswich are a very good side. They play at a high tempo and pose a real threat from set plays. There's no apologies for our game plan.

"We nullified a good game of football but that was down to respect for the opposition.

"We tried to slow their tempo down but also felt we had a great opportunity to hit them on the counter-attack, which we did early on.

"We had a good solid, disciplined shape and defended resolutely, but the disappointing thing was one lapse of concentration in the 92nd minute.

"It's allowed them to go and get a vital three points. Now we'll regroup. We've got a good opportunity and it's about doing everything we can to keep our club in the Championship."

Adkins confirmed that the Iron will be appealing Cliff Byrne's third red card of the season, which if it isn't overturned will see the defender banned for five games.

The Scunthorpe boss also felt Damien Delaney's card should be overturned, although he believed it was for 'preventing an obvious goalscoring opportunity' rather than the more likely 'serious foul play': "We will be appealing. Should their player have been sent off after as well? He wasn't the last man.

"Cliff is adamant that the lad has just ran into his shoulder.

"I've not seen the video yet, and it's always important to see that, so can't give my view on it but Cliff is adamant.

"I haven't spoken to the referee yet so I don't know what it's for, but a straight red card suggest violent conduct."

Photo: Action Images

SurreyITFC added 19:39 - Mar 13 The 1st of many goals for the Tractor Boys! Well done Connor. COYB
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salforduniblue added 19:41 - Mar 13 "There are pitfalls for lots of players, whether it be other clubs coming in, women, drugs or bad injuries. That's why I've never been one for getting carried away with Connor.” Yak yak yak, those damn wags eh Keano??
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northdevonblue added 19:43 - Mar 13 Delighted for wickham hope he stays and progresses with us, i think there is a star in the making and with o' connor as well things are looking like they are coming together. Great 3 points and i know we are not out of trouble yet but i feel alot better than i did a month ago
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bluelass7 added 19:43 - Mar 13 Nice!
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ChambersM added 19:57 - Mar 13 Nice one connor!
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wisebluey added 20:29 - Mar 13 i'm pleased with connor as well . now sign that contract !!!!!!!
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jas0999 added 20:58 - Mar 13 I hope Scunthorpe go down. Not good to watch. The Delaney red was very very harsh - if he gets a three match ban for that, then what is football coming too?
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bluewein added 21:01 - Mar 13 Salforduniblue - Sorry mate, im maybe being a bit dim but whats your point exactly? Well done Conner, hopefully the first of many for the town.
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Crock added 21:28 - Mar 13 Is Keane implying that Wickham is a womanizing druggie?
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upandtown added 21:45 - Mar 13 Always admired Adkins and what he had achieved at Scunthorpe before today, but that was ugly. If a better footballing justice has been served this season when Wickham scored that goal then i have not seen it. One of this seasons few highlights as the Town players celebrate while the Scunny team fall to their knees in disbelief all over the pitch. Priceless.
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salforduniblue added 21:48 - Mar 13 Bluewein - just that Keane always has an opinion on things. Now he seems to be against players getting girlfriends. Obviously I know that's not what he emant, just the way it looks from that sentence!
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Skip73 added 21:59 - Mar 13 I don't think he's against players having girlfriends, just having a dig at certain Chelsea players me thinks.
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Pendejo added 22:35 - Mar 13 "Adkins confirmed that the Iron will be appealing Cliff Byrne's third red card of the season, which if it isn't overturned will see the defender banned for five games." Third red card..... hmmmmm Desperately horrible game saved by late late goal. COYBs wins all the way now please
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moomoosereni added 23:08 - Mar 13 Thought Scunny got exactly what they deserved. Came here to try and frustrate us by playing the most negative revolting football i've seen in a while! Delightful to see Connor net a good quality goal in the last minute to send everyone away happy! Good times, hope we can push on and get another win tues. Watford lost at home to P'boro so there for the taking. Although we didn't fare well against P'boro this season did we!

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siralfstrackie added 23:19 - Mar 13 Pleased with the win today, pleased for Connor, but hugely ticked off by the way Scunthorpe came to spoil and not to play. But now, having read this article and, in particular, one line from Nigel Adkins, "We nullified a good game of football but that was down to respect for the opposition", I am major league angry and can only wish the worst of fates on the manager and his team (not the fans). If those tactics could talk they would be saying, "We have come for a point in the desperate hope that we can stay in a league that we're clearly not good enough for. Maybe a point can keep the manager in a job and the board in clover"!! There was absolutely NO respect in that performance, not for "the opposition", not for us, the Ipswich fans, not for the travelling support, not for any Scunthorpe supporter and, last but especially not least, it showed no respect for the game of football. There is a difference between nullifying a passing team (closing down the opposition, fast, accurate passing, possession et al.) and spoiling a game (time wasting, cynical challenges, hoof balls, etc.). The only consolation is that todays result has put them in the bottom three and that is where they deserve to stay for the rest of the season. Sorry Iron fans but your team ain't welcome in these parts anymore (unless your manager and team actually learn what Respect really means). COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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bennyblue added 06:55 - Mar 14 8 pts from 6th 6 from dropzone is this the best this year. 3 pts are great but why are we struggling against teams like scunthorpe and peterborough ? it couldnt possibly be poor management could it ? i mean keane is a wonderman' half man half fruitbat "the dork from cork". is this what we got to look forward too under this owner /manager team an injury time winner against scunthorpe ! . my dreams are bigger than this but maybe roy doesnt share them. still it feels good to know that we might just stay up. sort of like buying a carton of cider dropping it on the way home but be being delighted that 1 bottle didnt smash pretty much sums up the season so far....man i had to drive the van up to the highest point on the land then climb on the roof with the mac just to get a signal to type this is marcus evans running wireless broadband nowadays

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J45 added 08:10 - Mar 14 Well done connor hopefully the first of many.
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Kropotkin123 added 09:11 - Mar 14 @ bennyblue - Grow up, your obtuse and antagonistic rhetoric does nothing for the arguement you put forward. Even when we were playing awesome football under Burley, we still had to break down teams like Grimsby and Tranmere, who only came here for a draw or snatch a win. The fact that it is us getting a 1-0 win against a team like this is great. It is also a positve that teams down the bottom don't see us as a team that should be down there. With us 6pts away from 7th and 6pts away from the bottom, and taking a look at the form table - http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D1/oform.html - you can see why Scunthorpe have played the way they have. This is why we as fans, need to move on from the negative attitude we, rightfully, felt with our beginning run. We should not let that run, and that team, negatively influence our perception of this changed and hardened team. We should be supporting them like the top 8 team they are currently proving themselves to be.

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corshamblue added 11:03 - Mar 14 Kropotkin123 ^^ I second that! Well put. Conner, well done. Delighted. Now go and get a hat full more International Goals and come back with more Goals in mind.. COYB
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depressed added 11:16 - Mar 14 Bennyblue...If there was a gold medal for whingeing you would have a bl***y cabinet full of them.....Cheer up man !!!
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moomoosereni added 14:30 - Mar 14 siralfstrackie you are spot on mate! To admit that you are trying to turn a good game of football into basically an unwatchable mess of a game just shows the lack of ambition of the manager. Shows a big lack of confidence in his players abilities aswell. But hilarious to see how they fell asleep in the final seconds and threw it all away. Ready on 3, 1,2,3: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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stringtheory added 18:30 - Mar 14 Great goal Connor - one for all irritating supporters who start to leave ten minutes before the end!
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julesbda added 12:53 - Mar 15 "I had a feeling he might have an influence on the game" ...i wonder how many times he has these feelings ???? let's not get carried away lads ....it was 3points against a team going down ....we have spent 10 mil and struggle to brake down teams like this ....not looking good for promotion next year .....we are playing very average at best ....we started the season one of the favourites for promotion so everyone has lowered their expectations big time ..not a season to remember ....

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footyfan182 added 12:59 - Mar 15 Well done Conner........A true star in the making!!! Its a shame they only seem to come along every 5 + years, Rhodes being the last who i believe is 21 ( 5 years older than Conner). Why isn't the academy bringing out more players like Conner, He is the exception, maybe the scouts and academy staff all need a shake up I'm sure they get paid loads of money they should be finding us more talent like Conner and Jordan.

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