Skipper Luke Chambers and Freddie Sears were on target as Town ended their five-game goalless and winless run with a 2-0 home victory over Burton Albion in the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides. Chambers headed in a Sears cross in the 15th minute and Sears ended his own 38-game goal drought two minutes from the end to seal their first October victory under Mick McCarthy’s management.

Teddy Bishop and Kevin Bru returned to the Town starting line-up for Grant Ward, who dropped to the bench, and Jonathan Douglas who missed out due to injury, as did Jonny Williams - who played the final few minutes at Blackburn on Saturday after his ankle injury - as a precaution.

Town started in the expected 4-3-3 formation with Bishop taking the more advanced midfield role ahead of Bru and Cole Skuse with Sears on the left and Tom Lawrence on the right of Leon Best up front.

Burton made two changes - to their XI skipper John Mousinho and Jamie Ward for Tom Naylor and Will Miller - and started in their usual 3-5-2 system.

Neither side created a serious chance in the opening 10 minutes with the best opportunity coming on seven when Lucas Akins robbed Adam Webster but the Burton striker sent the ball well into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Town went ahead and ended their five-games-plus goalless run with their first chance of the match on the quarter hour.

Best left the ball to Bru midway inside the Burton half and the Mauritius international cleverly turned and played it wide to Sears on the left.

The former Colchester man moved the ball on to his right foot and whipped over a cross, which the diving Chambers met at the far post to head home Town’s first goal in eight hours and 22 minutes of football.

On 21 Jackson Irvine was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Best after the Irish international had pulled off a slick turn and was making a run towards the penalty area.

There was a major let-off for the Blues in the 23rd minute when Akins was sent away on goal but, as Jonas Knudsen got back to challenge, shot wide when he ought to have done much better.

A minute later, Best found Sears in space inside the box but John Brayford got across to take the ball off his foot before the one-time West Ham trainee could get in a shot and end his 38-game personal goal drought.

Soon after, Best beat a man on the edge of the area and looked to feed Bishop, who was in space to his left, but over-hit his pass.

Burton should have got back on terms on 28 when Jamie Ward hit a powerful strike from distance which Bartosz Bialkowski could only parry out to Lloyd Dyer but the wing-back - who turned down a Town contract after a trial in February - scraped his first-time shot well wide.

It was Town’s turn to threaten three minutes later when Bishop crossed low from the right and Bru diverted the ball straight at Brewers keeper Jon McLaughlin.

Bru went even closer in the 34th minute after some head tennis following a corner. The midfielder hooked towards goal and the ball took a huge deflection and looped just the wrong side of the post.

Town claimed a penalty for handball after a subsequent flag-kick, then on 35 Skuse was booked for a foul on the breaking Dyer.

Burton were having just as many, if not more, chances than Town and two minutes later, after a quick break, Ward played the ball back to Dyer in space from the left but the former Leicester man shot well over.

The visitors threatened again in the 38th minute when a corner was cleared to Irvine, whose shot deflected wide off Best. Burton claimed it had struck the striker’s hand but referee Oliver Langford awarded only a corner and a penalty would have been very harsh.

A minute before the scheduled end of the half, Bialkowski was forced into another sharp save after Brayford had hit a strike from a tight angle to the right of goal after a well-worked move.

Town were fortunate to go in with their lead still intact at the break with Burton having had more than enough opportunities to get back on terms or even get their noses in front.

Having finally ended their long goalless run, the Blues had opportunities of their own in what had been an unusually open Championship game, which seemed unlikely to end with just the one goal scored having been like a basketball match at times.

The second half started scruffily but Town gradually got on top and 10 minutes after the restart, following a long spell of Blues possession, Best went close.

Lawrence brought the ball into the area and fed the striker, but he took slightly too long to get his shot away and Ben Turner blocked.

The Blues went close again just before the hour. Knudsen threw the ball down the left to Sears - in a position well beyond the Burton defence - and the frontman looped a cross to the far post, where Lawrence headed against Kyle McFadzean on the line. The loose ball fell to Bishop, but with a defender closing him down, the midfielder shot over.

Burton then enjoyed a spell on top, Webster taking the ball away from Akins on the edge of the six-yard box with his back to goal.

On 63 Irvine scuffed wide for the visitors before a limping Skuse was replaced by Conor Grant.

Town were next to threaten, Best superbly chesting a cross from the right into the path of Knudsen, but the Danish international got the ball caught under his feet.

Bishop eventually picked up the loose ball and drove into the area but his shot was blocked, then Best hit an effort straight at McLaughlin.

The former Newcastle man, putting in his best performance for the Blues, came close again in the 67th minute, cutting inside a defender before hitting a shot which deflected wide. A minute later, Ward took over from Bishop, who will have been pleased with his lively display.

Burton subsequently put the Blues under a spell of pressure but failed to create a serious chance, although Turner claimed a penalty - much to Christophe Berra’s annoyance - after a Ward freekick had flashed across the Town six-yard box. Soon after, Brewers skipper Mousinho was booked for a foul on Lawrence.

There was controversy in the 82nd minute when keeper McLaughlin and McFadzean collided as Best chased a long ball down the middle. Sears picked up the loose ball on the right and as he found the unmarked Lawrence at the far post with the goal gaping referee Langford stopped play for a head injury to McFadzean, much to the frustration of the Town bench.

With seven minutes Best was replaced by Paul Digby, the striker receiving warm applause from the Town support as he left the field. Digby took up the holding midfield role he has occupied for the U23s in recent weeks with Bru moving into the more advanced central midfield role and Ward up front.

On 88 Town sealed the win and Sears ended his 38-game goal drought. Lawrence turned inside his man on the left of the area before cutting across and Sears, without a goal since the Fulham game last December, smashed home, much to the delight of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand and his team-mates.

Town saw out five minutes of added on time to claim their first win since the 1-0 win at Derby just over a month ago and their fifth clean sheet in seven matches.

In truth it was a game which could have gone either way with Burton, who passed the ball around slickly, having had more than their fair share of chances. Equally, the Blues might have scored more if they had been more clinical. The game could easily have ended 4-3 either way.

The result moves the Blues up to 12th and, such is the nature of the Championship, only three points off the play-offs.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers, Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse (Grant 63), Bru, Bishop (Ward 68), Lawrence, Sears, Best. Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Digby, Dozzell.

Burton: McLaughlin, Brayford (Flanagan 89), Mousinho (c) (Myers-Harness 84), McFadzean, Turner, O’Grady, Akins, Dyer, Ward, Palmer, Irvine (Williamson 89). Unused: Bywater, Naylor, Miller, Choudhury. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands). Att: 15,818 (Burton: 134).

Photo: TWTD

Kikapu added 22:44 - Oct 18 'Blues boss Mick McCarthy says it wasn't a hard decision to move skipper Luke Chambers back to right-back at Blackburn on Saturday but that it wasn't a reflection on youngster Josh Emmanuel's performances in the previous two games, more the additional qualities he believes his captain brings to his team.'
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grubbyoik added 22:49 - Oct 18 The proof will be if he puts Scuse and Douglas in the middle together next game or dares to mix it up for Newcastle.. I bet you anything Douglas is not injured.. It allowed MM to change the midfield without appearing to bow to pressure.. Come win draw or lose I still don't like how he sets up his team to play football.. I want us to win granted..but its a double edged sword.. It keeps pre longing his tenure..

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Surco72 added 22:49 - Oct 18 Scored without Douglas on pitch scored again when Skuse went off , well done MM for inspired tactical changes oh no they were both injured and you were forced to make changes for the better of the team . Same as choosing Bart last season only got back in because of injury to Gerks . The big choice now will be to see if he sticks with players that got a win or reverts back to his underperforming mates , must be hurting to be wrong again MM

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jonbull88 added 22:50 - Oct 18 A well deserved 3 points. Funny old game, it really surprises me the differences people see in games. For me Burton offered very little and we a bit toothless up top, where as I think on another day town could have had 2 or 3 more.
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carsey added 22:56 - Oct 18 Hate to admit it but I went tonight hoping we would get beaten but came away pleased to have won though sadly it will only cover over what we already know - that McCarthy is out of touch with modern day football. I'm pleased for Freddie and have been willing him to score for ages. Chambers goal was well taken but in all honesty we should have been buried before half time if their strikers had been on form. What really worries me is Chambers reaction in the first half when the North Stand got on his back for hoofing the ball away in penalty area when he had forever to control it and pass it. I realise this is the McCarthy influence but the players should be able to do the right thing on the pitch and stop just wacking it into the sky. I can see that for nothing at the local park on a Sunday morning. Douglas being out was a bonus and Scuse going off was excellent just a shame McCarthy has already said Douglas will play on Saturday. We don't expect to win so why not just go there and have a go at Newcastle? They won't be expecting that and we may just catch them out. For those coming on here and claiming all is now well I say wait until after Newcastle and let's see if anything changes. I doubt it and I still fancy we will well outside the top 6 come the end of the season and McCarthy will still be claiming he is a good manager.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 22:56 - Oct 18 The game could have gone either way, so very pleased to have got the points. Great for Freddie to finally get his goal. Lawrence looked a decent player, especially on the left, Another clean sheet although better strikers would have punished us tonight. Still, more enjoyable than of late.
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Taricco_Fan added 23:03 - Oct 18 A scrappy, low-quality game between two poor sides, a game we had to win but one that doesn't hide the deficiencies in the side. The tactic of repeatedly lumping the ball down the flanks and speculative hit-and-hope passes goes some way to explaining why we have the lowest pass completion in the league. The fans are bored, there was no atmosphere inside Portman Road tonight. The season tickets holders appear desensitised to the dross that is being served up. It feels awful to write this but the Chambers goal gives Mick the mandate to keep Josh Emmanuel on the bench for the foreseeable future. Pleased to see Sears get his goal - he needs the confidence. Tom Lawrence had a good game, taking on defenders are trying to drive the attack forward. Webster was composed as ever. Alas, Newcastle will have a field day against us.

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GiveusaWave added 23:05 - Oct 18 That was a MASSIVE win so very very pleased for the club. As said before I was unable to go so can't comment on the quality of the football. But well done!!
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Knightsy added 23:15 - Oct 18 7 years ago Burton were in the Conference, Ipswich was in the Championship and still are. Wonder where both clubs will be in another 7 years, my guess is Ipswich will still be in the Championship, and Burton could be another Bournemouth.
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brendanh added 23:15 - Oct 18 Incredible tactical genius from McCarthy tonight in dropping Douglas (confirmed it was tactical in his R Suffolk post-game interview). We are truly blessed to live in the same era as such a sporting intellect. I can't fathom where he gets his inspiration for such decisions. Perhaps its EVERY Ipswich supporter without exception. I sometimes think we'd do better e-selecting the team democratically. Gav, please can you add such functionality to this website?

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Knightsy added 23:18 - Oct 18 However I'm pleased Freddie is back on the score sheet.
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alfromcol added 23:19 - Oct 18 MM substitution near the end to shore up the defense and hang on to 1-0. Digby for Best -sums up the man.
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ianmarshall10 added 23:21 - Oct 18 Get in there Freddie..Sounded like Burton were a difficult team to play against so a good three points tonight. The best attack againts the best defence in the league on Saturday bring it on. C.O.Y.B!
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Cakeman added 23:27 - Oct 18 Good result which is pleasing but a very average performance. Nothing has changed my view that we need a change of owner and manager though. PS most managers do not change a winning team...... but not our one as he said on radio Suffolk that Douglas would be back. I expect Newcastle are quaking in their boots at that prospect!
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pitseablue added 23:30 - Oct 18 Just got back from the game…I am happy with the score and happy with the team performance. End to end football If …and I mean IF Burton had a goalscorer…they could have won with the many chances they had. However I'm an Ipswich fan and was pleased with what I saw. I thought Best had a good game, after reading on here what a bad player he is ??? Happy for Sears to get a goal never stopped running. After all the doom and gloom on here lately so good to see something positive on the pitch….where it matters.

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shakytown added 23:31 - Oct 18 Lets be honest here it was only Burton. At least without the most diobolical midfield pairing in history we looked better. Sadly the idiot will return to form ASAP and the classy douggie will be back to do nothing but stand still and wave his arms about. Send him and skusey out on loan and play football.
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ChestnutSe added 23:41 - Oct 18 That was a really hard game against a decent championship side. There 3 centre halfs were massive and made Webster and Berra look like choir boys. They did not take any prisoners and it was a tough toe to toe game. Burton had several chances but had limited shots on target, I think Town had more. We looked bright and inventive going forward and our defence as usual were rock solid. I'm not sure of the exact stats but I think that's 7 or 8 games with only one 1-0 loss to the league leaders (at the time) and only conceded a couple of goals. Oh, and 3 points off the play offs. Hardly a crisis. The goals scoring stats are not so great but we are not exactly over run with strikers. We have Pits (our top goal scorer last season) out injured. We only really have Best and Sears. Best is still finding his fitness but is looking better every game. He has some nice touches and I am sure the goals will come. I think Mick took him off early to save him for the next game as much as anything. Some will see it as MM being negative but I think he was merely being prudent and protecting his only main striker for Sat and using his other assets prudently. Sensible management in my view. For those craving entertainment it was good nail biting, not really sure how it would end live entertainment tonight with a happy ending. It was not flowing free passing football like Barcelona playing the opposition off the park but it was good live entertainment with Town players as usual under MM giving 100%. We travel to Newcastle the league leaders with their massive resources knowing that we will give them a good game. Newcastle will know they have been in a game, we won't roll over and we are capable of winning what will no doubt be a tough fixture for any side in our league. Everyone who pays their money to support their team is entitled to their opinion and in my opinion (and I think the overwhelming majority of town fans) fully support the team and the management. COYB

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Bert added 23:47 - Oct 18 A decent open game that either team could have won. Best and Lawrence were joint MOTM in my eyes. Bart's run up the pitch to Sears shows that even in this difficult period the players work for and support each other. Still much to do to win back supporters but what a pity that those who are persistently biased with their negativity cannot see some good when it occurs. Well done Town tonight and let''s hope that individual performances tonight will convince MM that when we have our strikers back we can be a bit braver in attack

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Swn98 added 23:50 - Oct 18 All the analysing and angst displayed on here it was a typical Championship game Burton were fast and looked good on the break lacked that decisive finisher we defended well and at last took Two of our chances. As for Mccarthy getting sacked it just isn't going to happen get over it and get behind the team a draw Saturday would be great 3pts against Rotherham and it will of been a good months work.

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midastouch added 00:05 - Oct 19 We badly needed that because obviously if we hadn't of got anything out of the game tonight and we lost as well to Newcastle on Saturday, needless to say the league table would of looked very perilous. I was up till very late last night and so it all caught up with me tonight and I fell asleep just after half time knowing we were 1 up but still being far from certain of the 3 points (this is Ipswich we are talking about!). So what a relief to wake up and reach for the red button to discover Sears (hooray!) had sealed the win. Whether we back Mick or not, 3 points is 3 points. We can all get behind that one. Mick's head must be swelling beyond recognition given Chambers scored the 1st after he had recently announced it was an easy decision to put him straight back into the team. I would be very surprised if Mick doesn't remind his detractors about that one as that is the kind of man he is, he certainly doesn't forgive and forget and he likes to keeps scores (remember his comment after the Norwich game, I thought it was overboard and could only of been justified after a win against Norwich, a home draw wasn't sufficient to come out and say such a thing!). I've tried to give the man every chance. I was prepared to give him till Xmas at the start of the season and certainly felt pretty optimistic after the opening game of the season. But that initial hope soon evaporated once the goals dried up and we were served up such drivel. I still don't think he's the man to lead us forwards. I think there are better and more progressive solutions out there. However, football is all just a matter of opinion and I'm always happy to be proven wrong. I'll take 3 points any day of the week and it's especially nice to know how it feels to win a game when Norwich don't! I'd almost completely forgotten how good that one feels! Long may it continue, although to be fair to Mick and the players, they've got their work cut out Saturday! Now looking at the league table and it looks a lot better than it did at 7.45 tonight. Reasons to be cheerful at long last! :-)

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midastouch added 00:19 - Oct 19 Just read Douglas was injured. And lo and behold we score 2 goals at long last! Freaky coincidence? I think not lol! :-)
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blues1 added 00:26 - Oct 19 Brendan. What McCarthy actually said on the radio was that Douglas has a bit of water on his knees which is why he didn't play but that this allowed him to play bishop and bru. As for the game, we were fortunate to win as button were the better team. If they'd had anything up front they'd have won comfortably. Was of course good to get the win and for Freddie to score but doesn't change anything really. Still time for McCarthy to go. As for people suggesting the only reason we scored is because Douglas didn t play? That's ridiculous.

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MicksZzzTactics added 02:25 - Oct 19 Not really in any position to say whether TWTD's match review is absolutely spot on tonight -- for the simple reason that I decided not to attend! Which as I've argued about plenty is the only viable form of resounding protest to get a genuine fresh & positive CHANGE of football here, and thus a change of manager, BEFORE 2020!!! -- but while it's no secret that TWTD's reviews have a ehhhh slight tendency to be just a tiny little bit rosytinted & biased perhaps? :-) LOL, this one review here seems to at least be fairly well in sync with not only my own personal reliable human sources but more importantly perhaps the mainstream media's supposedly "neutral" ones: For example do other media reviews mention up to 5 sizable chances of "particular note" for Burton in the 1st half .... to only 2 by ITFC (incl. one of them being the opening goal), in a 1st half where every journalist (and objective fan) present seems in perfect agreement that Burton not only was unlucky to be behind but probably should also have been ahead if only they possessed a little more sharpness up front! As for the 2nd half well apparently there wasn't "much between the 2 sides" just to use a very very tired favorite dinosauric expression LOL, but the general consensus in just said mainstream media is that the 2 decent chances most frequently worthy of any mentioning before the late clincher both fell to ITFC (Best and then Knudsen). ....So happily back in the win column we went against mighty mighty uber frightening Burton (just as I boldly predicted beforehand btw), however how much all of them 3 points was really down to not as much mere good 1st half FORTUNE but much much more down to the fact that the dreaded Skuse & Douglas (along with Bru) partnership was NOT in play tonight .... well only the good "Football God" knows, right??? :-) LOL So is EVERYTTHING just cooool, and MM back to being a "tactical genius etc.", NOW??? HaHaHaHa (Sorry! But I simply couldn't control my laughing muscles while posing this slightly rhetorical question). Well on the individual level -- and while you good folks ponder on the above brainteaser -- I take the "audacious" liberty :--) to comment on two particular players after tonight's win: 1) I guess some fans beside Master Mick himself will now argue everything is all of a sudden "just peachy" with our much criticized Captain Calamity, you know the most proper of "proper blokes" and the if-fit-always-assured-of-starting ahead of much better RBs such as Emmanuel .... since not only didn't he make any costly gaffer but more importantly he also scored!!! and this being our 1st goal in more than 500 minutes!!! Wow!!!! which of course entitled him to make this among some fans cult-like "fist pump" salute not seen for quite a while. 2) As for our Freddie 'Krueger' Sears, well his incredible long string of personal "nightmares" (no pun intended of course in correlation to the nickname I just gave him above :-) ) finally came to end and you can't help but feeling good from him in this regard, so a sincere congrats to Freddie from me too! ..... HOWEVER folks while I could chose to stop my post right here I feel strangely inclined to carry on into a little craZzzzed rant here (sorry again!): Because I genuinely know of NOOOO other manager neither within the English FA nor anywhere else really (as I have actually personally asked around quite a lot among colleagues and friends the last month+ without getting any good answer) who keeps on starting a pure offensive player, like our Freddie -- albeit one often not being used in his favorite position or offensive-only role! -- game after game after game well AFTER their goal-drought have eclipsed as much as the double dozen number of games???!!! Aye I know fully well that of late we are currently a little thin in the forward department with no proper replacements being invested in for Murph plus a couple of injuries on top of that, but my main point here is that it's not only quite UNJUSTIFIABLE but a bit like the Chambo/Emannuel situation it furthermore also sends the wrong signal to our talented youngster PLUS to anybody considering coming here in the next transfer windows!!! Period. ........... But ohhhh In my modest capacity of being a very savvy mathematician & datamatician etc. I simply also just have to add and make certain fans here aware of this fact: That it just happened to be exactly those 2 talked-about players here that happened to be tonight's goalscorers, especially Mr. Sears, is among other smaller factors BASICALLY very much the "Laws of Probability" in full effect!!! In the sense that ANY player a manager keeps on running out there, particularly from start, again and again and again, "eventually" will not only have himself a real great game but also "eventually" get the ball over the line especially if being an offensive player (the quality of any given opposing team's defense obviously also play somewhat of a role here in this equation here .... and ehhhh the defensive qualities of the likes of Burton, or Blackburn or the upcoming Rotherham, kind of makes things just a little easier, at least on paper it does .... ohhh but LOOK for the 2nd game running Micks's ITFC actually had more than the very "USUAL" 1 to 3 shots "on target", so maybe it was just not "on paper" after all then LOL). But having said all the above which to SOME here undoubtedly will be construed as nothing but "negative mumbo-jumbo" to stop this win from proverbially papering itself over the very SERIOUS cracks currently present at this once proud club :-), allow me to repeat myself then: I sincerely welcome these 3 points but particularly also Mr. Sears' performance and goal tonight, as I hope it can raise his for too long much lowered head and general low confidence, ABOVE all for the simple reason that unless you are one of those true buffoons that really want to see ITFC relegated well then ITFC desperately need their frontmen to be as sharp as possible, which should be rather obvious considering the Hedgehog Way the boyz "USUALLY" wind up playing and performing, not more so than on the oppositions part of the half, under mighty mighty Mick "I'm staying here just to unsettle you dumb & fickle fans until at least 2020" McCarthy! :-) BET: Newcastle-Ipswich 0-1 .... why? well why the heck not? much stranger things are known to have happened, cooooyb!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0

Minneapolis_ITFC added 03:40 - Oct 19 Bottom line an important win, it was paramount we registered a victory after the garbage of recent weeks and before a fearsome game at Newcastle, and this at least has provided a level of hope for supporters but make no mistake about it, I still hope to see the back of Mick McCarthy as soon as able. Victory or not I lost patience with the indivdual some time back and regardless of today's score he is NOT the right name to lead Ipswich Town any further than beyond this season. The no goal run is thankfully at an end and while we may be three points off a play-off berth at time of writing, that's not really saying much at this stage of the season when all points totals are relatively close to each other. Offer three points away at come April and you'll get my full attention but maybe it's a little early to get carried away just yet. The Newcastle game is going to be interesting. Can we follow on from today and pick up another victory ? All things are possible, but one game at a time.

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sidtheswan added 05:13 - Oct 19 Some positives going forward some negatives defending but guess what ? I wasn't bored and as football is in the entertainment business can only be a good thing ! PS thought it was more 4-4-2
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