Town visit third-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday looking to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to leaders Plymouth (KO 7.45pm).

The Blues have won only twice away from home this season - 1-0 at Lincoln and 4-0 at Portsmouth - despite having been in the lead in six of their seven games on the road. Only in their opening fixture on opposition turf, the 2-1 loss at Burton in August, were they never in front.

The defeat at Home Park was 11th-placed Town’s first loss in six matches having recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season in their previous two fixtures.

Wycombe are third in the League One table, two points away from Argyle at the top, who have played a game more, and behind Wigan on goal difference following Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Fleetwood, the Cod Army having come from 3-1 down to claim a point.

Victory over the Blues could see Gareth Ainsworth’s side to the top of the division with Plymouth not in action on Tuesday, although the Latics are at Fleetwood and also have an opportunity to go first.

The Chairboys, relegated after one season in the Championship in May, have a 100 per cent record from their six home league matches this season, but have slightly patchier form away where they have won three, drawn four and lost two.

Wycombe’s run of league wins at Adams Park stretches to eight including the latter stages of last season with their most recent home league loss a 3-1 reverse to Luton in April. Since then, the only home match they have failed to win was the Papa John's Trophy tie against Aston Villa U21s, which ended 3-1 to the Premier League club's youngsters.

Town manager Paul Cook’s side at Adams Park will depend greatly on the injury and illness situation.

Christian Walton looks certain to start in goal with Hayden Coulson likely to return at left-back having started in an unfamiliar right wing role at Plymouth and with Matt Penney having had a difficult afternoon.

George Edmundson and Toto Nsiala are likely to continue as the centre-halves with Janoi Donacien at right-back if he is over his weekend illness. If not, Cook may again have to utilise Luke Woolfenden with Kane Vincent-Young sidelined with a knock.

In midfield, skipper Sam Morsy again looks set to be partnered by Lee Evans, while Kyle Edwards may well get another opportunity in one of the wide roles, having made more of an impression after switching to the right on Saturday.

Bersant Celina could start in the other wide position having had a significant impact after coming off the bench on the left against the Pilgrims.

Wes Burns would be an alternative for the right side if he is over his illness, while Sone Aluko suffered a groin problem in training on Thursday and Scott Fraser has been out with a knock and wasn’t in the squad at Home Park.

Conor Chaplin seems set to continue as the number 10, despite having suffered with a back spasm last week, with Macauley Bonne the lone striker ahead of the former Pompey and Barnsley man.

Wycombe are expected to be without former Nottingham Forest winger Garath McCleary due to a shoulder problem, while midfielder Nick Freeman has been out since August with a knee injury.

The Chairboys are anticipating that Tuesday’s game will see their largest attendance for a midweek evening league fixture at Adams Park in almost 20 years with Town having sold their allocation of 1,800 tickets.

“We’re trying to get as many fans as we can down,” manager Gareth Ainsworth told his club’s official website.

“They’re a strong side, one of the favourites for the league and if we match them and can be competitive against them, then I’ll feel that we are a side that deserves to be where we are at moment.”

Town and Wycombe will be meeting at Adams Park in a competitive game for only the second time, although the teams also drew 2-2 in a pre-season friendly there in July 1995.

On New Year’s Day 2020, with news that manager Paul Lambert had signed a new five-year contract having broken before kick-off, James Norwood headed his ninth goal of the season but David Wheeler equalised as the Blues and the table-topping Chairboys drew 1-1 at Adams Park.

Norwood nodded in the opener on 54 but Wheeler looped home the leveller 12 minutes later.

The November 2019 match at Portman Road was the first ever competitive fixture between the sides.

In that match, Town had a goal controversially ruled out just before half-time and Tomas Holy saved a second-half penalty as what was a top-v-second clash ended 0-0.

Just before half-time, Luke Chambers’s header was diverted into his own net by Curtis Thompson but referee Alan Young wrongly disallowed it having consulted linesman Aaron Farmer with the players already lined-up for the restart.

In the second half, Holy stopped Joe Jacobson’s spot-kick after Chambers had fouled Wheeler.

Blues right-back Donacien spent a short spell on loan with Wycombe between August and September 2015, making two starts.

Wycombe stalwart Matt Bloomfield, 37, came through the Town academy and made one senior appearance as a sub before joining the Chairboys in December 2003.

The Felixstowe-born midfielder has now made played more than 500 games for the Buckinghamshire side but has made only one Papa John’s Trophy appearance this season.

Wycombe have two former Town keepers in their squad, one-time loanee David Stockdale and Adam Przybek.

Regular starter Stockdale was with the Blues from Fulham during the first half of the 2011/12 season making 18 appearances, while Przybek spent two seasons with the Blues before being released last summer having played one Papa John’s Trophy game.

The former Wales U21 international has made three cup appearances for the Chairboys.

Ahead of kick-off, there will be a minute's silence with the game Wanderers' final home league match before Remembrance Sunday.

Tuesday’s referee is Lee Swabey from Devon, who has shown 17 yellow cards and one red in nine games so far this season.

Swabey’s last Town game was the 0-0 draw at Shrewsbury in April in which he booked Norwood, Woolfenden and one home player.

Prior to that he was in the man in the middle for the 3-0 home defeat to Hull City in November last year in which he booked only Kayden Jackson.

His was also in charge of the 1-0 victory over Lincoln at Portman Road in February last year in which he yellow-carded Woolfenden, Flynn Downes, Emyr Huw and two Imps.

His only other Blues game was another 1-0 win, away against the MK Dons in September 2019, in which he again booked Downes, Huws and one home player.

Squad from: Walton, Hladky, Donacien, Penney, Coulson, Edmundson, Nsiala, Burgess, Woolfenden, Morsy, Evans, Harper, El Mizouni, Fraser, Burns, Chaplin, Celina, Edwards, Bonne, Pigott, Barry, Jackson, Norwood.

Photo: Action Images

planetblue_2011 added 14:11 - Nov 1 Can we just stop conceding goals at stupid times or even not at all. Scoring goals I have every confidence in but conceding them is to easy. Draw at best tomorrow, only a win if we can defend COYB
3

pennblue added 14:12 - Nov 1 PAUL COOK'S BARMY ARMY! COYB - 90 minutes singing tomorrow night NON STOP. Let's have it up em!
2

Barty added 14:15 - Nov 1 Very disappointing Saturday especially after taking the lead. We don't have the ability to build on a lead and kill teams off. It was always going to be hard against leaders Plymouth but these are games we must get something from to be challenging for a top six place. Next four league games are against teams currently in the top six so lets really go for it. COYB.
0

ArnieM added 14:19 - Nov 1 Come on Town , let's just cut out these soft free kicks around the box and soft goals , then we'll fly up that league 👍
2

dirtydingusmagee added 15:04 - Nov 1 Enough of the ''two step'' one forward one back , we need to learn to defend ,i always feel there is a goal in us but at same time fear we will concede. TIME TO PUT A MARKER DOWN ,and go on a winning run . We did miss the players that were out on Saturday , but we should be able to cope well enough .Round pegs in round holes and a plan B if needed . It WILL CERTAINLY TAKE A FULL SHIFT FROM ALL AGAINST WYCOMBE. COYB

2

barrystedmunds added 15:07 - Nov 1 He needs to sort the defensive issues, we cannot carry on shipping goals at the rate we currently do.
4

jas0999 added 16:10 - Nov 1 Need to win the game. November league Hanes look tough, but we need three points or will continue to fall behind. On paper we are good enough to beat most sides.
2

Blue_Again added 16:13 - Nov 1 If this was lambert last year who had made this start to the season we would all expect him sacked by now. Yet cook who has had time and money to build a promotion squad has somehow managed to sink us to new levels. League tables don't lie. This season is the worst the club has ever been In a purely standing in the league alone. I really hope cook turns it round, the football is better no doubt, but we need to put a run together fast otherwise it's just another season in league 1 next season yet again

3

algarvefan added 16:50 - Nov 1 People, Cook is attempting huge changes at the club with players who are still settling, this isn't easy. Now I don't know if he is the man for the job, but everything is improving albeit slowly, don't forget the mess we were in at the end of last season. I don't think he needed to be as severe as he was and I think he has made a few errors but overall we have started to improve. Personally I think we will go up next season after a bit more shuffling/signings, give the guy time. It took 15 years of neglect to get us where we were, it will take time to improve, be patient, please.

5

cat added 17:02 - Nov 1 A massive overhaul takes time and patience so try and take the positives such as, we are scoring for fun, we have quality throughout the squad and we are playing a brand of football that's pleasing on the eye. We have a manager with personality, passion and energy, but above all, and the most important thing is the match day experience which is far better now than I can remember. Success don't come overnight, I bet Newcastle won't win a trophy for years and they are now apparently the richest club in football.

5

TimmyH added 17:22 - Nov 1 It's more about management and coaching at this level than money and getting what you think are all the best players together although it no doubt helps (you hardly say Wycombe and Blackpool were loaded with talent but they got promoted)...whether Cook is the right manager only time will tell, so far this season we've gone from being poor to being rather inconsistent so maybe a step in the right direction and will be interesting to see where we are come end of November after some tougher looking games. The real start to the season for me comes in the New Year where more often than not we are worse, as for tomorrow back to back defeats will do nothing for the confidence of the lads losing to potential play-off teams. Personally feel another draw will be on the cards.

2

TractorFrog added 18:24 - Nov 1 COME ON IPSWICH! We would have beaten Plymouth if Donacien and Burns were fit, and if they are back we can beat Wycombe too. The season is not over. COYB!
5

dirtydingusmagee added 19:25 - Nov 1 Algarvefan saying next year is like saying i'll do it tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes .Cook needs to get it together NOW, .
3

cat added 19:38 - Nov 1 Spot on Dirty, top 6 or Cook goes. Failure to get this squad into playoffs will be tragic. Can't see it not happening in all honesty.
2

Nobbysnuts added 19:51 - Nov 1 We have absolutely no chance....sorry but that's being realistic...
2

cat added 19:55 - Nov 1 Why no chance Nobby
0

Saxonblue74 added 20:35 - Nov 1 Because like all Budgies he wants us to lose Cat! Saturday was a catalogue of misfortune, a few things went against us which without I'm sure we would have come away with a point at least. Entertaining, free scoring yet unpredictable. That's a huge improvement on recent years and we're still improving. Cook needs the rest of the season minimum, let's not have yet another upheaval.

1

Monkey_Blue added 21:05 - Nov 1 Algarve… you say we were a shambles at the end of last season? Who was manger for more than the last 1/3 of last season?
2

warktheline added 21:30 - Nov 1 Will need to score 3 + to win! Work that out for yourselves !
1

KiwiTractor added 23:41 - Nov 1 Good luck lads, get stuck in. I'm hoping Donacien and Burns are back tomorrow, would like to see Coulson start in place of Penney and Edwards needs to put in a more consistent performance if selected.
3

shakytown added 00:47 - Nov 2 Sadly i cant see anything from this game. Wycombe and everyone else know what cooks formation will be and will counter it easily and also have the knowledge that as soon as they put even a thimble full of pressure on we will crack and fall apart. long way to go with this rebuild.
2

churchmans added 06:54 - Nov 2 We will score tonight but worried about how many the opposition will!
2

OliveR16 added 08:21 - Nov 2 Wycombe will be looking forward to playing our leaky defence. They'd expect to score a couple against a well-organised team. A nervous night ahead . . .
2

Bazza8564 added 09:54 - Nov 2 Its so easy to be negative, maybe that's why so many people find it fun. We've just lost our 2nd in 10, a period when we've climbed 10 places up the table. Now my maths may not be at rocket scientist level but even I can see that another couple of runs like that makes progress into the top part of the division not so much an opportunity as a formality, IF we can do it. But we have done it once and there are sides up there like Sunderland for whom form and a couple of hidings are already looking shaky. Plymouth were so lucky Saturday, we missed four sitters gave the worst goal away imaginable and had 1/3 of our team out. Cook out? Boll*cks he's doing exactly what Gamechanger brought him here to do. Its Cobblers to think its an Evans appointment, last years side are struggling at Colchester FFS we would have been relegated already had the miracle of a play off win happened last year. No-one recovers from major medical surgery and is out playing next day. It, like this, has taken and is taking a bit of time to reap the rewards. We beat a very good Fleetwood side, slaughtered Portsmouth in their own back yard and whilst we have a tough run coming, we have nothing to fear from anybody. COYB

0

Edmundo added 11:49 - Nov 2 I think it says it all when the spine of our team for years is now lower half of league 2. We were stale 3 years ago, and only papered over the cracks until the takeover and Cook's clear out. Anyone who has been to a game can see the improvement, yet as we improve, so do the others. This season is a bonus if we go up. Playoffs would be solid, but the football is just miles better. As for tonight... really want us to beat Wycombe, they barely deserved promotion on Pandemic points, and we were robbed of 2 points back when we were flying high: they were so lucky. Time for that luck to change.

2

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls