Town continue to wait for an FA Cup victory as Sheffield United progressed to round four via a 1-0 victory at Portman Road, Nathan Thomas smashing the winner in the 25th minute. The Blues, who last won a match in the competition in January 2010, never looked like getting back into the game, failing to register a shot on target, and the Blades might have added to their lead in the second half.

Defender Tommy Smith, who is set to join the Colorado Rapids as revealed by TWTD earlier this afternoon, wasn’t included in a Town side featuring six changes from the one which lost 4-1 at Fulham in midweek.

Jonas Knudsen came in at centre-half alongside skipper Luke Chambers with Myles Kenlock at left-back and Dominic Iorfa at right-back as Town started in a 4-3-3 system.

Luke Hyam made his first start for 19 months in midfield alongside Callum Connolly and Kevin Bru

Up front, Freddie Sears was on the right and Bersant Celina on the left of central striker David McGoldrick.

New signing Aaron Drinan was on the bench alongside young defender Pat Webber and midfielder or striker Shane McLoughlin, whose only senior appearances for the Blues came at Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

The Blades made eight changes with former Town academy striker Caolan Lavery up front with skipper Billy Sharp, a regular Blues target over the years.

Town claimed an early penalty when Chambers headed the ball towards goal from a Celina corner from the right and it appeared to strike Daniel Lafferty on the arm. The Blues captain was adamant that the Blues should have been awarded a spot-kick but referee Mike Jones waved away the protests.

The home side had started the brighter of the two teams and in the seventh minute Celina brought the ball in a long way from the left before hitting a shot which deflected behind.

Town continued to look the better side with Iorfa proving a danger down the right, but on 15 Nathan Thomas hit the Blades’ first effort of the game wide from the edge of the box.

On 24 a corner on the right was played to Hyam on the edge of the area by Celina and the returning midfielder shot over. As the Blades prepared to take their goalkick, Chambers was booked for dissent claiming it had taken a deflection and ought to have been a corner.

A minute later, the visitors took the lead. Thomas, making only his second start for the South Yorkshiremen, was played the ball by Lavery 25 yards out and lashed a superb strike into the top corner of the net, Bartosz Bialkowski only managing to help it on with his right hand.

Town hadn’t threatened to get back on terms before the Blades went close to a second, Chris Basham cutting in from the left and shooting just wide in the 38th minute.

The Blues continued to having the lion’s share possession as half-time approached but without being able to carve out a chance. In the final scheduled minute Kenlock was played in on the left of the box but his low ball was cut out.

Just before the break Basham was booked for catching Bru in the head with a high boot, the Mauritius international subsequently requiring lengthy treatment.

Town had had plenty of the ball in a not overly enthralling first half but without creating anything of note, while the visitors had similarly carved out little at the other end. Thomas’s excellent goal had been rather out of place in the half as a whole.

The Blades swapped their goalscorer for Regan Slater ahead of the second half and the visitors had the first opportunity in the 48th minute when Bialkowski came out of his area to the right but was beaten to the ball by Sharp, who fed Slater as the Blues keeper ran back towards his goal but the sub shot over.

Two minutes later the Blades had an even better chance after Chambers played a weak pass back to Bialkowski. Sharp was quickly on to it and fed Lavery on the right of the box but the Town skipper got back to divert it off the line and wide.

The visitors continued to look the most likely scorers of the game’s second goal and on 54 Sharp flicked a header towards goal which Bialkowski reacted quickly to save, although the linesman’s flag had already been raised.

Town hadn’t appeared likely to get back on terms and it was little surprise that in the 61st minute 10-goal top scorer Martyn Waghorn was introduced for Hyam, who had put in his usual combative display on his return to the team.

Connolly wasn’t too far away from netting his fourth goal of his loan spell from Everton in the 68th minute but was unable to keep his header from Celina’s cross from the right down.

Two minutes later, the Blades went somewhat nearer to doubling their lead, Samir Carruthers exchanging passes with Sharp before shooting from a tight angle on the left and Bialkowski saving well to his left. Moments later, Sam Baldock forced Bialkowski to save down to his right.

Lavery, who had put in a lively display against his old club, was replaced by Clayton Donaldson in the 73rd minute.

As the game moved into its final 10 minutes Jake Wright was booked for timewasting as the visitors prepared to take a freekick.

Town had had long spells on the ball but had failed to create a single chance to level.

On 83 Slater shot over for the Blades, then with two minutes remaining - and a frustrated Sir Bobby Robson Stand singing ‘We want a shot’ - Sharp was switched for John Fleck, who immediately shot over from distance.

The Blades looked the more likely scorers in injury time with sections of the Town support berating manager Mick McCarthy and singing ‘What a load of rubbish’.

Cameron Carter-Vickers was booked for a foul on McGoldrick just before the end and Chambers headed Celina’s freekick wide, before Knudsen blocked a Donaldson strike. Moments later, loud boos greeted the final whistle.

While the second half was more entertaining than the first, the Blades - who fielded a much less senior team than the Blues - had been the better side and ought to have won more comfortably.

The result and the dismal performance on top of the disappointing Christmas spell saw fans loudly express their frustration with manager McCarthy for the first time in a few months.

Town, now without a win in their last five, four of them defeats, rarely created anything throughout and the 40th anniversary of their 1978 FA Cup win will pass without a run in the competition.

Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Kenlock, Connolly, Hyam (Waghorn 61), Bru, Celina, Sears, McGoldrick. Unused: M Crowe, Skuse, Garner, Drinan, Webber, McLoughlin.

Sheffield United: Blackman, Baldock, Basham, Thomas (Slater 46), Sharp (c) (Fleck 88), Wright, Carter-Vickers, Stearman, Lavery (Donaldson 73), Lafferty, Carruthers. Unused: Moore, Stevens, O’Connell, Norrington-Davies. Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire). Att:12,057 (Blades: 1,110).

Photo: TWTD

Chondzoresk added 17:51 - Jan 6 My son has appeared from the match and told me what a load of rubbish he saw. Half empty stadium, no passion, zero entertainment, he told me he won't be going again. He's a youngster, he watches old Town matches from the 70s and 80s. He's totally in awe of those players from that amazing period. The club have not only lost him, but lost me too. We will return once various parties have left. It won't be just him or me not going...It will be many, many others too. Sooner McCarthy goes the sooner we can rebuild, however, I think it will be the summer before anything happens.

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BlueParadigm added 17:51 - Jan 6 One positive note about today is that Jordan Spence proved to be an articulate and knowledgeable pundit on the Radio Suffolk commentary!
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nineteenseventyeight added 17:52 - Jan 6 Around about the 89th minute I realised I could get a tenners worth of sh*t from the nearest farm
10

Carberry added 17:52 - Jan 6 This is an insult to all supporters. Not a shot on target is totally unacceptable however we have an owner who doesn't care about the fans but has a different agenda which the manager is carrying out for him. We may never get clarity on what that strategy is but at least we know that the 5 point plan is complete fabrication and his mouthpiece, Milne, is an inept figure whose utterances should be treated with contempt. Nothing will change until we have new ownership but who would want this basket case of a club?

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itfchorry added 17:53 - Jan 6 Where are those well known football experts this evening - Kikapu SWN98 Gcon Bert Mustang
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Esseeja added 17:53 - Jan 6 Also let's mention Evans, if HE goes, who the hell would want to buy a club £85M in debt? we have to keep Evans unfortunately and that's the biggest problem.
5

corkblue added 17:54 - Jan 6 Sub 1K attendance is forthcoming!
2

corkblue added 17:56 - Jan 6 Sorry that should read 10K!
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Rensham added 17:58 - Jan 6 What is the point of Mick McCarthy? Out of the cup, out of the promotion race, and out of contract. Now is the time to get rid.
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Mick_Mills_Tache added 18:05 - Jan 6 Bore off Mick, Terry, Ian and Marcus. I just want the old Ipswich back, not this current mess and joke of a club. I said after Lincoln drew with us at home last season that we should've sacked Mick there and then and offered the Cowleys the job. They went on to promotion and are looking good this season for back to back promotions and into League One. There's a a very good chance that we could be playing them twice again next season... Get Mick gone now, get a new manager in and give him the rest of the season to assess the squad. With how Mick's letting players potentially go left, right and centre though, I have a funny feeling that Evans will be giving him that contract extension in the summer...😞

14

Bert added 18:06 - Jan 6 The wheels well and truly came off today as even Bart was awful. For those of us that went we witnessed a dire performance by so many individuals . It was disrespectful to true supporters. No doubt the boy Johny Cash will be pleased with the result.
3

toxtethblue added 18:07 - Jan 6 Should start hitting Evans where it hurts- in PR on social media against Evans group.
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therein61 added 18:09 - Jan 6 The club I have supported since my 1st game in 1958(we beat Liverpool at home 4-1!!) through highs and lows has now gone to hell in a hand cart forget Evans(for the minute) the blame lays on the inept tactically blind manager who continues to pick his proper blokes week in week out and then after another abject performance is reduced to a foul mouthed tirade against the people who pay his inflated salary, YOU BIG MAN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AN HONEST YORKSHIREMAN WELL HAVE A LONG LOOK IN THE MIRROR(I suppose all you will see is the skipper and premiership class no/8 on your shoulder)AND ADMIT THAT YOU HAVE COCKED THIS CLUB UP TOTALLY I.OOO'S OF VANISHING FANS HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!! JUST GO AWAY AND TAKE YOUR PROPER INEPT FOOTBALLING BLOKES WITH YOU!!!

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Bert added 18:09 - Jan 6 Good idea Toxtethblue because that's where main problem exists. You cannot run a business with no strategy and peanuts as investment.
1

smithy0981 added 18:10 - Jan 6 Once again McCarthy didn't use all his subs, this is one of many things that infuriates me about this man. If you need a goal bring fresh legs on u totally inept idiot. I for one am soooooo glad McCarthy is going in the summer it will be very interesting to see who our muppet of an owner brings in and why. Once again we will be rebuilding a team like every season McCarthy has been in charge. We are in a total mess and it's all down to Evans in my opinion

7

DurhamTownFan added 18:12 - Jan 6 Time for an anti Marcus Evans demo please? People might ask who else would take over and how much we'd owe him, but this can't go on. A few more years of this owner and we'll be rooted in League 1 for the foreseeable. We can't just sit back and watch our club die without speaking out!
13

StochesStotasBlewe added 18:15 - Jan 6 It was cold. The football was sh#t. The end.
9

jas0999 added 18:16 - Jan 6 Esseeja - please don't fall into the trap of believing this debt nonesence! Evans bought the vast majority of it for a fraction. He keeps the full amount on the books FOR HIS BENEFIT. He has charged massive (seven figure) interest payments on the debt previously and is doing quite nicely offsetting the losses against his other business interests. Something Milne has confirmed. Assets are regularly stripped and a load of spin given to supporters for where the millions in fees received have gone. In truth, Evans does well out of it. Folk need to stop believing the spin. The club under Evans are very good at it.

17

smithy0981 added 18:16 - Jan 6 DurhamTownFan I'm in with the demo and I agree if we don't show him how all supporters really feel nothing will change. Evans has no ambition at all and he is supposed to be a business man that strives to make money. Is he using this club for tax reasons for his business one wonders because I don't give a sh*t about taking us to the prem
8

Mick_Mills_Tache added 18:18 - Jan 6 Eseeja, Ipswich could potentially be a half decent sized club again with the right ownership. Evans could very easily wipe all £85m of that debt clean. After all, the majority of it is owed to himself. There's been clubs who's chairman have just wiped the slate clean. If Evans was an ‘Ipswich fan' as he claims to be, he'd do just that, surely? If any of us were in his position and could afford it, we would, wouldn't we?

11

baxter7 added 18:21 - Jan 6 Can't believe mcarthy just come on radio saying he was pleased with the performance and we played well and they are a good side was he watching man city game in the dugout and thinking it was us your a total moron mcarthy just go for the sake of itfc
16

Esseeja added 18:22 - Jan 6 jas0999 - Do not believe what Milne or Evans said. Milne's comments on selling Moore, "No intentions", oh hang on a minute we failed that Mcarthy's "Exciting football" comments, Oh hang on a minute we've just gone back to boring football that has basically given us the worst of forms in top 12. and now we have only 1 point in 4 and an fa cup loss just to say "f u" to the fans. fgs.

4

Cotton_eyed_joe added 18:24 - Jan 6 2 strikers with 18 goals this season on the bench and 1 strikers with none for a few seasons and the other with just 6 goals on the pitch for 90 mins says it all to me. Mick out
14

Swn98 added 18:24 - Jan 6 Just got in from a cold Portman Rd not warmed up by the atmosphere of the missing fans. Great to see Hyam have a good comeback game Jonas put in a sound performance.Can see why doesn't play Kenlock automatically.We were undone by a 25 yard goal and didn't have much to offer in reply perhaps it's just aswell we didn't equalise a replay is the last thing we need.Leeds next Saturday let's hope it warms up

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Esseeja added 18:25 - Jan 6 Tache - good point, but as an 'Ipswich fan' we have had no investments from him, so all the heat is on the main 3 and probably the medical staff who work on the midfield.
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