 Monday, 20th Dec 2010 15:50 Town groundsman Alan Ferguson says Saturday’s match came within half a degree of being called off. The Blues’ legendary turfsman and his staff received praise from manager Roy Keane and skipper David Norris after Town’s 3-0 victory over Leicester City. Ferguson told the club site: "It was very, very close and there were times when I thought we might not make it. We were half a degree above freezing in the soil at kick-off, that's the margin we are talking about. "If it was at zero then the pitch hardens up and maybe we wouldn't have played. It was that close. When it snowed it actually helped to thaw the top of the pitch out. The players got a better grip after the first fall of snow but it was still a brave decision by the referee to get through the game." Ferguson, who is concerned that the Portman Road pitch may now not be its pristine best for the rest of the season as a result of Saturday, had praise for referee Stuart Attwell, who was put under a great deal of pressure by Leicester to call the game off: “A lesser man would have caved in under all the pressure. He deserves enormous credit for getting the game on and making sure it was completed. “The referee was unbelievably brave with Leicester leaving him in no doubt they felt it should have been abandoned.” Town’s Boxing Day game at home to Watford is not thought to be in doubt with the protective covers due to go back on on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, striker Jason Scotland, who netted twice against the Foxes to take his total for the season to seven, says Town have a chance to make a swift climb up the table over the festive period: “Traditionally the table takes shape as you come out of the Christmas period. Teams near the top end up getting promotion and those at the bottom go down. “We feel we can get 12 points now from our quartet of matches after the Leicester win and we will be chuffed if we can get around the play-off zone by the final whistle of the home game against Nottingham Forest on January 3rd. “It’s a busy period and one where we can give our fans a Christmas treat,” added the Trinidad and Tobago international.
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