Town’s first ever game at Kingsmeadow ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw with AFC Wimbledon. The Blues dominated possession throughout and hit the bar throughout James Norwood in the first half, while a number of better opportunities were spurned in the second.

Josh Earl was handed his full Town debut at left wing-back as the Blues made three changes from the side which lost 1-0 at Sunderland at the weekend for their first ever game at Kingsmeadow against AFC Wimbledon.

The on-loan Preston man, who came on as a sub at the Stadium of Light, replaced Myles Kenlock, who dropped to the bench, while Emyr Huws came into the midfield trio for Jon Nolan, who was also among the subs.

Kayden Jackson was up front alongside James Norwood with Will Keane on the bench.

Skipper Luke Chambers was making his 350th appearance for the club, while former Blue Shane McLoughlin was at right-back for AFC Wimbledon.

Town, wearing their Barcelona-style away kit but with yellow socks so as not to clash with the Dons’ blue and with owner Marcus Evans watching from the directors’ box, started positively, dominating the early possession.

The Blues continued to play keep-ball with the home side making the occasional foray forward but neither team created an opportunity in a stop-start freekick-heavy first 20 minutes.

The game progressed in a similar manner as the 30-minute mark passed with Town still having most of the ball but without being able to break through the Dons sitting back in their half.

On 39 Callum Reilly was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Huws 25 yards out. The Welshman took the freekick himself and his low shot, which might have been destined for the corner of the net, caught a defender on the way through and went out for a corner.

From the resultant corner, Town went close to going in front. Skuse - who was taking all the set pieces - sent the ball in from the left, it was half-cleared to Norwood and the striker crashed it against the underside of the bar from 10 yards.

The ex-Tranmere man had another go as the ball bounced back to him but his second shot was scuffed wide and the danger was eventually cleared with home fans wondering how it had stayed out.

And that was that for a not overly entertaining half in which the Blues dominated the ball but were unable to find a way through the organised Dons happy to sit back.

A set piece always looked the most promising route from which Town would create an opportunity and they were unfortunate Norwood’s strike cannoned off the bar.

The Blues needed to show more guile and up the tempo of their passing in the second half, or perhaps look to go more direct, in order to claim the three points.

The second period began as the first had ended and on 56 Jackson hit a shot on the turn from 12 yards which Rod McDonald deflected wide. From the corner, the ball fell to Norwood at the far post and Wimbledon keeper Joe Day did well to save down to his left with the loose ball somehow falling safely.

A minute later, Norwood hit a 20-yard freekick low into the wall and then crossed behind the goal after the ball had been returned to him on the left.

On 62 Norwood sent Jackson away down the right and the ex-Accrington man cut the ball cross to Flynn Downes who turned the ball against a defender on the edge of the six-yard box.

The ex-Tranmere man had a golden chance to put the Blues ahead in the 67th minute when he picked up a loose Wimbledon pass five yards outside the Dons’ area and took the ball into the area one-on-one with Day. The striker might have played it left to Jackson but tried to chip the keeper, who saved.

Two minutes later, Downes was booked somewhat harshly for a foul, the midfielder’s ninth League One yellow card of the season, then Paul Osew hit Wimbledon’s first shot of the night well over from wide on the left.

As Tomas Holy prepared to take the goal-kick, Town switched Norwood, who will feel he ought to have taken his season’s total to at least 12 goals, with Will Keane, while Wimbledon swapped Reilly for Scott Wagstaff.

The Dons began to show more of an attacking threat with Joe Pigott heading wide from a 76th minute corner.

A minute later, Jackson was sent away on the right behind the Wimbledon backline and cut the ball back. It hit Keane with other players behind him and looped into Day’s arms.

Within seconds, Skuse knocked the ball into the area and Keane hit a brilliant shot on the turn which was flying into the top corner until Day superbly got across to tip it over.

Freddie Sears took over from full debutant Earl on 81, just before Terell Thomas shot wide for the home side.

Luke Woolfenden hit a low effort through to Day but without enough power on 85, then a minute later Wimbledon replaced Max Sanders with Jack Rudoni.

Day did well to push Sears’s 20-yard freekick past the post in the 87th minute, Huws having been fouled.

In the first of three additional minutes, Pigott hit a low shot across the face of goal and wide.

Town were forced to defend a couple of Wimbledon corners in injury time, which they did without a serious concern, before referee Craig Hicks brought a frustrating evening to an end.

The Blues had dominated possession throughout and in the second half certainly had enough chances to have claimed all three points, just as they did in the first half at Sunderland on Saturday.

Norwood will feel he should have taken at least one of his opportunities, while Keane was thwarted by the save of the night from Day, who also made a good stop from Sears.

The Blues remain seventh ahead of back-to-back home games against Burton Albion and Oxford United, who drew 2-2 at the Pirelli Stadium this evening.

AFC Wimbledon: Day, O’Neill, Osew, McDonald, Thomas, Hartigan, Reilly (Wagstaff 70), Sanders (Rudoni 87), Pigott (c), Pinnock, McLoughlin. Unused: Trott, Guinness-Walker, Roscrow, Lamy, Wood.

Town: Holy, Chambers (c), Wilson, Woolfenden, Donacien, Skuse, Downes, Huws, Earl (Sears 81), Norwood (Keane 70), Jackson. Unused: Norris, Nolan, Judge, Dozzell, Kenlock. Referee: Craig Hicks (Surrey). Att: 4,745 (Town: 789).

Photo: Pagepix

TimmyH added 22:53 - Feb 11 'not going completely to plan' - what part is at the moment Dolphin?
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Dolphinblue added 22:53 - Feb 11 Bluearmy81....more proof of thenegcrew lack of support for team....advocating abuse of manager! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!🐬
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Dolphinblue added 22:57 - Feb 11 Whilst its still mathematically possible to finish 6th and therefore possible to get promoted l shall never be downbeat about my flawed yes, but beloved itfc. I Love the club and when you love something you support it...no matter what. I stood on those terraces with my old man as a boy in 1978, in 1981 and l will be standing there until the end because IM IPSWICH TILL I DIE! 🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬

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afcfee added 22:59 - Feb 11 We need a new manager to come in and actually build a squad, just going to have to bite the bullet and get rid imo. He wasn't ruthless enough getting rid of dead wood, bad recruitment not getting a proven striker instead putting all his eggs in Norwood (unproven at this level) who no doubt had his wages drived up by "Championship interest". If they was interested bet they glad didn't get him now, never seen a striker need so many chances to score.

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shouldistayorcounago added 23:02 - Feb 11 Reallt not looking forward to the 200-mile round trip to Portman Road on Saturday.
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brittaniaman added 23:03 - Feb 11 Well we will not be playing Norwich next season, it will be more like Colchester ?? 1pt in 12 is certainly not promotion form Lambo ?Games are starting to run out fast now, I see little Fleetwood won again 1pt behind us and 2 games in hand. Come on Lambo you and your management staff have got to start earning your money or Get Out
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BettyBlue added 23:14 - Feb 11 Lambert you have failed. Goodby automatic promotion. Goodby play-offs. Its time to prepare for next season. Drop all the dead wood, the loan players, the players who won't have their contracts renewed and the ones who can't play football. Start again. Preferably without Lambert and his excuses. We are paying for this big squad who are all crap. Get some young China. Try China.talented youngsters in like the other league one teams. Norwood. My god. Get a job in a tattoo parlour. You can't play football. And take fatty Lambert and his sound bites, He hasn't made one sensible comment all season. A total failure. No wonder he gets sacked. And this is League One. You can't even manage in League One. Pitiful.

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Bert added 23:20 - Feb 11 We are all worried, angry and feel let down but the regular posters on here seem to forget how pleased they were when Norwood was brought in. His confidence is clearly at a low ebb so now is not the time to lambast him. I honestly believe we do have the players to gain promotion but why they cannot be sparked into life is beyond me. Something is clearly wrong but entirely blaming Evans is likely to be wide of the mark. Just look at clubs with half our resources and fan base to see that even average players can cut it.They don't all need luxury cars. Get behind the team on Saturday because that's all we can do .... until season tickets go on sale.

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algarvefan added 23:39 - Feb 11 I'm 63 years old and have been an avid Town fan all my life. I think this is the lowest I have ever felt about the team because I cannot see how things are going to improve at all, we are flaming clueless, even the very basics of the game have gone, the passing, keeping possession and of course scoring. We are currently in freefall and could easily have lost tonight. So what is wrong? Who is to blame? Well in my book, the fans have done their part, they have been brilliant in the face of some awful performances. I just don't think we are good enough, nor have any strength in depth, the only player with any real heart is young Flynn Downes and he'll be off at the end of the season. I have always said we should support the team, but when dross like that is served up, the buck stops with the manager, he should do the decent thing and go. I simply cannot take much more.

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Daniel72 added 23:41 - Feb 11 It's not a great situation atm but could be much worse. It's true refereeing is never reliable against Ipswich (maybe all clubs think this is a problem, victim complex...).. however..... our Academy is installing good values in footballers who have some ethos towards The Town.. eventually this will reap rewards. We still have KVY to come back although I can't be too optimistic about the time that will take. He is sorely missed. Also, younger players like Dobra are shielded from too much pressure or exposure to the vultures awaiting. People say he has a hot head or would get sent off but there is a reason I suspect and that is because he needs a stage to show waht he is capable of and has thus far been denied it. We all have passion, that is natural.

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Daniel72 added 00:15 - Feb 12 If nothing else the odds on Ipswich getting promoted will have lengthened! Please don#t take that as advice, I#m not a gamblimng man... with good reason.
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Westy added 00:16 - Feb 12 I dare not even look at the table tonight but know that teams at the top won - at least some of them. The Club have to understand that we have one chance at getting out of this division or we will be here for years - players will leave, season tickets will drop by half.
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brassy added 00:53 - Feb 12 Most of the squad know they are not good enough for the championship so promotion would see them out on their ear many are only div 2 quality and are strugling in div 1.
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Dissboyitfc added 06:58 - Feb 12 Londontractot57 .... real fans are hurting where as some are relishing the decline, those people who are enjoying the be careful what you wish quote, need to have a serious look at themselves. I would wish for the same over again, MM had to go, problem is getting the right man in! Evans continues to get this wrong! Times need a change again, new owner please!
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EuanTown added 07:42 - Feb 12 We cannot beat 4th from bottom. At least Evans will save some money next year. We will only need to open 3 sides of the stadium and mothball the 4th as we will not need more than about 10,000 seats next year. Because when we lose our quality players in the summer and recruit more dross to maintain our league 1 position, and not progress for another year this is progress under Evans and all part of the 5 year plan to nowhere.

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blueboy1981 added 07:56 - Feb 12 EusnTown - quality players ? - what quality players ? I'm not seeing too many that anyone else would be queuing up for, not in the ‘bath-a-loner' shirt last night anyway.
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juniorblue added 07:57 - Feb 12 I do wonder if some of the players thought that we would walk this league after dropping down. If they did, how deluded they are. On paper we have some good players who are seriously underperforming. What we do not have however is a tough spine to the team. From the back to the front we appear lightweight compared to other teams. Knocking the ball around neatly at the back will not win matches in this league. We need to be much stronger and clinical, but I cannot see where it will come from at the moment. Sad times.

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dirtydingusmagee added 07:58 - Feb 12 if as is often said we have the squad to take us back up,[and Lambert is one who says so ] then it must be Lambert failing, WHY, WHY, WHY , HAS HE BEEN REWARDED, WITH EXTENDED CONTRACT NOT A TERMINATED ONE . It was unbelievable when it happened and is now beyond words .It looked a bit cosy in early part of season when we were somehow top AND had games in hand but its been clear that our form was going wrong way since November. We had a chance to try and address that in January, we didn't. Time now to let Evans be reminded of how the terraces looked with 12,000 in attendance .

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blueboy1981 added 08:04 - Feb 12 ..... but where's the ‘new owner' with the money coming from ? We're a pale shadow of the drawing plaster we once were – not to mention geographically. We don't even have a reliable train service to/from the Capital now - nothing bodes well in the direction of a possibly new owner. Reality - eventually effects - cloud cuckoo land only lasts a while.
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blueboy1981 added 08:09 - Feb 12 ..... and anyway, there's Managers out there capable of getting much more from this squad than Lambert is/has - and they are out of work, available, and would give almost anything for Lamberts job - and no expect a 5 year contract .... !!
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blueboy1981 added 08:15 - Feb 12 ...... totally agree with you juniorblue. Pointless for people to keep knocking Evans - this squad should be capable enough, under the right Manager. Lambert just isn't capable - full stop. He's proved that, what more proof should anyone want ?
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carlgibbs13 added 08:17 - Feb 12 If we are quick, can we get Pocchetino?????
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Michael101 added 08:40 - Feb 12 After last night's shambles it's time for a clear out.sell downs to juventus as for the rest of them fray Bentos is about all they are good for.😈😤😢😴
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Northstandveteran added 08:44 - Feb 12 I don't get usually get involved in the Evans debate. But he isn't the one that can't defend, create chances or score. That's down to the players and the manager.
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chalky added 08:46 - Feb 12 OK, we had a few chances, but for Lambert to claim that we dominated throughout is simply papering over the cracks. The stark reality is that we were playing a poor team which was fourth from bottom and that we haven't scored from open play in four games now. The midfield lacks any sort of genuine creativity. It's not just a question of money, though I have no respect for Evans. We once enjoyed great and loyal service and team spirit from players like Simon Milton, Micky Stockwell and James Scowcroft -quite apart from home-grown stars like Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble, Darren Bent, Darren Ambrose, Richard Wright, etc., who cost us little or nothing. It's a question of good management. Lambert is so joyless and it shows in the way the team is now playing. For God's sake appoint a manager who looks as if he is enjoying the job.

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