Town fell to an embarrassing 4-1 home defeat to First Division opposition as an excellent second half City performance won the day. Town had had the better of the first half, but City went in one-up after Berkovic had made the best of a dubiously awarded corner.

With Mark Venus out Titus Bramble returned to the defence while Chris Makin failed to recover from his virus and Fabian Wilnis came in at right-back. In midfield Sixto Peralta played in the middle with Matt Holland while Jermaine Wright was wide on the right and Reuser on the left.

The first serious attack of the game was City's but Hermann Hreidarsson cut out a through ball to Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Holland hit a shot goalward on four, after Wilnis had crossed deep for Stewart and the ball had been cleared.

Andy Marshall was in action for the first time on five as Wilnis was dispossessed by Benabia. He played the ball to Huckerby who hit a shot which was little trouble for the Town keeper.

Richard Dunne went well wide on 10 after a freekick was played to him across the box. Bramble had been penalised for a foul on Goater.

On 13 Marcus Stewart had his first go at goal, but his shot went well over after Bent had knocked down to him.

Two minutes later Wright-Phillips hit a shot wide after Bernabia played him in on the right of the box.

Graham Poll got his yellow card out for the first time on 18 as Dunne clattered into Bent by the corner flag. Town's freekick came to little.

Town had a gilt-edged chance on 24 as Stewart played in Reuser through the middle. The Dutchman seemed certain to score but scuffed his shot wide of Weaver's goal. It was a poor miss from a player who supporters expect more of in front of goal.

Within two minutes Stewart played in Bent on the right and he hit a deep cross on to Reuser's head but he again failed to beat Weaver. Town were creating the chances, but they weren't going in.

On 28 Matt Holland got to the byline and put in a cross which hit a City player. From the corner the ball fell to Peralta at the edge of the area and he hit his shot over. Town were very dominant but the goal didn't seem to want to come.

Marshall made a save from Goater on 32 after the City striker had got away from Bramble on the left. Two minutes later Bramble deflected a Bernabia shot over, but the Algerian was offside.

Graham Poll hadn't exactly impressed the Town support up to now but his next decision was to anger them all the more. A cross came in from the left which was sent skywards by a defender. Weaver and McGreal challenged for the ball with the keeper eventually diving on to the ball, but taking it outside of his box. Immediately Graham Poll blew his whistle and with the Town fans and players expecting a freekick to Town and more than likely a red card for the keeper gave a freekick to the away side. With no decision being made until after Weaver took the ball out of the area Mr Poll appeared to bottle the decision.

Referee Poll's relationship with the Town fans was to worsen. First Holland appeared to be pushed by Wright-Phillips from a McGreal cross then City were awarded a dodgy corner. Bernabia tried to cross from the left, but the ball hit Jensen and went out. Graham Poll, stood just yards away, saw this as a corner despite fierce protest from the Town players.

Inevitably this ended in a goal. Bernabia took the corner deep and Berkovic hit a powerful volley from the edge of the area into the top right-hand corner of Andy Marshall's goal. The anti-Graham Poll songs grew in volume.

Half-time came with Town supporters feeling they had had the best of it and aggrieved at the nature of the City goal. The Blues had had the majority of the chances, but they had failed to take them, Reuser being the most guilty.

No subs at half-time, but City came out the better. McGreal did well early on to dispossess Wright-Phillips after a fine run from Berkovic on the right.

A minute later Marshall was out quickly to smother as Goater was played in by Bernabia. The ball rebounded out to Huckerby whose effort was cleared off the line by Bramble. His clearance hit Goater and went out for a goalkick. It was a warning for Town.

City went close again when Huckerby headed a Pearce cross just by the post. George Burley decided that he needed to switch things two minutes later and he brought on Clapham for Reuser. The Dutchman had failed to make much of an impression, his two first half misses aside.

City were having by far the best of it with Bernabia looking impressive and on 64 it was he who put Goater through to put City further ahead.

The Algerian slipped the ball beyond the Town defence and Goater ran through and placed the ball past Marshall. It was all City deserved as Town had failed to get their passing going at all in the second half, had lost posession frequently and had failed to win the ball back. George Burley dcided to throw more men forward and off came Wilnis for Armstrong who went up front with Bent playing in a slightly more withdrawn role.

Two minutes later City had a chance to go even further ahead. McGreal played an inexplicable ball to Berkovic on the edge of the area and the Israeli hit a shot high and wide.

Town were all over the place, particularly at the back, while up front there was little cohesion between Bent and Stewart, who still looks a long way from his true self. The midfield lacked an anchor and a playmaker, filling the role that Bernabia was for City.

On 69 Clapham hit a shot well wide after Stewart had knocked the ball down to him. A minute later Armstrong had an even better chance when Bent put in a deep cross from the left and Armstrong headed over when he should have done much, much better.

Town were pulling themselves into it more, though and on 71 they came close to getting a goal back. A Clapham corner from the right was headed back across goal by Hreidarsson. Peralta got a flick on it and Weaver pushed it away to Stewart who hit it first time on to the bar.

On 75 Bernabia blotted his copybook a touch by getting himself booked for a blatant dive on the Ipswich left. With eleven minutes left on the click George Burley brought on another attacking option. Off came Hreidarsson and on Ulrich Le Pen for his second appearance in a Town shirt.

Three minutes later Le Pen was involved as Town finally got that goal back. The Frenchman played the ball inside to Armstrong, he played it across towards Bent who left it to Stewart, ran round, waited for Stewart to lay it off and hammered the ball beyond Weaver.

Town were back in it and quickly almost had a second. Jermaine Wright, by now at right-back, crossed from deep on the right towards Alun Armstrong who headed straight at the keeper.

But the comeback was shortlived. Bernabia found an unmarked Huckerby on the edge of the area with Jermaine Wright the guilty man. Huckerby hit a shot which Marshall saved but sent up into the air. The ball fell to Goater who headed home to seal the result.

Town continued to push forward in the late stages and Armstrong had another chance when he ought to have at least got a shot on target, but he dallied and City dispossessed him.

As so often when a side is behind and pushing forwards, Town conceded another goal late on. City cleared from deep and Huckerby ran down the middle unchallenged, rounded Marshall and slid the ball home.

The FA Cup dream over for another year. A poor second half performance saw Town fail to build on the good work in the first half where a number of chances should have seen the Blues ahead. Town lacked bite in central midfield and failed to hold the ball, allowing City to run the game. At the back the change in personnel told in the second half, particularly when Jermaine Wright went to full-back. Up front Stewart was certainly not himself while Armstrong and Reuser were particularly guilty of bad misses. Had Reuser taken his he could have had the game sewn up by half-time.

The cup was never a priority for Town, but this was certainly not the result or performance, particularly in the second half, that was required. Bent's goal was the only highlight on a night which George Burley's men will want to forget.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls