Lucas Joao’s 90th minute goal saw Sheffield Wednesday to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road. Wednesday spurned a number of chances but Town were on top and starting to create opportunities when Owls sub Joao turned home Adam Reach’s cross from the right.

Blues skipper Luke Chambers and fellow centre-half James Collins both missed out due to injury, neither of which are understood to significant knocks.

In their absence Matthew Pennington and Toto Nsiala started at the heart of the defence with new loanee James Bree making his Blues debut at right-back and Myles Kenlock at left-back.

In midfield, stand-in captain Cole Skuse was behind Flynn Downes and Teddy Bishop, who scored a hat-trick for the U23s on Monday.

Collin Quaner started as the central striker with Alan Judge on the left and Freddie Sears on the right.

Trevoh Chalobah and Will Keane were on the bench alongside Josh Emmanuel, who was involved in the Town team for the first time since the final day of the 2016/17 season having returned from his loan spell at Shrewsbury.

Callum Elder was the loanee who missed out on a place in the matchday squad with only five of the six permitted in the 18.

For the Owls, who had new manager Steve Bruce in charge for the first time, striker Fernando Forestieri made his first start since November, while central defender Michael Hector was back in the team having been ineligible for last week’s FA Cup defeat to his parent club Chelsea.

The game started scruffily but with the Blues on top, taking the game to the visitors and trying to get their passing football going.

On 10, following a corner, Judge sent the ball back in to the far post and Pennington headed wide.

A minute later at the other end, Forestieri smashed a snapshot well over from distance after the ball had broken to him.

One or two feisty Wednesday challenges flew in, particularly on Bishop and Judge, and Town won several early freekicks, while the Irishman slid in to make a number of tackles himself showing no signs of concern regarding the injury which kept him out for so long.

The Owls had shown little in the early stages but in the 18th minute they went close to going in front.

Steven Fletcher was found at the far post on the left in space by Michael Hector but Bartosz Bialkowski saved his shot with his leg. Kenlock cleared but only reached Barry Bannan, but the Scotland international’s low strike was blocked by Nsiala.

Moments later, Bishop skipped past his man at the other end but misread Quaner’s run and the danger was cleared.

The academy product was beginning to get more involved with his running with the ball causing Wednesday problems.

Town appeared to be growing in confidence and just after the half hour, following another Bishop run, Sears struck a low shot from distance on the right wide.

Despite the Blues having been on top, the Owls should have gone ahead in the 38th minute.

After a shot had deflected out to Morgan Fox, the former Town schoolboy’s low ball across the six-yard box was somehow diverted over the bar from a matter of feet by Adam Reach. The ex-Boro man will wonder quite how he failed to score.

Moments later, Forestieri nodded over from Liam Palmer’s cross from the right, then at the other end Bishop got his head to Judge’s under-hit freekick from the right but scuffed his attempt well wide.

On 42 Forestieri was found in space on the right of the box and Bialkowski batted away his strike. The Blues repeatedly made heavy weather of clearing but eventually the danger subsided.

Just before the end of the scheduled 45 minutes, Town won yet another freekick in the Wednesday half, Forestieri having fouled Quaner. The Owls failed to deal with Judge’s ball into the box from the left, an improvement on his earlier efforts, but eventually referee Oliver Langford gave the visitors a freekick.

That was the last action of a not overly-enthralling half in which Town had played most of the football but Wednesday had had much the better of the few chances.

New Owls boss Bruce will have gone off wondering how Reach had failed to give his team the lead, while Bialkowski had been the busier of the two keepers.

Town’s best moments going forward came from Bishop bringing the ball forward but so far without creating a clear-cut opportunity. The Blues had also failed to make enough of the numerous freekicks the Owls had conceded in potentially dangerous positions.

Five minutes after the restart Forestieri’s chip from the right of the box looped harmlessly to Bialkowski’s right with Wednesday having had marginally the better of the early exchanges.

Sam Hutchinson was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 54th minute for shoving Quaner into a hoarding as the striker burst past him round the outside as the Blues broke.

The German frontman, on loan for the rest of the season from Huddersfield, was swapped for Keane a minute later with the game increasingly being played in the Wednesday half.

Just after hour mark Bannan was yellow-carded for a foul on Bishop, before the Owls missed another golden chance to go in front.

Nsiala left a ball through to Bialkowski not realising Forestieri was behind him and onside according to the officials. The Argentinian looked certain to score but blazed wildly over. It was another fortunate escape for the Blues.

After Downes had been somewhat surprisingly booked for what referee Langford deemed a foul, Wednesday switched one-time Blues target George Boyd for on-loan Spurs man Josh Onomah.

Nsiala did well to force Forestieri wide after a Skuse slip on 68, then three minutes later Wednesday had another opportunity to go in front.

Forestieri was sent away on the left behind the Town offside trap by Hector but scraped wide when he either should have scored himself or cut across the area to Fletcher, who was immediately replaced by Joao.

Chalobah replaced Bishop, who had tired after an excellent first half, in the 74th minute as Judge prepared to take a freekick on the right. The Irishman sent in a dangerous ball which eventually fell to Downes, who shot not too far wide.

The Blues threatened again two minutes later when, after a patient move, Skuse cleverly flicked to Keane, who fed Judge on the edge of the box but the former Brentford man shot over.

Wednesday subsequently put the Blues under pressure with Nsiala making an important blocking challenge inside the box, then Bialkowski claimed a high ball into the area at the second attempt.

On 79 Judge played a superb pass from the left into the path of Bree breaking on the right. The new signing sent over a low cross towards Keane, who had made a significant impression having come off the bench, but a defender just got across to turn behind. Following the corner, the ball broke to Bree but the on-loan Villa man shot well over.

Town forced Keiren Westwood into his first save of the afternoon in the 84th minute, Chalobah heading Judge’s corner into the ground and goalwards but without enough power to cause a problem for the Irish international, who lost his grip on the ball initially but reclaimed as Pennington went after the rebound and caught him in the head.

Rolando Aarons, who joined the Owls on loan from Newcastle on Thursday, took over from Forestieri four minutes from the scheduled end.

On 88 Keane headed a Judge cross from the right goalwards but without the power to beat Westwood, then in the final scheduled minute the South Yorkshiremen took the lead.

Town felt Hector’s challenge on Keane on halfway had been a foul, and the on-loan Chelsea man had appeared to go in with both feet, but referee Langford waved play on.

Hector played the ball wide to Reach, who burst round the outside of Kenlock and cut back to unmarked sub Joao, who turned home. It was the Portuguese striker's third goal against the Blues this season having netted both goals in the Owls' 2-1 victory over Town at Hillsborough in August.

Blues keeper-coach Jimmy Walker was yellow-carded for dissent in injury time after a foul on Hector had been awarded against Keane, although probably more through frustration.

Ellis Harrison took over from Downes for the final few seconds in which the Blues got one or two crosses into the box without being able to cause the Wednesday defence any problems. But there was to be no equaliser before referee Langford blew his whistle to boos, aimed towards the official rather than the Blues.

The Wednesday winner came at a time when Town had looked to be in the ascendency and for the first time were starting to create chances, although a 0-0 draw appeared to be the most likely outcome at that stage.

However, over the 90 minutes they couldn’t really complain about the result with the Owls having failed to take a succession of chances with Forestieri missing gilt-edged opportunities in addition to Reach’s first half howler.

Town continued to pass the ball far more than was previously the case but all too often without getting into dangerous areas with their only serious chances coming in the later stages and mainly from Judge’s set pieces, which improved as the game wore on with Wednesday giving away plenty of freekicks in dangerous positions throughout.

But overall, they don’t present enough of a threat going forwards and give far too many opportunities - particularly today with their makeshift and at times very shaky backline - to their opposition.

With Millwall and Rotherham drawing 0-0, the gap to safety stretches to eight points plus goal difference with 16 left to play and League One football next season looks an ever more certain outcome.

The Blues are next in action next Sunday in the East Anglian derby against Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Town: Bialkowski, Bree, Pennington, Nsiala, Kenlock, Skuse, Downes (Harrison 90), Bishop (Chalobah 74), Sears, Judge, Quaner (Keane 55). Unused: Gerken, Nolan, Dozzell, Emmanuel.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer, Lees, Hector, Fox, Hutchinson, Bannan, Reach, Boyd (Onomah 65), Forestieri (Aarons 86), Fletcher. Unused: Dawson, Pelupessy, Thornley, Nuhiu. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands). Att: 16,888 (Wednesday: 1,713).

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 21:03 - Feb 2 for next weeks game i think PL should start team selection ,from the keeper with the strongest back !
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ITFCsince73 added 21:06 - Feb 2 Agree dirty. But in our case the strongest back still equals a poor back.
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Carberry added 21:18 - Feb 2 Blueboy, you probably didn't notice but Norwich benefited from parachute payments. If you miss-manage your business and it fails is no one allowed to criticise you if they can't suggest an alternative owner? Evans is responsible, and incapable because his business plan doesn't work as he can see from the table. He is a failed owner, pure and simple.
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warktheline added 21:21 - Feb 2 Lambert,just like McCarthy, is attempting to 'unearth' rough diamonds ! Been here before, and 'those' using Norwich as an example, get real, would our very own 'quiet man' go out and put the likes of Pukki in a blue shirt! 😂.....dream on!
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BrettenhamBlue added 21:22 - Feb 2 I have so many poor memories of supporting Town. But this season is easily the worst. From a personal level, my nephews both switched at end of last season from Ipswich to Norwich as they were fed up of the boring football under MM. Enter this season and my own son switched allegiance after only a couple of games under the new regime. My stomach churned at both decisions but I hoped this side would prove my nephews and my son wrong. Ever since this ITFC squad has only let me down over and over again. Meanwhile, celebrations are taking place up the road. I have never felt so let down by this team. Every week I feel humiliation and tell myself that it's only a game, there's more to life than football, but it still hurts. Bad decision after bad decision by the club, when are they going to realise that it's about quality of players not quantity? I don't even think this team is ready for league 1 next season and will struggle, whatever team we play.The only glimmer of hope I have this season is that Norwich slip up, end up in the play-offs.

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warktheline added 21:26 - Feb 2 Personally fully prepared to 'lay off' Lambert until October ( div 1 ) but as I said when he was appointed, many uncharted and choppy waters to navigate just till end of season, and there's no doubting he's struggling where it matters most!
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tractorollson added 21:31 - Feb 2 New players, same old story. Give PL till end of season then start afresh in League One
3

northessex_blue added 21:32 - Feb 2 Was hopeful for today but just don't get the one up front. All 8 of us predicted the result as soon as it was announced. Really thought we would get out of this under the new management but sadly now thrown the towel in. Where the hell has this gone so wrong!?!?
4

del45 added 23:10 - Feb 2 Our forwards could not hit a barn door.
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Dissboyitfc added 00:01 - Feb 3 Debsyangel...Nothing was brilliant about our play over the first 45 minutes, Bish had a good first 45 and keane looked ok when he came on, other than that the word woeful springs to mind!
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westernblue added 00:15 - Feb 3 Perhaps as a seemingly deluded football fan who wants to enjoy both the modern game and his team, I thought that Paul Hurst would bring an improvement, and then thought the same about Paul Lambert. Overall, we have mostly played better football this season - better, anyway, than the desperately dull fare on offer the past few seasons. But otherwise the picture is more negative - the tactical sterility has if anything got worse. We have struggled for instance at full back (again) all season. So why not try 3 at the back and use wing backs? - that would especially suit Kenlock (or even Elder) and probably now Emmanuel (or Donacien pre-loaning back to Stanley). In midfield, Bishop (such a talent) should surely be a regular starter, and now we have Judge then in order to maximise his influence he must surely be more central. Few strikers at this level make for natural midfielders. So especially in our present plight Sears if he plays at all should partner Keane, or Harrison merits an extended run - though when fit preferably Lankester. Dual strikers at least would offer greater threat than the present system can. We are likely to be relegated, so if if we are allowed to look for a miracle the only hope surely is to try 3-5-2 or even 4-4-2. But one up front? No chance. Lambert needs to take a long hard look at his inflexible tactical approach. Consistency can often be justified, but it is not an absolute value, especially with results as bad as they are. As a Town fan in a mixed family with Norwich City fans I look forward to next week's game still with expectation but with little hope.

5

jackson added 00:17 - Feb 3 ITFC were awful today - they played suicide football, passing the ball around their own area with nobody seeming to want to move forward. Odd occasions they did try to advance through midfield they were either cut out easily or simply gave the ball away. They were bloody terrible. Sheff Wed are a very average team at best, yet we made them look like Brazil - You can only forgive so much and this crock thoroughly deserve the drop.

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shakytown added 01:56 - Feb 3 If there has ever been a worse team in professional football I would hate to see them. Absolutely no team work at all. All the players just ball watching rather than supporting each other and moving into space. i'm starting to think Lambert is just all p..s and wind as we have not improved one little bit at all.
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TonyHumesIpswich added 05:13 - Feb 3 Relegation Battle? More like Relegation Capitualtion. Never in my wildest dreams thought ITFC would roll out the white flag so easily. Bravery, Determination, Pride? Missing in this squad. A relegation battle requires a fight, not this. Can see us sinking right to the bottom of league 1 next season.
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raycrawfordswig added 07:03 - Feb 3 Sleep walking into oblivion.
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stevelincsexile added 08:24 - Feb 3 Now woken up and have had time to reflect. I have supported town for 50 years, I make the 300 mile round trip as yesterday I go to away matches I've supported them across Europe and I have spent thousands doing this so I feel I have a right to voice my opinion, that performance was absolute crap!
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chalky added 08:28 - Feb 3 In truth, Lambert's record is no better than Hurst's. The policy of playing a lone striker up front at home is absurd, and if Lambert persists with it beyond the frontiers of common sense, then I for one, won't mind if he too gets shown the door. There's an unprecedented air of depression and resignation around Portman Road at the moment and I cannot remember such widespread criticism even in the worst days under John Duncan. For heaven's sake let's at least go down fighting. To have to wait until the 83rd minute at home before we have a shot on target is contrary to the whole ethos of the club as preached by Robson, Lyall and Burley.

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Ipstones added 08:48 - Feb 3 Simply very poor ! An inability to score at this level or any other will leave you looking at relegation... the big worry for me is league 2 is far more realist than bouncing back to the championship anytime soon ! And yes we are down and have been since we let our attacking threat leave ! We are doomed ! Watched a fair bit of national league football over the years and all teams play with heart and passion and try to grind out wins! In the premier and football league you see a different story. The top half of each league bar prem are on a par with the lower half of the league above . So you get teams stagnate and just seem happy to be where they are. Ipswich town unfortunately are not even in that position they are in a big hole and I personally worry where the bottom is !! Breaks my heart !

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Swn98 added 09:03 - Feb 3 Reading all the warbling bleating and usual match by match change of opinion and who to blame next blah blah do i detect that perhaps you didn't get what you wished for?
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Cakeman added 09:14 - Feb 3 The club have and are continuing to let down us supporters. I do not think they realise the effort some put in to support the club even during arguably its direst hour. My wife and I were speaking to an elderly Gentleman yesterday pre-match in Legends. It was quite an eye opener. The Gentlemen came on his own from near Swindon and he had a walking stick and was clearly struggling to walk to his seat let alone making a round trip of around 300 miles. Not only that he has been doing this for nearly forty years. He said he would have to take a combination of overground and underground trains plus public buses and he was not expecting to get home until around 10pm. We asked why he continued to do this and his reply was along the lines of its his club and his day out which he looks forward to every game. For goodness sake ITFC wake up and look after the supporters before you lose more than you may think!

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CornishMariner added 09:26 - Feb 3 My third match attended under PL and yesterday was the worst. Having been very enthusiastic about PL's start at itfc I am beginning to worry about his one-dimensional tactics and leaving substitutions too late. If Sheffield Wednesday were better at finishing it would have been 0-3. Draws are not good enough so cannot understand the lack of a gamble for the last 1/4 of the match. When you are freezing cold on the North Stand, you just want some attempts on goal - if we lost 3:1 we would have at least had a goal to celebrate.

7

MadDog added 10:04 - Feb 3 I think Evans has his perfect manager. He says all the right things, appreciates the fans but unfortunately doesn't play any better football or set up to attack at home. I know it was a bad refereeing decision that allowed them to score their goal but they missed 3 sitters & we didn't have a shot on target!! That was the last chance saloon & we never looked like winning!! Sad times indeed!!

8

karls_dad added 10:12 - Feb 3 Hi i once again ventured down to Portman rd yesterday. And having read all the on the game comments! But these are are few of my observations away from the game itself, i think enough has been said on what actually happened on the pitch! I grew up in Luton, my father was a steward at LTFC, so I would spend many a game with him, this was way back in the sixties! Oh yes a long time ago! Sitting there yesterday in the disabled section i reflected back onto my experiences as a child and those of the day in that bitterly cold wind! We arrived early and headed for the fanzone, bought a coffee from the little red Citreon van outside and headed inside, the coffee was lovely, really good! But terribly disappointed that once inside the marquee it was freezing, absolutely no heating that i could see, hmm I thought, they could have made some form of effort on such a bitterly cold day, so I sat there for some time cuddling my nice coffee! We then headed over to the hot food van by the gate, got fleeced for a couple of burgers which ultimately went straight in the bin! Stale rolls, cold burgers, absolutely disgusting, never mind we will get something at half time! So into the ground as went, yes the stewards were great, helpful, caring, they could not do more! I should add that i have a serious spinal injury and terminal Cancer, so a visit is a huge thing for me! We sat there waiting for the game to begin and once again my thoughts wandered back to my childhood! How Luton FC looked and how I remembered it, immediately it struck me that Town must be the only Club in the Championship with wooden painted advertising boards all around the pitch? All looking very old and weathered, also where is the big screen for playback and coverage of the game? It all looked very dated and again I thought back to my childhood! The players were soon to exit the tired looking tunnel with the kids holding the flags, my oh my! Just how old are those flags? Faded, worn, dirty, and way past there best! I was somewhat ashamed to see them! Is this the best we can do I asked my nephew? Half-time came and off as went to the refreshment bar, or shed! Which it resembles, we stood in the queue and once again I reflected back to being a 7 year old sent by my father for tea and a Mars bar for me, it was a time warp moment! The fayre on offer was minimul! A choice of a hot pie, a bag of crisps , or a couple chocolate bars! The coffee I had tried before so steered clear of that, so it was tea or hot chocolate, i opted for the latter, the most modern thing in the shed! No other word for it! Was the cash register! I had to ask myself so what has changed in 55 years? Very little! The entire Club is totally evident of years of lack of investment, it's plain to see! I was quite ashamed of it all, this is my club, my team, been a supporter for longer than I can remember, the fans have been ripped off, fleeced at every opportunity! It was a sad day for me apart from losing in the 90th minute. So next time you visit Portman rd, just take a look around, we are so much behind even division 3 and even 4 clubs it's unreal! We deserve to be relegated, due to ME,s lack of investment, if he can,t or won,t improve basic facilities, buy a few new flags, get some decent revenue in by having a little technology with electronic advertising just what chance have we got? These are very sad times, for me? It really does not matter too much as I will very unlikely see us play in a lower tier, i just won,t be around! But it's heart breaking all the same! The once mighty ITFC brought down by one man's greed and lack of vision! Well that's it, i have said my bit, i rarely post, but these are my thoughts, i shudder to think just what will happen next Sunday, i,m not sure I dare watch it, a symbolic day beckons, but fair play to all those that will make the trip! Les.

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warktheline added 10:49 - Feb 3 @karls dad, great post, reflective and a 'naked' insight into Evans grim reign! Wishing you all the best!
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:08 - Feb 3 Next week will be a nightmare , we will have fans there ,but i doubt if they really have the stomach for it now.I just hope those that do go dont get drawn into any trouble, things are bad enough we dont need it. ITFC fans can still be the Pride of East Anglia if the team cant .
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