Jay Tabb scored the only goal as Town defeated Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at Portman Road. After an open first half in which the visitors had the better chances, the midfielder won it with 11 minutes left, volleying a half-cleared Daryl Murphy cross into the ground and past Trotters keeper Ben Amos.

Town boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged team aside from Bartosz Bialkowski replacing Dean Gerken in goal. McCarthy had previously said that Gerken wouldn’t be risked having been knocked unconscious at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Ipswich-born former Northgate pupil and one-time Blue Liam Trotter started in midfield for the visitors, who made a late change on their bench with Kaiyne Woolery replacing Adam Le Fondre.

Town began the game on top, Jonny Parr shooting over after a corner had been cleared to him just outside the area in the seventh minute.

Bolton threatened for the first time two minutes later when Craig Davies played in Eidur Gudjohnsen inside the area but the Icelander was out-muscled by Tyrone Mings. Moments later, Giles Coke struck a 20-yard effort which Bialkowski rather unnecessarily punched away.

The Blues ought to have gone in front in the 16th minute when Freddie Sears stole the ball from Tim Ream and went through one-on-one with keeper Amos, who stood up well and blocked.

On 22 Cole Skuse picked up the game’s first yellow card for a trip on the lively Rochinha as the on-loan Benfica midfielder broke into the Town half.

Bolton started to get on top, Trotter shooting well wide in the 25th minute before Davies cut a dangerous ball across from the left but too far in front of Josh Vela at the far post.

Just before the half hour, Mings made a strong run through the middle from inside his own half before feeding Sears to his left. The ex-Colchester man crossed and the left-back flicked across goal and wide.

Bolton immediately broke, Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith eventually dispossessing Gudjohnsen before Rochinha slipped and Skuse cleared the danger.

A previously subdued Portman Road was starting to wake up and on 31 the Blues went close again, Berra heading a freekick across goal from the far post and Smith diverting a looping ball back into the six-yard area but with no Blue shirt present.

With the action swinging from one end to the other in a very open half, Bolton twice went close within a minute.

First Bialkowski palmed Davies’s shot from the edge of the box out to Vela, who cut back to Gudjohnsen, but the veteran’s effort was deflected wide by Mings.

From the corner, the Trotters went even nearer, Dorian Dervite nodding down to Ream in the six-yard box. The American international worked himself space to shoot but saw Parr block his weak effort on the line, the ball inadvertently bouncing up off the Norwegian’s arm before he cleared.

Tabb broke through from midfield in the 38th minute but could only shoot straight at Amos, who claimed comfortably.

But it was the visitors who were continuing to look the more threatening side with debutant Rochinha’s running their main danger.

In the 41st minute the Portuguese brought the ball forward from deep at pace past a number of defenders, exchanged passes with Davies but shot just wide of Bialkowski’s left post when he seemed certain to score. It was a major let-off for the Blues. Neither side threatened again before referee Fred Graham brought the half to a close.

Bolton will feel they should have been ahead at the end of an open half having come closest to scoring through Ream and the impressive Rochinha. Town had had chances but more of the better opportunities had fallen to the visitors.

Town switch Parr for Luke Varney at the break as they moved to 4-3-3 with on-loan Blackburn man on the left, Daryl Murphy in the centre and Sears on the right.

Skipper Chambers scraped a 55th minute shot wide as the second half began scruffily. Two minutes later, Kevin Bru replaced the quiet Bishop.

Just before the hour, a Sears cross from the right was nodded out to Skuse on the edge of the box from where the midfielder - still without a goal since joining Town in the summer of 2013 - flicked the ball up and volleyed just over.

The former Bristol City man twice went close again within a minute, first beating Trotter to a clearance 25 yards out and hitting a shot which struck Amos’s right post. The 28-year-old was first to the loose ball on the edge of the box and side-footed towards goal but the keeper did well to recover and save.

Murphy shot wide on 73 but chances at either end were coming far less frequently than they had in the first half.

Rochinha, Bolton’s biggest threat before the break, was replaced by Rob Hall with 11 minutes remaining having been far less influential in the second.

Almost immediately, the Blues went in front. Murphy crossed from the left, the ball was half-cleared to Tabb just inside the area and the midfielder volleyed into the ground past the wrong-footed Amos and into the corner of the net. It was Tabb’s second goal of the season, making the first Town midfielder to score more than once this season.

Bolton looked to get straight back in it, sub Hall turned a Tom Walker cross to Bialkowski, then at the other end Mings smashed a powerful right-foot shot against a defender having cut in from the left.

As the game entered its final five scheduled minutes Bru fizzed a low shot across Amos and wide.

Bolton should have grabbed an equaliser in the last minute. Following a corner, Ream crossed from the right and Davies headed wide at the far post when he seemed certain to score.

As the match moved into injury time, Matt Clarke replaced Sears, Murphy shot well wide from distance, then Bru was booked for a foul but the Blues saw out the remaining minutes without too many dramas to end their run of four games without a win.

While Bolton should probably have been ahead at the break, until Davies's miss in the closing moments the Blues had the better second-half chances with Skuse unfortunate not to grab his first Town goal when he hit the post.

While Tabb’s goal was by no means a classic it was as important as any Town have scored this season, although with Brentford winning 3-2 at Blackburn the Blues remain seventh a point from the play-offs with eight left to play.

Elsewhere, Wolves remain two points behind the Blues in eighth having beaten Sheffield Wednesday 3-0.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bishop (Bru 57), Parr (Varney 46), Tabb, Murphy, Sears (Clarke 90). Unused: Kenny, Anderson, Chaplow, Wood.

Bolton: Amos, Vela, Mills, Dervite, Ream, Trotter, Coke, Walker, Rochinha (Hall 79), Gudjohnsen (Bannan 64), C Davies. Unused: Bogdan, Moxey, Woolery, Twardzik, Threlkeld. Referee: Fred Graham (Essex). Attendance: 16,923 (Bolton: 249).

Photo: Action Images

oldegold added 19:18 - Mar 18 I think we can all send bohslegend back to supporting Peterborough Utd and the game is up as far as he is concerned. Fortunately the majority of Town supporters know what good attacking soccer is ( Sir Bobby's teams 72-82, Bobby Ferguson latter half of 83-84, George Burley's Town 96-2001 and Joe Royle's team autumn 03 to April 2005 )to the sterile, hoof it up mediocrity that MM has been espousing. I have no problem with the man but unlike bohslegend I don't subscribe to agreeing with everything he does and don't want to become a lapdog like bohslegend. Town fans reared on good, passing and attack.minded soccer can distinguish the wheat from the chaff and acknowledgement that the Championship favours brave and attacking teams and sterile football MM-Style will get us nowhere and the proof is this...and also in bohslegend's silence in these two months of indifferent results.

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PJH added 19:20 - Mar 18 blueboy-I think that Hyam's main strength is winning the ball to start with but I agree that once he has got it he does not often seem to know what to do with it. On top of that I think that Skuse is playing exceptionally well at the moment although I have rated him all the time that he has been with us. I also only mark up or down in relation to the post and not the poster(except for walberswicks or whatever apparent alias). I might even give you a "like" post one day.

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blueboy1981 added 20:07 - Mar 18 PJH ........... if you recognise, and accept the truth .......... undoubtedly one day you will ........ !!
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KiwiBlue2 added 20:18 - Mar 18 Great to get another 3 points ........ as Mick says Tabby "is different class......" presumably Tabby is now round at Micks curled up in front of the fire with a saucer of milk purring loudly as his adoring manager gently strokes him.......... roll on Watford.....,
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blueboy1981 added 21:39 - Mar 18 .......... kids at play again - should be way past their bedtime ....... !!!!
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bohslegend added 21:42 - Mar 18 The hypocrisy of people like oldegold, Blueboy, noelthedub etc is staggering. You often spout things like you are entitled to an opinion. So am I. None of you are more of an ITFC fan than me, I'm supporting the team since I was 6 (1977)so basically a life long fan. And through all of the highs and lows I've never changed my enthusiasm or love for the club and my admiration for EVERY player to wear the blue shirt. You lot moaning about how poor the team plays does not make you more passionate than me or anyone else who chooses to remain positive about the team - whoever is in charge or whoever is playing. And for the record , I'm a qualified football coach to UEFA B standard - any of you experts up to that level? That doesn't make me more or less entitled to have an opinion but it does mean that I understand some of the challenges faced in preparing teams to face opponents who may have more (expensive) quality around the park. Oldegold how childish is the 'Peterboro' remark?? Wtf? Is that just some random insult? I'm sure you can do a lot better than that. Blueboy hates people insulting him, seems okay with this though. And another point of order, check my posts, I've been consistently on this forum through thick and thin, where you have the notion of 2 months away I don't know - more sh1te-talk.

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thebeat added 21:45 - Mar 18 @bohslegen . He doesnt have to come out and admit his mistakes. All he has to do is put it right by picking the right players in the right positions in the right formation like he did during our best spell of the season which took us into 2nd instead of playing unbalanced teams in an easy to play against system just to accomodate his favourite players even if that means ruining them by playing them out of position.

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thebeat added 21:47 - Mar 18 And for the record i dont want Mick to go, i appreciate the stability and discipline he brings to the club, i simply want him to pick a team based on ability and form.
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bohslegend added 21:57 - Mar 18 @thebeat I can agree with your last post. I don't mind disagreeing about who the right players are though. That's the beauty of football. Ask 10 different town fans to pick the 11 you'll probably get 10 different teams. In fairness, MM is the one who has to stand over the results, the only risk to picking a preferred 11 is with him, not with with us fans so it's easy for us to claim that different options are better. He stuck with the guys who lost at Boro, and we got a result. Gamble that paid off.

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oldegold added 22:00 - Mar 18 These forums represent an exchange of ideas - agreed or disagreed - but the underlying message in bohslegends' posts are that if you don't agree with his servile attitude to MM then he can offend you.Sorry..maybe in Peteborough it works like that but not here. Allow fans to express their point of view without resorting to bile and we'll get along just fine. Who gives a monkey if you are a qualified coach ? Judging from your insults towards fellow Town supporters, I think we all understand what the B stands for. Fans have a right to feel anger at how far we have slipped because of MM's inability to innovate and change his tactics as we pay our money and we take our choice. A tactically astute manager would be able to impose himself in this division but I feel our manager has given it his best shoot...and missed the target.

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blueboy1981 added 22:32 - Mar 18 Spot on ....... oldegold. For what it's worth, seems that bohslegend thinks he's the only UEFA B Qualified Coach - sorry to say he's wrong again. Just that some don't see fit, or need to, broadcast it to justify their credibility. All I'll say is I wouldn't want him to be Coaching for me - UEFA B - or not. Maybe MM should be employing him ? - things could only get worse I suppose.

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runningout added 23:28 - Mar 18 oh dear, what have we come to.....
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oldegold added 23:40 - Mar 18 Quite right blueboy1981. I've got a 100m swimming badge but I would dare tell him otherwise he might feel jealous lol ! I really do feel that some supporters need to get a grip and if they want to criticize MM,then fine. We're paying fans and it doesn't make me more or less a fan, doesn't make me more important or a better person.It seems that some of those in love with MM feel there is a sacred right to bless the ground he walks on but whilst I like the man himself, appreciate that he did steady our ship, I really feel he has taken us as far as we can go and is the most inept and tactically limited manager we have had in a long time. That's my opinion and I respect the right of any fan to agree/disagree but I abhor the idea of insulting a fellow fan just because we have opposing views.Could you imagine bohslegend and MM in tandem...no, me neither. shudder the thought..

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NoelTheDub added 02:23 - Mar 19 bohslegend You have an UEFA B licence but it must be for Heathrow or Stansted airport if your are enjoying our beloved Ipswich Town at this present time what you are showing the players you teach is beyond me if you think what Mick is installing is proper football then I rest my case with you pal.We are not blessed with an abundance of talent like others above us but thats no way to play football win,lose or draw we are in a very promising position but our lack of football will be our downfall.I will get many minuses by saying I dont want to go up playing this way its false and we will be found out as seen in the championship.I disagree with you on almost everything but thats life if everything was perfect we would be board but that the way I see it.Mick is a good championship manager but thats it yes he solved our many years of failure but can he go to the next level I very much doubt it he takes the negative approach and thats his downfall.

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bohslegend added 13:10 - Mar 19 Wow you three really stick together don't you?
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oldegold added 14:55 - Mar 19 We just don't agree with you bohslegend..that's all. We can all have a different football philosophy and get on and not resort to offending fellow supporters and try and understand that..and live with it. If you've been supporting Town since 1976 and lived through Sir Bobby's golden reign you must be the only one who likes the crap soccer offered up by MM and as for the UEFA B coaching badge, you must have nicked it off someone in Peterborough and put your name on it lol ! Sorry bohslegend but no Town fan brought up on Sir Bobby would stomach it but hey, each to his own.

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warkthelint added 15:46 - Mar 19 bohslegend for God's sake grow up. You always are niggling for the chance to insult others and chomping at the bit to put supporters down. Just accept that there are thankfully more level headed people out there who don't have to resort to insulting others to get their point across. your in the minority so just accept it and as for the UEFA B licence, don't make me laugh. Judging by your comments and knowledge on football, if you were in charge of Town, we'd be playing Hartleool Utd in 3 seasons time lol !

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bohslegend added 00:15 - Mar 20 Oldegold, Soccer? You really need to explain the Peterborough reference though, I'm intrigued. Yes I do remember the golden era, at least in the eyes of a child at the time, but certainly I've caught up with every available recording I can get my hands on. That doesn't mean the only "football" I'm prepared to accept is how SBR presented it. It was a different era, a glorious era, but you must admit there was so much wrong with the club when MM took over that he had to start from scratch. I only mentioned my qualifications because someone asked me to qualify comments re tactics. All I claim is that there are different ways to skin a cat and MM has us on the edge of the play offs with how he's managed on a show string budget.

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BlueHennee added 00:16 - Mar 22 Sorry - why all the in-fighting??? Is this not a day to celebrate?? Have we not been playing poorly/not getting the breaks?? Today we played 95 mins solid & got a few breaks to! Did we not just stuff Watford? Smash & grab of the highest order? No one gave us a hope today & the team all delivered. They all put right their recent mistakes & did the incredible job of beating, yes BEATING Watford AT Watford!!! Outstanding result & I for one am still buzzing!! Whole new complexion on the top of the table - could have been 11 points off 2nd just outside the play offs but instead we're in 6th & 5 points off! Exciting end to the season. If they can play like that again we defo have a chance. COYB!

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