Town 1-0 Inter
Friday, 23rd Nov 2001 00:05

Town pulled off a famous 1-0 victory over Inter Milan as Alun Armstrong headed home a Jamie Clapham cross from the left in the 80th minute. Town had been the better side all night, but as so often this season the goal just didn't seem to come.

Town made a number of changes from the side which lost to Bolton at the weekend. Clapham came in for Reuser while the injured Magilton was replaced by Jermaine Wright. Up front Darren Bent dropped out and Richard Naylor came into the side.

Town started brightly and had the first chance of the game in the fifth minute when Mark Venus hit a freekick into the box which Titus Bramble met low at the back of the box. He should have done better but he sent the ball back across the face of the goal.

A minute later Pablo Couñago hit a shot which cannoned off a defender and wide. Holland got his head to the corner but couldn't direct the ball goalwards.

Inter's first shot came from Kallon, but his shot went well wide.

In the ninth minute Town had to thank Matteo Sereni as Ventola slipped in behind the defence from a Zanetti pass. He tried to take the ball wide of the Town keeper, but Sereni was equal to him. Venus and Hreidarsson cleared the ball.

Chances were few and far between, but Town were having the better of it. Couñago and Peralta were both getting stuck in and playing some neat one-twos. Couñago was also winning a lot of freekicks. At the back the Blues were looking more solid with Bramble looking particularly confident.

On 21 Mark Venus had an opportuniity to use his powerful left foot. Unfortunately the ex-Wolves man hit his freekick straight at the wall. A minute later Javier Zanetti hit a shot which Sereni had little trouble with.

On 25 minutes Jermaine Wright almost got on the end of a cross but Emre got in front of him. At the other end Sereni claimed a Seedorf cross well.

Just before the half hour Seedorf hit a weak shot which Sereni claimed easily after Kallon had missed the ball. But overall it was Town in control and with most of the possession, however, Toldo hadn't been called to make a save up to then.

On 35 Venus had another chance from a freekick after Couñago had again been fouled. This time Holland and Clapham teed the ball up for him as he took a fast bowler's run at it, but again hit the wall.

In the 41st minute the ball was played into Couñago on the edge of the area. He went to ground as the defender appeared to catch him on the edge of the area. Referee Kim Milton Neilsen saw no foul.

The 43rd minute saw Couñago again holding the ball up well on the edge of the area. He laid the ball across and Holland hit a piledriver which Toldo had to punch out to the edge of his area. It was probably Town's nearest thing to a goal, despite having the vast majority of the possession.

Half-time came and the Town support applauded off their team, in marked contrast to half-time at a number of the home games this season. Town were having the better of the game and Inter were looking distinctly weak when crosses were coming in.

No changes at half-time and the game continued much the same. The 48th minute saw Inter have the first chance. A Seedorf cross from the right was headed well over by Ventola with Makin in attendence.

A minute later Pablo Couñago has a great chance to put Town ahead. Inter gave the ball to Peralta halfway inside their half. He strode forward, as so often he did, and played the ball into Couñago's path. The Spaniard turned inside his defender and had a good sight at goal, but blasted the ball high and wide. It was Town's best opportunity so far.

In the 55th minute Couñago saw Toldo off his line when on halfway. The ex-Celta Vigo man tried to beat him from there, but the ball fell short.

Just before the hour Peralta had a reasonable opportunity from the edge of the area. Jermaine Wright crossed from the right and the Argentinian took the ball down but mis-hit his shot wide.

In the 61st minute Seedorf sent in a freekick from the right which Hermann Hreidarsson somehow scrambled wide with Kallon in attendence. It was as close as Inter had got to a goal.

On 64 Matt Holland headed wide from a looping Makin cross from the right.

In the 65th minute Bramble made one his surging runs forward. The defender was tackled and the ball went for a throw. As Town took the throw Emre went to ground and the referee stopped play with Toldo and a number of other Italians unhappy that Town had taken the throw. Emre was replaced.

In the 70th minute Seedorf took a freekick on the right. He saw Sereni organising his wall and hit a quick shot which the Town keeper had little trouble with.

Three minutes later Town had another freekick on the edge of the area, this time towards the right. It was Matt Holland's turn, but he hit his shot well wide.

On 75 Hermann Hreidarsson made a strong run forward down the left. He played the ball to Clapham and took the return and turned inside a defender. He hit a shot which flashed across the face of the goal. Town made their first substitution of the night with Armstrong coming on for Naylor. The Town number 12 had one or two good moments and certainly hadn't given the Inter defence an easy night.

And then, in the 80th minute, just when some were worrying a goal might not come, it did. Pablo Couñago, having the best game of his spell with Town, took the ball into the area but was dispossessed. He stuck out a foot and played it to Clapham who looped in a perfect cross for Armstrong who had lost his marker at the far post. The ball flew in just by the post with Toldo without a chance.

Town had more than deserved the goal, but it seemed to wake Inter up a little. The rest of the game saw the Italians showing more attacking endeavour than in the rest of the 90 minutes, but Town were equal to it at the back and little of note was created.

The closest they came to a goal was a Kallon shot which Venus blocked. Seedorf had played him into space on the edge of the area with a neat flick.

In the 88th minute the excellent Peralta was substituted with Martijn Reuser, the Dutchman going to the right while Jermaine Wright moved to the centre.

Three minutes of injury time were signalled by the fourth official and one minute in Thomas GaardsÃ¸e replaced Jamie Clapham and went into the midfield. Immediately the big Dane tried to catch Toldo off his line from forty-odd yards. The keeper caught above his head.

With the crowd whistling for an end to proceedings Jermaine Wright almost put Town two-up. Martijn Reuser took a throw on the right, a defender headed out poorly and Holland headed into Wright's path. He hit a sharp shot which only just went by Toldo's post with the keeper nowhere.

Not long later the whistle went on a famous Portman Road victory. Portman Road was a very different scene than after a lot of home games this season.

It was a fine performance with some of the youngsters particularly impressing. Couñago appeared to come of age with some of his approach play very high class indeed. Peralta too was excellent.

At the back Bramble as well as Hreidarsson, Venus and Makin were rarely in trouble. And then, of course, there was sickboy Alun Armstrong who finished so well. Throughout the team, though there were stars and Town now have as good a chance as they could have hoped for. Roll on two weeks' time. Is this the springboard for the rest of the season?

Photo: Action Images

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