Town boss Roy Keane will be looking for his side to secure their Championship status during an Easter period in which they face Reading at home and then Derby County away. The Blues manager expects two very tricky matches as his 16th-placed side seek to finally drag themselves away from the relegation fight.

Keane said: “We’ve got two tough games coming up. Reading are the form team in the Championship and Derby’s home record isn’t far behind the likes of Newcastle and Forest, so they are two very tough games for us, but we’re looking forward to it.

“The players responded well last weekend to the disappointment of our previous home game, but we know we’re going to give our all tomorrow and we’ll see where that takes us.

“We just hope that if we get the opportunities, like we have been doing, that we’ll stick the ball in the back of the net because, as we keep saying, that’s been our big problem all season.”

The Blues boss has been impressed with Reading’s rise up the table under new boss Brian McDermott: “They’ve been doing very well, not just in the league but also the FA Cup against some very good teams in the Premiership.

“They’ll be coming here with momentum and that’s what you need to have at this time of the season.

“We’re looking forward to it, they score plenty of goals, they’ve got players in form, but we’re looking to get a good performance and a good result ourselves because we need it as much as Reading.”

Keane says he saw indications of their revival when Town were at the Madejski Stadium in November: “They were struggling when we played them earlier in the season but you could see the signs were there. I know [former manager] Brendan Rodgers well and I think they were making progress even if perhaps they weren’t getting the results.

“What helps is that they’ve started putting the ball in the back of the net and that’s obviously got them right up the table. Credit to their players and their new manager for that.

“They’ve got some very, very good players. They’ve got pace in the right areas and they’ve got boys putting the ball in the back of the net and it makes a big difference to your team if you’ve got players with confidence scoring goals.”

Keane, who reports no new injuries amongst his squad with David Norris and Grant Leadbitter over minor knocks sustained at Swansea, is likely to continue to look to Daryl Murphy to score Town’s goals but with Pablo Couñago or David Healy set to join him up front as the Blues revert to a two-man frontline having played 4-5-1 at Swansea last week.

Couñago will probably get the nod ahead of Healy having been Keane’s preferred choice in recent weeks. Connor Wickham, facing the club he was with as an academy schoolboy before joining Town, is likely to be on the bench having played the whole game for England’s U17s on Thursday, scoring his second goal in two matches during his time away with the international squad.

Shane O’Connor was used at left midfield last week but will probably move to his more usual left-back role in place of Jaime Peters on Saturday as the Blues switch back to a four-man midfield.

Jack Colback is likely to be on the left with Grant Leadbitter and David Norris in the centre and skipper Jon Walters on the right.

Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley will be in the centre of the defence, O’Connor probably on the left with David Wright currently getting the nod ahead of Liam Rosenior - on loan from Reading but eligible to face his parent club - on the right.

Brian Murphy will continue in goal with Arran Lee-Barrett still Keane’s preferred keeping option on the bench despite Richard Wright’s return to fitness.

Reading are making a late surge for the play-offs, having pushed up to 11th in the table, five places and four points ahead of the Blues but having played two fewer games. They are unbeaten in their last eight league matches and have an away record of won seven, drawn three and lost nine this season.

Manager Brian McDermott is determined that his side keep their impetus going during the Easter period: "We've got two big games coming up over Easter against Ipswich Town and Coventry City and we want to do ourselves justice.

"I still feel we have momentum behind us and that there is a lot more to come from my players. I've felt that since day one and we're still seeing it now every week on the pitch.

"Teams are showing us a lot of respect and we're confident going into every game, which is a great feeling to have."

McDermott says he’s not getting carried away with thoughts of a late season play-off dash: "People can talk about the play-offs as much as they like, it's really not an issue for me.

"It's fine for people and fans to do that and it's only natural I suppose. If I was a fan I'd probably be doing the same.

"But our job is to stay focused on the task in front and to take each game as it comes. Trouble normally starts when you look too far ahead. Our only thoughts at the moment are of beating Ipswich and nothing else.

"If we can win at Ipswich and then beat Coventry at home on Monday we will see where that takes us, and we love playing at the Madejski Stadium.

"Ipswich is also a great venue. I loved going there as a player and a scout and with 20,000 fans, the atmosphere will be terrific."

Full-back Chris Armstrong is out with a knee injury, while midfielder Kalifa Cisse is on the way back after a thigh problem but won’t play against Town.

Striker Noel Hunt has undergone surgery for a knee injury, while Icelandic international Ivar Ingimarsson is out for the season after a hamstring operation.

Midfielder Marek Matejovsky missed the 1-1 draw at home to West Brom last Saturday due to a stomach injury and is set to undergo surgery. Jay Tabb also missed out against the Baggies due to an ankle problem but is back for Saturday’s game.

Town have had the edge over the Royals over the years, winning 21 times (20 in the league), drawing nine (nine) and losing 14 (14).

At the Madejski Stadium earlier in the season, Town inched off the bottom of the Championship table after a 1-1 draw. Jon Stead put the Blues ahead in the first half but Simon Church equalised for the home side just after the break.

Last season the Blues did the double over the Berkshire club, Jon Stead and Jon Walters netting the goals in a 2-0 win at Portman Road and Stead overhead-kicking in the winner in a 1-0 win at the Madejski Stadium.

Liam Rosenior is currently on loan from Reading to Town, while Connor Wickham was a schoolboy with the Royals academy before his father, a serviceman, was posted to Colchester and he joined the Blues’ youth set-up.

On-loan striker Kevin Lisbie also spent a brief loan spell with Reading when a Charlton player in 1999. No current member of Brian McDermott’s squad has previously played for Town.

Saturday’s referee is Keith Stroud from Hampshire, who has shown 80 yellow and eight red cards in 21 games so far this season. His most recent Town match was the 1-0 win at Derby in December 2008 when he booked four players — Ivan Campo and Gareth McAuley from the Blues and two Rams — and sent off Derby’s Jordan Stewart.

Squad from: B Murphy, Lee-Barrett, R Wright, D Wright, Rosenior, O’Connor, Peters, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Garvan, Walters, Edwards, Martin, D Murphy, Couñago, Healy, Wickham.

Photo: Action Images

tractorboyupnorth added 12:18 - Apr 2 Come on Town lets pull ourselves away from relegation - I'm confident we can do it and will be there getting behind the lads tomorrow come 3 Oclock - 6 points over Easter will be the perfect icing on my birthday cake!! COYB
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bluelass7 added 12:46 - Apr 2 I could live with a draw if we play well. Be great to beat Reading, especially the way they are playing right now. 4 points over Easter please.
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Ryorry added 12:54 - Apr 2 Hello TB, Happy Birthday! I'm much less confident - Palace & Scunny's last results show that anything can happen, esp if players in bottom clubs think there's nothing more they can do and therefore feel a lifting of the pressure; whilst clubs like us who are expected to escape therefore have players experiencing the fear factor even more. I'm usually an optimist ...but this time ...hmmm - we might not get more than 3 more points (home draws v. Reading, Donny, Blunts) which means we could still be deeply in the mire. Having said that, we often perform at our best against better oppo and away, when less is expected = less pressure - so I wouldn't rule out at least one big (positive) shock result for us, maybe even at St J's park ...

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connorscontract added 13:49 - Apr 2 A pedantic comment: Whickham played all 80 minjutes for England u17's. They don't play 90 minute matches (I was at the Sweden game)
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connorscontract added 13:51 - Apr 2 and an equally pedantic comment to myself: there's only one h in Wickham.
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PhilTWTD added 14:25 - Apr 2 connorscontract Well spotted re the 90 minutes. Didn't even occur to me. Amended.
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jas0999 added 15:01 - Apr 2 2 points from the next two games would be a decent return - but 4 would be really good.
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Seasider added 17:09 - Apr 2 Not many posters on here today.Have just seen Ipswich preview on Player but no sign of RK.Have been watching Town for nearly 50 years and cant remember seeing less entertaining football than is being dished up at the moment.That and recent comments referring to John Beck at Cambridge only having cold showers in visitors dressing room and saying Ipswich should have a nastier attitude(like him presumably) leads me to fear for future of Ipswich Town.As regards tomorrows match may just nick it;but equally could see Reading do to us what Newcastle did earlier in season as when I saw them on TV in cup looked streets ahead of us.We have made no progress at all this season and I haven't seen any evidence that RK is turning things around at all,quite the contrary.Still will enjoy my pint in Legends!

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jamie22 added 17:25 - Apr 2 I think this a game calling for Rosenior to play in surely!? David Wright has been solid defensively but has been giving the ball away more than usual. I would also like to see Garvan in the middle but I doubt that either COYB, three points are possible!
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KeanoBlindFaith added 17:48 - Apr 2 'ello fans
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tractorboybig added 19:49 - Apr 2 We would all love to be out of the relegation fight. Question. why were we there in the first place??????????
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Tillz9 added 20:25 - Apr 2 I think we are in for a tough game tomorrow and I will be happy with a point and some entertaining football. 3 points would be an excellent result with the form Reading are in currently.
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RobbieScarlatti added 21:33 - Apr 2 Tractorbigboy - good question. For the moment, i'll concentrate on this weekend and a few points further way from the relegation battle would be much much appreciated. I'd rather this season didn't go down to the wire. COYB!
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Mark added 21:37 - Apr 2 If we can get 3 or 4 points over the Easter games, I will be relieved as our Championship status will be nearly secure. If the points come our way then great, but we should not think all is okay as the season has been bitterly disappointing and most of our good performers are only on loan, so what for next season?
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Tillz9 added 21:50 - Apr 2 I don't think things look to bad for next season. Our form since September/October has been decent even if performances have not been fantastic ! If we can get murphy in full time plus a decent striker to compliment him I feel we will be ok. The defence now looks good for the first time in ages , we need to build on that. I have been very disappointed with this season but can see some good foundations for next season.

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bennyblue added 23:09 - Apr 2 but what about the useless manager ?surely we will need a good one for next year if we are going places
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ChambersM added 00:02 - Apr 3 im putting my fury at keane still being our manager on hold for the moment, im going to carry that on properly at the end of the season because hes clearly not going before then. Be happy with a draw tomorrow because i think any points are good points at the moment, we are only 6 points obove the drop at the moment, so id rather be safe than sorry
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Tillz9 added 00:05 - Apr 3 You mean the useless manager that has finally sorted out our leaky defence and has us in the top 6/7 of the form guide since october ?? Do you really think everything happens overnight ? It takes time to mould a team and it's about time Ipswich fans realised that. Changing managers now will put us back to square one. How many teams have had success constantly changing managers ? Look at Chelsea since Jose has left , Norwich , qpr etc !!! Ipswich fans seem to think we will be a top 2 team overnight because we gave spent a few quid

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KeanoBlindFaith added 01:12 - Apr 3 'ello fans. Have faith in your old mate Roy and Tony will you? Of course next year will be better under Stan & Ollie. There could be some more Sunderland/Man U/Irish rejects become available. Also, get a centre forward in for 1.7m and then send him on loan without playing him. Oh hang on, I did that this season but I am sure we will do better. That's another fine mess you got me into Tony. Thanks for your support fans !! I may be useless but I am the big name you all think you need.

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bennyblue added 02:46 - Apr 3 again we have this system of plucking out parts of the season and saying gee didnt we play well over 4 and half minyutes against buxton utd or wow look we havent lost at home on a tuesday for 16 years isnt roy great what are you people on...fact is we are still not safe from relegation in april we play sh1te football are easybeats against teams lower than us scored bugger all goals this season and still havent worked uot the best team after nearly a year.as for this junk about changing managers being bad for the team real madrid chuck out managers every 1-2 years doesnt seem to hurt them..i suppose all the the idiots who cant say anything but abuse will jump on that statement as proof that i am a muppet from norfolk maybe we stay in thier world world and worry about scunthorpe and buxton utd and how under keane none of the players have been zapped by a space ray for 22 weeks now and isnt he so bloody wonderful i cant believe i support the same team as these inbred one eyed muttonbirds

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jpbrooks1 added 06:53 - Apr 3 Bennyblue......what utter crap!
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kentblue added 07:37 - Apr 3 Tillz9- You are missing the point completely ! Noone expects ITFC to finish in the top two just by spending a few quid as you say .First of all we finished in the top ten BEFORE spending any money last season ! Secondly -The correct management of players can bring about a positive atmosphere within the club and bring forth positive results ! ITFC has undergone a season of scrapping, blaming and departure of players which has resulted in us fighting off relegation.The blame firmly rests with the man at the top! He has NO interpersonal skills at all which is blatently clear for all to see .Giving this man more time will result in more of the same ! I believe with the same squad we had before Keane arrived and a decent manager , ITFC would never have been in this position and that is with Keane having spent money ! Keane has been instrumental inb ITFC's demise and he must shoulder responsibility and GO before it is too late !

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Tillz9 added 08:45 - Apr 3 I am not as you put it missing the point completely I just have a different opinion to you. I am not pretending for a minute that this season has been good and I do not blindly follow keane. But I do not believe that changing things now will move us forward any quicker and I would like keane to be given another season. That's just my opinion and I could be wrong. I suppose we will all find out soon enough !!!

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bennyblue added 09:59 - Apr 3 town looking to end relegation concerns over easter,,,,,,,, the headline pretty much sums it up... and in case you keanites still dont get it easter is very close to the end of the season...obviously if we had reached the playoffs the season would have been extended but we didnt and it wasnt.. still with me keanites or are you starting to froth slightly at the mouth and breaking out in cold sweats yes reality can be hard to except when you suffer from serious delusions but thats the way it is and no amount of amazing statistics about the last half of the season will change anything cause guess what the first bit the middle bit and the last bit of the season are all joined together.. i know it seems strange for you people but one day you may understand

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RobbieScarlatti added 10:07 - Apr 3 How's this for a selective stat - look at how many points we have taken off the current bottom three clubs - Peterborough, Palace and Plymouth???? Just how many points? Shocking. Keane Out!
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