A battling Town moved to two points from safety with a 1-0 win over an uninspired Middlesbrough. Darren Bent grabbed the goal within seconds of coming on as a 57th minute substitute. Town were good for their win with a number of other chances created and a hunger which has not been evident in some of the less impressive performances lately.

George Burley brought back Mark Venus at the centre of defence, moving Hermann Hreidarsson to left-back and Jamie Clapham to left midfield. Martijn Reuser switched to the right (although Clapham and Reuser swapped about a few times as the game went along) while Finidi George was on the bench. Sixto Peralta came into the centre of midfield with Tommy Miller failing his fitness test. Titus Bramble continued at right-back with Marcuses Stewart and Bent in attack.

The early stages were all Town but without too many chances being created. Boro were finding it hard to get out of their own half. On eight Peralta was felled just outside the area and Martijn Reuser floated a freekick on to the roof of the net.

Reuser hit another effort on 20 after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area where he caught a volley well but it was charged down.

Marcus Stewart was looking a lot more like his old self and on 25 he was put through one-on-one with Boro keeper Schwarzer after a flick from Marcus Bent and a trip from Gareth Southgate. Stewart seemed to do everything right, but put the ball just wide of the Boro post.

A minute later Reuser put a close range header well over from a superb Bramble cross from the right.

On 30 Jamie Clapham belted a shot well over from 30 yards, but was encouraged by the crowd for his endeavour; too few players had been keen to take a shot when on the edge of the area up to then.

Mickael Debreve hit an effort for Boro in the 37th minute which went well wide just after Paul Ince latched on to a low cross but steered it wide. The away side were getting more into the game as the half went along, but never really created too many clearcut chances.

With five minutes left of the first half there was controversy as Allan Johnston appeared to elbow Hermann Hreidarsson. It took some while for the otherwise whistle happy Andy D'Urso to stop the game and when he did he had little idea of what had happened.

A minute or so later Hreidarsson cleanly but solidly won the ball when tackling Johnston and was spoke to by D'Urso who all evening penalised any challenge which caused a player to go to ground regardless of which team they were on.

Paul Ince found his way into the ref's book just before the break, shortly after hitting a shot from distance well over. The ex-England man flew into Jamie Clapham late and from behind, just on halfway, and can hardly have been surprised to have received a caution.

From the resultant freekick Town came close to breaking the deadlock. John McGreal sent in a long, deep cross which Hermann Hreidarsson headed across goal. Marcus Bent went up with the keeper and as an almighty scramble developed referee D'Urso gave a Boro freekick.

The second half started with Reuser having a shot charged down after a good run from Bent. At the other end Nemeth headed from a corner and only just went wide.

Within a minute Reuser sent in a freekick from the right and Schwarzer flapped. Hreidarsson failed to get to the bouncing ball and Stewart sent it over the bar.

Allan Johnston was finally shown a card by D'Urso, some while after one ought to have come, when he pulled Hreidarsson back as he made a charge forward. As Town prepared to take the kick George Burley sprung a surprise by replacing both Marcus Bent and Marcus Stewart. On came Darren Bent and Alun Armstrong and immediately had an effect.

Two minutes later Town were awarded a corner on the right. Jamie Clapham sent over the kick, Armstrong flicked on from the near post and Darren Bent finished at the far post, poking the ball over the line and running to celebrate with the Britannia Stand.

It was one of those moments where a substitution does the trick and that after an early period of the second half where Town had failed to live up to their best form of the first half.

However, they had to be on their mettle immediately as Paul Ince and Benito Carbone both sent efforts in from distance.

Town though, were in the ascendant and particularly Sixto Peralta who was proving a particularly tricky customer for Ince amongst others. They couldn't seem to get the ball off his as he swiftly brought it forward, and playing the ball to the widemen, running the show as few Town players have this season.

On 67 Reuser hit a shot over from another fine Bramble cross after excellent build-up play from Bent and Clapham. Alun Armstrong got in a header two minutes later from a Reuser cross which Schwarzer just managed to save, again resulting from fine work by Bent and Clapham.

Andy Marshall had had a couple of dodgy moments earlier in the game, a first half flap and a poor kick, but he did well in the 76th minute to tip a Southgate header over the bar.

With 13 minutes left on the clock off came Mark Venus and on Fabian Wilnis. The Dutchman went to right-back with Titus Bramble moving into the centre.

With Boro pushing up Town were getting more and more space up front and on 85 Darren Bent ran on to a ball played over the top but screwed his shot wide.

Jamie Clapham had an effort well saved on 88, Schwarzer pushing his left-foot shot just wide.

There were a few nerves on the terraces as referee D'Urso added three minutes injury time. However, fans needn't have worried with the only real chance being a low cross from Bent which the otherwise excellent Peralta narrowly failed to put beyond the keeper.

Soon afterwards the whistle went and Town fans went off to celebrate their first three point haul since the beginning of February and one which still gives them a chance of staying in the Premiership.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls