Town failed to score for the fifth successive home game for the first time in their history as Hull City comfortably beat the Blues 3-0 at a fractious Portman Road with manager Mick McCarthy holding an impromptu meeting with his players on the pitch afterwards. Town went close to opening the scoring early on when Jordan Spence hit the post on eight but went behind to Markus Henriksen’s 25-yard strike in the 18th minute, Harry Wilson doubled the lead for the previously struggling Tigers on 40 and Jarrod Bowen completed the scoring two minutes after the break.

Luke Hyam, Grant Ward, Jordan Spence, Jonas Knudsen, Tristan Nydam and Freddie Sears all started as Mick McCarthy made six changes to the team which drew 0-0 with Sheffield United on Saturday.

Cole Skuse missed out, presumably due to injury, as did Dominic Iorfa, having suffered a groin problem at the weekend, while Adam Webster, Martyn Waghorn, Callum Connolly and Myles Kenlock all dropped to the bench.

The Blues switched to what looked to be a 4-1-4-1 system with Stephen Gleeson the deeper midfielder with Hyam and Nydam ahead of him in the centre, Bersant Celina on the left and Ward on the right.

Joe Garner, whose wife gave birth earlier today, was due to be on the bench but was a late drop out, although apparently due to injury. Aaron Drinan took his place among the subs.

Hull made three changes, Fraizer Campbell came in for Abel Hernandez, who only recently returned from injury, Michael Hector for Ondrei Mazuch and Allan McGregor returned in goal for David Marshall.

Neither side threatened until the eighth minute when the Blues came within an inch or so of going in front. From Celina’s corner from the left, the ball was nodded on to Spence, whose flicked header across goal struck the post and bounced safely for the visitors.

But Hull quickly began to create chances. First Nydam got back to make a brilliant challenge to dispossess Henriksen, who had been found in space in the area on nine, then three minutes later Bialkowski saved well from Jackson Irvine after he had been found by Bowen.

Wilson struck a shot from distance which Bialkowski claimed at the second attempt on 13, but visiting fans had only another four minutes to wait for their side to take the lead.

Following a corner, Jackson Irvine stabbed the ball back to Henriksen 25 yards out and the Norwegian hit a well-struck low effort which beat Bialkowski across to his right and crept just inside the post.

The Tigers almost went two ahead in the 28th minute when Nydam gave the ball away to Bowen midway inside the Blues half and the former Hereford man unleashed a powerful shot which fortunately for Town struck the outside of Bialkowski’s right post.

The Blues had shown little attacking threat aside from a couple of Ward crosses from the right but on 38 they weren’t too far away from levelling.

Ward fed Sears to his right before breaking into the area and powerfully heading the former West Ham and Colchester man’s cross towards goal, McGregor reacting superbly to tip it over.

But two minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead. Ola Aina crossed deep from the right and the totally unmarked Wilson volleyed low past Bialkowski at the far post.

The second Hull goal was the trigger for chants of ‘Mick McCarthy, your football is s–t’ from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, the again small crowd previously having been silent for the most part.

Celina was booked for a dive shortly before the half-time whistle was greeted by loud boos which increased in volume as manager McCarthy made his way to the tunnel.

Hull fully deserved their lead at the break, having been in control for most of the half. After Spence had hit the post, the Tigers had created two decent openings prior to Henriksen’s strike.

Frustrated Town had looked bereft of ideas with too many aimless long balls punted towards Sears but eventually began to make some impact. Ward, who presented the Blues’ greatest threat throughout was unlucky not to score with his header, but Town were made to pay for poor defending as Wilson added to the visitors’ lead.

It was little surprise that the Blues made two changes at the break, Waghorn and Connolly taking over from Gleeson and Nydam.

But two minutes after the restart the visitors made it 3-0. Bowen eased his way past Connolly on the Tigers left, feinted to cross before shooting low between Bialkowski and his near post.

The Town crowd began to sarcastically cheer every successful pass by a Blues player in no matter how unthreatening an area as the game reached the 50-minute mark, then similarly overreacted to a scuffed Sears shot from the edge of the box which was easy for McGregor.

On 55 Waghorn and Knudsen exchanged passes on the left of the area and the Danish international struck a shot which was cleared from inside the six-yard box.

The Blues began to keep hold of the ball and on 59 Spence teed-up Connolly inside the box but the on-loan Everton man’s shot was blocked.

Hull swapped Campbell for Will Keane on 62. Moments later the announcement of the crowd 13,031 - another new lowest home league crowd for almost 20 years - led to chants of ‘There’s no one here’ from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Following a long spell with neither side threatening played in virtual silence, Sears smashed Knudsen’s cross just wide as he sought to prevent his personal goalless streak from stretching to 34 games.

Hull sub Keane shot straight at Bialkowski on 78, then with 10 minutes left striker Ben Morris was handed his league debut by the Blues in place of Celina, while Kamil Grosicki took over from Irvine for the visitors.

The final minutes were played out in virtual silence until those fans who still remained in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand chanted ‘Mick McCarthy, get out of our club’ and ‘We want our Ipswich back’ during injury time.

The final whistle was again greeted by loud boos and further chants aimed towards McCarthy, while the players’ applause was reciprocated by those same fans.

The team and staff were then called over for a meeting on the pitch by McCarthy during which more chants were aimed towards the Blues boss. Further boos greeted the culmination of the brief meeting, which ended with the players applauded, before McCarthy was again booed down the tunnel.

It had been another thoroughly disappointing evening at Portman Road with the Blues, who have scored just twice in their last nine at home in all competitions, deserving nothing other than a heavy defeat.

Aside from Ward’s header at 1-0, they never really looked like getting back into the game and, between bouts of chanting towards the manager, the second half was played out in largely a pre-season atmosphere, the result having been all but settled by Hull’s third goal just after half-time.

One point from two poor displays has ended the scant hope the Blues had of making the play-offs and may well have seen McCarthy’s five and a half years draw to a close.

Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Carter-Vickers, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Gleeson (Connolly 46), Hyam, Ward, Nydam (Waghorn 46), Celina (Morris 80), Sears. Unused: M Crowe, Webster, Drinan, Kenlock, Morris.

Hull City: McGregor, Irvine (Grosicki 80), Hector, Larsson (Meyler 73), Bowen, Dawson (c), Henriksen, Clark, Campbell (Keane 64), Aina, Wilson. Unused: Marshall, Dicko, Tomori, MacDonald. Referee: Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire). Att: 13,031 (Hull: 290)

Photo: TWTD

Cakeman added 10:47 - Mar 14 Only a change of manager and then owner will stem the tide I believe. In the meantime that's another boring season that's drifted by.
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Gcon added 10:50 - Mar 14 warktheline I am talking about the long term future of the club. MM is currently the manger but mangers come and go. Attendances have been on a consistent slide since ME took over. The overall demise of local people's love, connection and commitment to the club is the main issue here. Getting rid of the manger is just papering over the cracks. I am not defending MM (although I do!), I am just trying to get people to focus on the core problem that is killing the club, and not let the owner feel like he's getting away with it by blaming the manager. Any manager is on a hiding to nothing right now with the lack of support that goes with the job.

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Cloddyseedbed added 11:07 - Mar 14 Gcon. I agree with your lat post. The owner and Milne are held directly to blame for the shambles of the club and the disconnection of the supporters to our club. However papering over the cracks as you put it is inevitable as no progress is being made under MM with his players and his playing methods. The owner needs to step up or sell up.
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Cloddyseedbed added 11:08 - Mar 14 *last
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Gazelle added 11:18 - Mar 14 Gcon you are absolutely right, we all blame McCarthy but I can't see any decent manager wanting to come here given the lack of support from the owner. We might laugh at the team up the A140 but Delia and her husband are there every game supporting their club.
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black_shuck added 11:18 - Mar 14 What's that echoing silence coming from Marcus Evans? Has Mick already signed the contract?
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BeattiesBackPocket added 12:07 - Mar 14 MM Should have gone after the Lincoln game IMO. The whole of the UK and other parts of the world hearing pundits and ex professional footballers commenting on that game questioning what type of football we play, poor tactics, no passion and being humiliated by a then non league side both at home and away! Rotherham, Burton, Lincoln, Portsmouth, Stevenage ALL have much lower wage budgets but still manage to play us of the park on our own pitch and MM playing defensive line ups at home against these teams! The Mick "Inners" will claim "He doesn't have the budget" "Be Careful what you wish for" "If we play attacking football we'll end up in Division One" blah blah! The manager can make a huge difference to any side. Look at Joe Royle that guy had to pick up the pieces of relegation, administration, selling all our best players and build a team with kids and lower league players. We STILL managed to play some good attacking free flowing football, under Burley he had no money, he bought through kids and most of the players like Stewart, Johnson, Holland etc ALL from lower league teams, we had a 5 year plan and the reason our fans were patient with it was due to the fact we saw improvement around the club on and off the pitch and a CLEAR vision which we dont have at all now! Granted the owner really needs to come out release some funds and give the fans a clear vision of what he is doing going forwards otherwise I will not be renewing my season ticket. The fun has just gone out of games the past two and a half years for me.

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ClactonTrueBlue added 12:37 - Mar 14 Whether you sit in the “Mick in” or “Mick out” camp no longer masters. The managers relationship with ITFC fans has reached such a low point there should only be one outcome - “he has to go”. With crowds falling to lower and lower attendances at PR, and so many threatening not to renew next season, the clubs long-term future will be decided in the next few days. Marcus needs to remember, managers come and go but fans properly respected become life long fans. Mr Evans act now before gates fall even further and the very fabric of the club is irretrievably destroyed.

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westernblue added 12:49 - Mar 14 Spot on, BeattiesBackPocket. Even assuming that the league programme must be viewed as a war of attrition, in which we must hoof and scrap for every point - a pretty woeful strategy - surely the abject record of Town's cup exploits under MM vividly expose his tactical limitations as a manager. These are one-off games, there to be won - and the consistency of our falling short in them, whatever the opposition, speaks volumes. It is sad too that player interviews, however sensible otherwise (like the captain's earlier this week) seem to have to include reference to our comparable league position and budget. Negative stuff, especially when some players also trot out a reference to Ipswich being far from anywhere - eh? - and how everyone would like to play like Barcelona but ... A big ask I know, but I'd just be happy if we could play like Lincoln City once in a while. It's sad to want managers out of a job, but MM's contact has nearly run its course, and we really need some fresh ideas at the club and a sense of shared values to be restored.

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Westy added 12:59 - Mar 14 This is a new low. Now a record of five successive home games without scoring (Waghorne, our leading scorer was not selected to start in at least two of these matches). A new record to add to not having beaten Norwich in nearly ten years, not having progressed beyond the first game in both cup competitions apart from the odd occasion (including being humiliated by non-league opposition), longest serving Championship team (some have faired worse and been relegated again, but that is the title we hold). Ten thousand fans lost in ten years. The stadium falling apart and totally without maintenance (some of it looks derelict - especially the Cobbold Stand that does not even have the letters of the Club name complete). The greatest rift there has ever been between Club and fans. Poor decision making at all levels. The list goes on. Despite this, up until Saturday, on the back of two away wins, all of a sudden there was an outside chance of sixth place, or final game being at home against Middlesbrough, the very team we are trying to catch. Also, with a game in hand on most of those we need to overtake, who apart from Preston we also have to play and more home games than away. Two winnable games in four days, a potential six points to put in touching distance, but alas, we could only draw against Sheffield United. Imperative then, that we had to beat Hull last night to keep the season alive if only by a thread. And what does MM do ? - drop our leading goal scorer in a game we had to win or it was season over. Makes five mostly unenforced changes and includes players that have never played together before. Drops Connolly who has done well and can influence a game because one more booking would have instigated a two match ban - well so what ! we had to win tonight or it was season over yet MM has got it hopelessly wrong on all counts and it is now season over We has a chance to rescue the situation and put ourselves back in contention yet it has been a debacle. Who or what is MM trying to preserve players for - to win a future game ? We had to win last night but his team selection pulled the rug out from under it all. Could prattle on for another three weeks but you all get the point.

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BobbyBell added 13:00 - Mar 14 BIg Mick's in charge. Last night's team was just that. It made no sense whatsoever apart from the manager saying 'I'm in charge and I'll pick who I like'..
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Batman1957 added 13:18 - Mar 14 Lets be honest the root cause of our woe's is Marcus Evans. He doesn't have the money or the interest to invest further in our beloved Club. McCarthy should have gone a long time ago but he was doing a job on limited/no money. The problem with McCarthy is McCarthy - he wont change - and as others have said his tactics are just insane Of last night - well it was a horrible mausoleum and you could see the scare factor in the players. Yes they tried, and others may disagree with me, it showed that a number of them are just not good enough at this level or even Division 2 (Scotland) for Hyam. Yes he has come back from a serious injury and I wish him well but the bite he had is missing and to be frank he doesn't have a pass or left leg in him. Going forward - right now get Fisons in whoever to sort the pitch out. My wife who has green fingers (not literally) could probably do a better job. Stop press with the Printers announcing that Mick McCarthy is going at the end of this season -thank him blah blah - and advise the supporters that the Club is actively looking for a new team manager/management team ahead of next season. That's the only way right now that the Club will passive the rightly angry supporters who have been so patient for so long and deserve so much better.

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black_shuck added 13:42 - Mar 14 Marcus is lining up the new dream team of Chambers and Skusey. Player manager/coach.
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cat added 14:24 - Mar 14 Gcon - completely agree with your point regarding the ‘bigger picture' cause if a business is failing the butt should always stop at the top, however, McCarthy has to also be held accountable for the lack of entertainment and everything else associated with what happens on the pitch. Let's hope it's fourth time lucky for M.E in appointing a new manager, cause this is has now become the ‘critical path' for the good of our future.

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NBVJohn added 14:55 - Mar 14 Such sad days at a club that was once everything to me. That Milne and Evans allow this sorry affair to play out week after week with no intervention is just baffling. The Norwich incident should have been sorted, and was swept under the carpet. That has led to a situation which damages ALL the stakeholders. Where is the leadership? There is no doubt in my mind that MM is acting out of spite now - why else would he pick such a weak team and leave his top scorer on the bench after so long without a home goal? Who is he showing his strength to? The supporters? I wouldn't think he'd be worrying himself unduly about Milne, or Evans? Perhaps both? It almost feels as though he's running amok now and the club has lost control.

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Seasider added 15:00 - Mar 14 Just a belated observation of the game I attended last night. Too many changes of personnel. Why change formation when back 5 has worked so well? Dearth of decent midfielders,so sparse service to Sears and Celina Why when in opposition half,which wasn't that often,do we pass out wide;instead of sometimes trying to get through middle,or even shoot? Smallest, in stature, team that recall Ipswich putting out for many a year.Too many little uns in Nydam,Sears and Gleeson(useless).Have yet to replace Murph up front.Needs a player who can make the ball stick. Although we had 11 shots only two on target ! Equals worst defeat at home 3-0.Brighton(1/1/13)and Derby(31/1/17) feats by similar scores since McCarthy appointed. Think only 1 goal scored at home this year,and 1 win ? McCarthy lucky to be in a job as attendances continue to fall

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TimmyH added 17:06 - Mar 14 Just seen the highlights...defense looked like they were playing in mud (hang on...) they were sooooo slow at reacting to anything, the second and third goals were shambolic - but that's Mick's coaching for you.
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warktheline added 17:34 - Mar 14 It's absolutely astounding that certain posters can't see 'life beyond McCarthy'! Convinced that no one could do better than what 'mediocracy Mick' has accomplished on his 'low budget'! Thankfully these are firmly the 'minority'!
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Gcon added 18:13 - Mar 14 I can see life beyond McCarthy - and it's sh*te. Until the owner engages with and respects supporters & supports the club financially, anyway.
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cambsman added 18:40 - Mar 14 NBVjohn Spot on with all your comments such sad times
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warktheline added 21:13 - Mar 14 @Gcon, and with McCarthy? Shi*-e-er!
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:15 - Mar 16 nineteenseventyeight, Evans's ''box'' has been empty for a long time ,which is why will still have Mc Carthy calling all the shots .
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