ITFC 0 Derby 1

Town’s fine unbeaten run came to an end with a home loss to Derby yesterday.

It was a difficult day for football with a gusty wind and both teams were quite evenly matched.
I listened to most of the game on BBC Radio Suffolk and watched the last 20 minutes on Sky TV.
From the radio commentary, Town started well and made a few chances but Derby gradually got into their game and started to be a threat.

The goal Town conceded was a classic simple error from a long ball upfield which Tommy Smith misjudged and Chris Martin took his chance well to get past Smith and dink the ball into the goal past a fairly stranded Town keeper, Bialokowski.

Then in the last 20 minutes Town threw everything they could at Derby but they held firm even after going to 10 men when Eustace was sent off with 10 minutes to go. Town huffed and puffed and it wasn’t pretty football as it often featured long ball play from the back, and very little actually started from mid-field. Cole Skuse was missing (ill) from the team and Luke Higham didn’t create enough from mid-field (he is though very hard working). Town got 2 half chances, a swerving shot from Kevin Bru that was well saved by Derby keeper (Grant) and a header from Smith that just went past the post with Noel Hunt bravely trying to divert it into the net.

Other results went well for Town as Norwich beat leaders Bournemouth. So this is a wake up call now for Town for the rest of the season. There really wasn’t much difference between Derby and Town yesterday and both are challenging for promotion. Town have got themselves into a great position yet, must dig deep for the rest of the season to keep up their promotion challenge.

While no one seems to be saying it Town could actually win the Championship! In my opinion they are as good as the contenders (especially Bournemouth and Derby).

COME ON YOU BLUES…I’m challenging all at ITFC..make 2015 your year and win the Championship and automatic promotion. This is entirely possible if Town dig deep and play to their potential. It is vital for Town in every Championship game to the end of the season, to get points and not to lose! EYES ON THE PRIZE, believe you can do this but keep concentrating and work harder to get promotion! GOODLUCK!

ITFC play Wolves tonight. Town won on Saturday away at Blackpool with manger Mick McCarthy celebrating 2 years in charge at Portman Road. Of course, Wolves were once managed by Mick and helped with Terry Connor too and Mick tonight will be hoping to beat one of his former clubs.

I think the news is that the Town team have several players out with injury (Jonny Parr, Jonny Williams, Dean Gerken, Cole Skuse and Teddy Bishop are all out) so it is a chance for other squad members to do well and stake their claims for regular first team places.

Town did well away at struggling Blackpool last Saturday winning 2-0. Wolves will be a harder team to beat as they have done well this season following their promotion to the Championship and are above Town in the table (Wolves 4th and Town in 8th). There are several Championship games on tonight (Norwich away at Middlesborough) so it is an important night for all teams.

I cannot get to the match and plan on listening to commentary from Radio Suffolk. Bring it on! COME ON YOU BLUES…GOODLUCK TOWN…

Town lost away at Cardiff last night (Cardiff 3 Town 1..ending a run of eight unbeaten games for Town).
After a promising first half Town were not as good in the second half and Cardiff won comfortably in the end.

Here is Mick MaCarthy’s pre match interview:

Manager Mick McCarthy wasn’t happy with Town’s second half performance.

As ever the Championship is ultra competitive and that win for Cardiff moves them up the table. No team though is way ahead and looking certain to win the Championship at this stage of the season. Last season Leicester and Burnley were gaining momentum and were promising to be the best teams as was proved at the end of the season. Forest, Derby, Wolves and Watford, look strong but any team is capable of beating any other in the Championship! At the other end of the table Bolton and Blackpool and Birmingham are all struggling.

While Town have had positives at the start of this season they will have to do much better to be able to dream of promotion. September was a good month for Town but they need to play as well in every month to be competitive and challenge for promotion. They drew 1-1 at home last match against Blackburn and it was 2-2 away at Forest after being 2-1 in the lead. So Town haven’t helped themselves by dropping points in those games where they had winning chances.

Next game for Town is at home on Saturday against Huddersfield. A home win is needed..no pressure!

COME ON YOU BLUES!

Well played Town on the first away win of the season: Wigan 1 ITFC 2 last Monday night.

The game was shown live on Sky tv and I managed to watch the second half. I was surprised to find Town leading at halftime (a goal by Luke Higham!).

The second half showed Wigan starting well and having lots of possession. Gradually though Town got to grips and started to get into the game. Mings was playing well and the defence in general looked very solid. Up front McGoldrick played well and Murphy had a chance that he should have at least tested the Wigan keeper but the ball bobbled away off his knee.

The second Town goal was a bit of a breakaway and somewhat scrappy from new loan signing Connor Sammon but showed persistence and good link up play from McGoldrick.Sammon powered his way toward goal and got a favourable bounce off the Wigan keeper trying to save and Sammon had an easy finish then but showed power and persistence to get the goal.

From the 75 minute on Town were under intense pressure and were holding on. Wigan had a series of corners and from one the ball fell to a Wigan player un marked in the penalty area who shot into the crowded goal and the ball was diverted by a Wigan player. Letting the Wigan player be unmarked in the area was a costly mistake.

Town were tired (Bishop went off with cramp and Ambrose came on) but held on for a fine win!

The Town team look to be getting better and are moving up the table now. Keep it up Town!
Next match is against Rotherham.

Town won against Millwall and last Saturday against Brighton…

Well done Town…COME ON YOU BLUES!

I have to admit to becoming somewhat disillusioned with Town after a draw at Birmingham and the home loss to Norwich. The first game, a home win against Fulham, was good and then the team stuttered and didn’t play well and failed to impress or get results. Not good.

So thank goodness they have now just won their last 2 games and kept clean sheets.

Against Brighton, Town scored 2 good goals (Parr and Murphy):

There have been a lot of team changes recently (Cresswell and Nouble have left along with Wordsworth on loan and Parr is in and McGoldrick continues to get back to match fitness and survived a transfer bid from Premiership Leicester City). Town are showing signs of improvement and long may it continue.

The Championship continues to be it’s normal competitive self. Fulham and Blackpool are struggling as are Birmingham. Forest are doing well (and I won’t mention Norwich!) and Charlton have improved and newly promoted Wolves and Brentford are also doing well so far. Yet basically any team are capable of beating anyone on any day in this league and only those that show consistent quality and effort (backed by strength in depth of the squads) stand any chance of getting promotion. The managerial madness continues and look at once mighty and proud Leeds who have suffered and are still having problems on and off the pitch. No club can rest on its laurels and Town are the same.

Town have flattered to deceive over the last two seasons but I cannot deny they have improved after the poor form seen under Roy Keane and Paul Jewell. This is thanks to the steady no nonsense approach of Mick McCarthy.

Town need to really push on this season and the recent sign of a revival is good. This must continue to help the team, me and every Town fan feel better about a club that was once the pride of East Anglia and needs to be in the Premiership! Struggling through and always missing out is demoralising and energy sapping and bad for Town who are a club with ambition and talent even if they have limited resources.

So in Mick’s third season in charge, come on Team and make it third time lucky for that promotion place!
There is a long season ahead but Town have to get results and stay in touch with the leaders otherwise it will be too hard to catch up toward the end of the season. Recent signs are encouraging…

COME ON YOU BLUES…

Last Saturday the new Championship season started after the summer break and Town were at home to Fulham and recorded a home win! ITFC 2 Fulham 1.

Well, the summer break is over and Town have started the new season well with a home win over newly relegated Fulham. There have been several changes at Town during the summer holiday season, not least of which was Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor signing new contracts to stay with the Town for 3 years. On the playing front, some players have left (Scott Loach) and others come in! Normal sort of pre-season stuff!

I didn’t get to the match on Saturday (my son went with his friends) but have seen recorded TV highlights. Apparently it wasn’t a classic match but there were enough positive points for Town especially the result! Daryl Murphy scored the first goal with a fine effort and David McGoldrick scored the second. It is good to see McGoldrick back playing as he missed the end of last season with injury.

Now a long Championship season is ahead! There are plenty of teams looking for promotion places and this is a very competitive league even if the quality is not always the greatest. Town have made a good start and there is plenty of expectation of success and also the derby games against Norwich to look forward to!

TOWN team

01 Gerken
04 Chambers
05 Smith
03 Mings [Booked]
06 Berra [Booked]
19 Hyam [Booked] (Bru – 82′ )
18 Tabb
08 Skuse (Wordsworth – 70′ )
21 Hewitt
14 Bajner (McGoldrick – 44′ )
09 Murphy

Substitutes:
10 McGoldrick 17 Bru 22 Wordsworth 23 Henshall
33 Bialkowski 34 Marriott 35 Nouble

So well done Town and goodluck for the rest of the season!

ITFC 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1

Town end the season with a home win and find themselves in ninth place in the Championship.
First of all well played today to Town. Goals from Smith & Green won the game. It sort of sums up the season that the strikers didn’t get a goal! Specifically Frank Nouble…..anyway,never-mind, with goals from defenders and midfielders this gives the Town team better winning chances!

Play off and relegation places decided

All the issues were decided today and Birmingham just avoided relegation by drawing at Bolton and Doncaster were relegated after losing to champions Leicester. Also relegated are Barnsley and Yeovil. Reading slipped out of the playoffs as they drew against already promoted Burnley. The last promotion place will be contested for by Derby, QPR, Wigan and Brighton in the playoffs.

Once again the Championship shows what a strong league it is with clubs like Reading, Blackburn, Bolton and Ipswich missing out on promotion. It is not decided who is relegated from the Premiership but it could be Cardiff, Fulham and Norwich!

Future thoughts for Town

WELL DONE TOWN……finishing the season with a home win.
Town have had a reasonable season and Mick McCarthy has maintained progress forward with the club and team. All fans and the team had high hopes for this season and it was disappointing Town missed out on a playoff place at least. However, it is clear Town were better this season and this gives me hope for next season and if Town can keep a nucleus of current good players and strengthen with good new players(whether on loan or permanent signings), a play off place or better could be achieved next season?!

It is interesting to reflect on the season and I applaud manager Mick McCarthy for his honesty and effort which has seen Town make progress since he took over.

So thanks to Mick and the team. Have a good off season summer break and get back at it, to try again for promotion in the coming new season starting in August!

Burnley 1 ITFC 0

A defeat away against already promoted Burnley today, meant Town’s outside chance of the sixth play off place failed! Town slip to 10th place after poor results from their last 3 games (Watford, Bournemouth and Burnley…2 points from 9!).

In truth, as Steve Claridge said on BBC Football League show, Town’s defining moment was not in this game or the last 3, but came on Feb 14th, when David McGoldrick got injured and won’t play till next season.

Fair performance at Burnley

Town played reasonably well at Burnley today except for 2 issues. Firstly, they gifted Burnley such a soft goal and secondly they had chances but missed them! That is a recipe for disaster for any team!

Final game of the season..home vs Sheffield Wednesday

Now Town must play well in their last home game of the season and finish the season with a win. This would give all the team and fans encouragement from this season and hope for next season. COME ON YOU BLUES!