Freddie Sears’s 67th minute goal saw Town to a vital 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Portman Road to cut the gap to safety to five points. In atrocious second-half conditions, Sears’s shot deflected past Latics keeper Christian Walton to secure the Blues their first home win since April and only their second victory of the season.

Town boss Paul Lambert named the same team which lost 2-0 at Stoke last weekend. Dean Gerken continued in goal behind centre-halves Matthew Pennington and skipper Luke Chambers with Jonas Knudsen and Jordan Spence the full-backs.

Trevoh Chalobah was the deeper midfielder with Flynn Downes and Jon Nolan ahead of him.

Up front, Jordan Roberts was in the middle with Jack Lankester on the right and Freddie Sears on the left.

For Wigan, ex-Blues loanee Callum Connolly and Will Grigg came into the team for the suspended Kal Naismith and James Vaughan, who dropped to the bench.

Former Blues winger Gary Roberts started with ex-Town striker Joe Garner on the bench and one-time defender Alex Bruce not in the 18.

In freezing and breezy conditions, Town started positively, taking the game to the Latics. An early corner came to nothing but the Blues kept the visitors pinned back in their half in the opening minutes.

On nine, Nolan crossed from the right and the ball reached Knudsen beyond the far post. The Danish international tried a shot but the ball deflected behind off a defender and keeper Walton.

Wigan caused the Blues their first moment of danger on 14 when ex-Blue Roberts chipped a ball behind the Town backline for Will Grigg but too far in front of the Northern Irishman and Gerken claimed.

Roberts, who played for Town during Jim Magilton’s time as boss, sent over a dangerous cross from the left two minutes later but with no one in the box to add the final touch.

But the Blues, with owner Marcus Evans watching, continued to control the game and on 19 Lankester hit a freekick from the right towards goal which was headed away.

A minute later, Josh Windass, subject of a Town enquiry prior to joining the Latics from Rangers in the summer, was sent away into the right of the Town area but sent a low ball beyond Grigg.

There was a big scare for the Blues right on the half-hour mark when Windass and Grigg both somehow failed to get a touch on a cross from the right when they seemed certain to score.

The Latics subsequently had a short spell on top but without seriously threatening again before the Blues regained the ascendency, Lankester just failing to find Sears with a return pass after a swift Town counter-attack in the 36th minute.

A minute later, Sears was sent away on goal towards the right of the box by Roberts’s flick but the ex-West Ham man shot just over Walton’s bar when he might have taken it on a few strides further.

On 42, Town struggled to clear a Wigan corner from the left but the Latics were unable to get a clean sight at goal, Connolly hitting a shot which screwed well wide before Windass took it out of play on the right.

Neither side threatened again before referee Scott Duncan brought a not overly-enthralling half to an end.

The Blues had been on top for most of the period but only rarely creating chances, Sears’s shot over and Knudsen’s effort which was bundled behind the only opportunities of note.

Wigan had looked the more likely scorers when they had the ball in and around the Town are despite having seen less of the ball.

With rain now falling heavily and the wind having grown in strength, Chalobah and Connolly were booked within a minute of each other soon after the restart for catching Cedric Kipre with an arm and pulling back the breaking Lankester respectively.

The start of the second half had been very scruffy with both teams struggling in the conditions but on 59 Wigan went very close to going in front. Reece James picked up a loose ball on the right and smashed a shot which beat Gerken but which struck the bar.

Wigan, who were getting on top, swapped Grigg for Vaughan on 61, then in the aftermath of a corner, Connolly shot over from an angle on the right of the box.

Town made their first change of the afternoon a minute later, Gwion Edwards taking over from Lankester.

The Blues had been second best since the break and the home fans were beginning to become frustrated but in the 67th minute they went ahead in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.

Wigan made heavy weather of clearing a Chalobah cross from the right and the ball was eventually stabbed out to Sears on the edge of the box. The ex-Colchester man’s scuffed shot looked too close to Walton but Lee Evans in front of him diverted it to his right and into the net.

Sears and the rest of his team-mates ran away to celebrate his fifth goal of the season in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

The Latics switched Windass for ex-Blue Garner on 71, then Andre Dozzell took over from Downes for the Blues.

Wigan felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute when Roberts was fouled by Chambers, who was booked, but referee Duncan gave a freekick just outside the box. James’s freekick hit the wall and looped over.

Wigan were handed another set piece in a dangerous position on 77 after Knudsen inadvertently felled Garner but Roberts smashed his freekick deep into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand. Three minutes later, Callum McManaman replaced Nathan Byrne for the Latics.

On 84 Jordan Roberts was very harshly booked after clearly winning the ball as he slid in on James, much to the anger of the Town support who booed loudly.

Conditions if anything had deteriorated further as the half had progressed making life particularly tough for both defences.

In the 86th minute the Blues struggled to clear their lines and were fortunate that Connolly headed McManaman’s cross from the right over the bar.

A minute later, Wigan were awarded another freekick not far outside the area - hardly the first which was debatable - when Chalobah was adjudged to have fouled Vaughan. James took the freekick and Gerken saved well down to his left.

There was further danger from the corner, Gerken saving Connolly’s initial header, then following a scramble grabbing on to McManaman’s low shot through a crowd of players.

Kayden Jackson took over from Roberts prior to the fourth official holding up a board announcing seven additional minutes, much to the surprise of everyone in the ground.

Dan Burn was booked for fouling Dozzell as the Blues broke, then seconds before the whistle Vaughan clattered into Gerken Nat Lofthouse-style as the keeper claimed a high ball causing the former Colchester man to collide with the post. The Wigan sub surprisingly avoided a card.

Moments later, the incident was all but forgotten as referee Duncan ended the match and confirmed the first win of the Paul Lambert era, the Blues’ first home victory of the season, their second overall of the campaign and only their third at Portman Road in 2018. It was their first win to nil in 23 matches.

Skipper Chambers’s post-match fist pump has rarely been cheered so loudly and with such relief.

It was as hard fought a win as they come in atrocious conditions in the second half when it was impossible to play football.

Having got their goal at a time when Wigan were on top, the Blues dug in and battled for the remaining half hour - including the overlong injury time - to claim a crucial three points.

The win and results elsewhere - most notably Rotherham’s 1-1 draw at home to Reading claimed in the final minute - sees the Blues cut the gap to safety to only five points plus goal difference with fourth-placed Sheffield United at Portman Road next Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Spence, Chambers (c), Pennington, Knudsen, Chalobah, Downes (Dozzell 72), Nolan, Lankester (Edwards 62), Sears, Roberts. Unused: Bialkowski, Jackson, Bishop, Nsiala, Dozzell, Kenlock. Att: 14,640 (Wigan: 310).

Wigan: Walton, James, Kipre, Burn, Connolly, Morsy (c), Evans, Byrne (McManaman 80), Windass (Garner 71), Roberts, Grigg (Vaughan 60). Unused: Jones, Gibson, Massey, Dunkley. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland).

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 12:04 - Dec 16 i woke up in the middle of the night and first thing i thought of was that WE WON !. COYB, a bit more belief,work and luck, some strengthening in January and we will be safe ! quite a Christmas list , but hey ho,ho ho ho ..
2

thundercat600 added 13:08 - Dec 16 Watching the highlights we were 2nd best for most of this game with our defence running around like a bunch of headless chickens, why are we giving away so many free kicks at the edge of the box. Without a doubt we have to bring in some quality players in January as thats one thing that we are lacking in our club at the moment
1

Dissboyitfc added 16:28 - Dec 16 Thunder cat... highlights can be deceiving , we were much the better side in the first half, totally dominated it!
2

Dissboyitfc added 16:36 - Dec 16 Although I do agree our fullbacks are like headless chickens!
2

budgieplucker added 16:57 - Dec 16 We actually did play some good possession based football in the first half and whilst I think PL maybe be stretching his view a little about the brilliant football being played we are definitely showing an improvement on the ball apart from in the last third. Roberts had a good couple of games up top against Preston and Reading but yesterday as in some of the more recent games was completely dominated by the central defence and even when he managed to receive the ball he couldn't hold onto it. Second half we were awful but so was the conditions. The highlights do not show or do any justice to our domination of possession in the first half, but other than our piece of luck for FreddieS goal Wigan created the more threat in the last third. I was yelling at Knudsen time and again for being clumsily stupid on more than one occasion, at times it looked as if we were just destined to give away an equaliser with clumsy play and challenges on the 18 yard line and the ref didn't need much of an excuse to give something against us. So it was a relief when the finals whistle went. Definitely need a strong centre forward in January, Would like to see Marshal brought in as earlier mentioned on the forum today. We need far more punch up front, Jack Lankester looks very promising but as PL says it is unfair on the youngsters to take the responsibility for keeping us up. I see Bish , Andre and Jack mainly adding energy from the bench in the second half of the season, although I can see PL rotating Flynn (who I thought had a solid game yesterday and starting to show some signs of consistency) and Trevo Chalobah who in spells also looked good yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised to see 2 experience midfielders join us on loan. Which might restrict Trevo's Opportunities especially if we add 3 loans to the side in January. We have to go again at home next Saturday with essentially the same bunch of players against a very good Sheffield side, I am not sure where the goals are going to come from specially if Freddie is singled out for special treatment. I would take 2 points over the next two matches to start an unbeaten run but 4 or 6 would be lovely but I don't think even Santa can deliver that for us. If we can stay unbeaten until the reinforcements arrive then hopefully we remain in site of the bottom 4. I actually think next week against Sheffield United will prove

2

blueboy1981 added 18:25 - Dec 16 Just to temper enthusiasm slightly, and perhaps a spoonful of medication is in order:- We WON - GREAT. But what we must not lose sight of, to avoid any possible disappointment further down the line, are the facts as follows :- At Home. One Shot on Target - but it resulted in a GOAL. (a Winning Goal too ). The above against a very poor Wigan team. We have to be better than this, much better in fact, roll on the 'recruitment' in January - because it's not looking euphoric, just yet. Enjoy the WIN - a stepping stone in the right direction.

2

Gcon added 19:28 - Dec 16 Thundercat - "Watching the highlights we were second best for most of the game". Most of the game does not feature in the highlights. And therefore highlights paint a very distorted view. Do come along, it's not great but you do get most of the game...
2

Razor added 10:58 - Dec 17 Yup its been a brilliant week-end highlighted of course by that brilliant win. Dont think we should criticise anybody in these (rare) circumstances, but lets not forget Gerks who made 2 brilliant saves towards the end. Lets raise the roof on Saturday to beat the "scum of the north" and then we can all enjoy Crimbo!!
1

Blogs 296 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls