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prebbs007 added 22:28 - Mar 8
2-0 up against relegated team and throw it away. We're a joke and that's why we have no chance. Huge opportunity tonight to go 6th with game in hand. Idiots !!!
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mow_the_lawn added 22:52 - Mar 8
Game was lost on 2 mistakes - 1st being Bart's punch (after playing well) when it looked like he could've either caught it or at least got better distance on it as I think he managed to get both fists on it, and the 2nd was Niles's decision to shield a ball that wasn't going out when he could've hooked it down the line and been celebrating in 10 seconds time, and then his inexperience/lack of intelligence to wildly slide at a player running into the box. I wouldn't blame Bart, he's been keeping us in games, I do blame Niles though. His attitude and naivety is costing us now without bringing us much attackingly.
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Mullet added 23:29 - Mar 8
A sombre air filled the neoclassical footballing cathedral that is the Macron, as a beautiful rendition of 'Abide with me' paid tribute to those lost in the Burnden Park tragedy 70 years ago was observed by both sets of fans magnificently. The home side clad in a deep navy as tribute may already be sunk as far as most are concerned, but Town again in hazardous orange struggled too much, too often tonight to pull in the other direction.

Douglas came back in for Hyam in the only change to the line up. The formation however, was a familiar back five, and clear front two but a midfield baggy and indistinct. With Foley sitting behind Douglas and two wingers with centralising tendencies, Town spent most of the opening being blown across the park, misshapen and likely to split at any time under immense Bolton pressure.

Despite Feeney being their only real outlet, Town failed to get a touch on the ball until Bart took a goal kick. One time rumoured target Pratley meeting the ball in open space barely yards out after the #7 peeled away down the left flank only to shank the finish high and wide.

Again and again Ipswich seemed happy to let the opposition start the game only to join in much later, usually when they got within 25 yards of goal. The defence slamming shut likely a stiffening trap numerous times. With Bart dominant and the full backs under pressure from a team who played with lots of pace and width but little belief, the midfield bar Pringle seemed to be having a battle of who could do less. Sloppy passes and slow turnovers left the attackers isolated and feeding off scraps.

If football was played on paper neither side would be where they are in the table, but as Bolton contrived to miss not once but twice in the same move from yards out, or struggle to beat their man in the air or at the byline Town were giving Sears and Pitman a near impossible task. The two maestros expected to recreate the renaissance with watercolour intentions and lumpen play-dough balls pinged over and across the dirt in their general direction for much of the first half.

When Pringle messed up a corner, Foley gave him a second chance from deep, a lesser deflection this time fell in the box and was knocked down to Bru. The Frenchman produced something more than fancy as his instep pinged the ball back across the goal past everyone into the top of the net. A finer goal you'll rarely see, it contrasted both his and Town's performance so far.

With the home side drilling balls into Berra and off Bart twice for a double shot of excellent saves yet again, before the half came to an end; it caused much mirth in the Franking Sense Stand amongst the 500 Town fans that we were leading despite such golden chances to pull away for Wanderers.

As Town suffered heavy knocks to both Pringle and Bru, the ref who looked a little boy lost in the middle of a swirling but largely terrible game failed to pick up on the simplest of cues time and again. An undeserved lead as both teams filed off, the only hope that Mick's response might shock a few into being as electric as the players at either end of the pitch.

Bolton came again, and Town were happy to suppress and stroke the ball around a little too often. As the unintelligible shape of the away side arced in and out from the sidelines like an accordion for long periods of play. Bru was replaced by Varney, the Mauritian despite his goal a poodle in this dogfight. Almost immediately Reg showed that running and chasing were much more effective warning the Trotters to stay on their toes.

McCarthy soon rested Foley who failed to dazzle at point of a central diamond and melted away in the meleé of battle. On came Hyam and Town were a much less wobbly and more defined 433.

Again the suspicion that the ref wasn't just weak but clueless mounted. Pringle and Varney had both been chopped down from behind without a freekick given. The introduction of Madine from Lennon had seen any pretence to get the ball down and run at Town abandoned. All the territorial success it had given hadn't really translated into what the home side probably deserved.

While Madine soon became bandaged around the head, the leading frontman clattered both Smith and Berra in the head needlessly during the remainder of the game. Mick opted to replace the guile of Pringle for the speed of Maitland-Niles, as is the modern way his final change was to shift his loans about and see if it paid off.

Finally Town won a decision and a freekick on the left hand side. The young Gunner fired a beautiful effort to the far post and Berra finished it with deadly accuracy. It was a classic goal from McCarthy's 2014 vintage. Immediately we tasted the bitterness all too familiar with his 2016 crop. The celebrations had barely died down as a ball was again whipped across goal and a rare lapse from Bart saw a weak mistimed punch trickle to Lawrie Wilson. The right back, put Bolton just that and lashed home from outside the box with a creditable finish.

Nerves shredded, as any hope of football as we know it went out with the battle-plans. Both sides heaved and humped for the remainder of the game. Bart collected again on the line as a header from barely yards out went right at him. Pitman then attracted the ire of the home fans for having the temerity to beat his man, so conclusively in fact the left back laid down presumably from shame. Unsure of his offence, the ref dithered for so long he gave Bolton a throw for putting the ball out to distract us all.

The resultant restart saw Pitman and Spearing clash and bundle to the floor. As the striker got back up the scouser shoved him down to the turf. A clear two hands to the chest. He only saw red once however as bafflingly the ref waved a yellow card around to everyone's confusion.

With the game finely balanced and Town's getaway bus warming up outside the ground, Lennon through on an Arsenal kid of his own. Welling Silva's first contribution was to tear into the box and dive to the floor, even more blatantly than the powderpuff Clough did in the opening minutes nearly two hours previously. An obvious and silly booking.

History would repeat itself as we entered the 7th minute of stoppage time. AMN tried to be conservative and shield the ball out in the corner. Hooked away from him, he took the bait and switched his balance awkwardly for a challenge. Down went Silva, down went Town's hopes of victory. Dobbie stepped up and the man so associated with engineering playoff success, buried any hope of ours tonight past Bart.

As seconds later 21 men shook hands a distraught Maitland-Niles trudged alone towards the open arms of Mick and then TC. The old heads cradled his as he wiped tears away from it more than once. The kid looked how we felt, as a whole season flashed past us in one game. Goal line scrambles, slow starts, misplaced passes, baffling decisions by and against our players, controversy and (mis)fortune abound. All as a brief dalliance with the top six saw Town finish up just adrift their ineffectiveness too plain to see.

The season might still have plenty of twists and turns, but the maths and hope weighs heavy once again, to sleep, to dream.
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6 AugSunderland A1 - 213
9 AugBristol R CCR1H2 - 00
12 AugStoke City H2 - 05
19 AugQPR A0 - 13
26 AugLeeds H3 - 46
29 AugReading CCR2A2 - 22

2 SepCardiff City H3 - 28
16 SepSheff Wed A0 - 16
19 SepSouthampton A0 - 16
23 SepBlackburn H4 - 35
26 SepWolves CCR3H3 - 23
30 SepHuddersfield A1 - 13

3 OctHull City H3 - 06
7 OctPreston H4 - 24
25 OctBristol City A0 - 13
28 OctPlymouth H3 - 26

1 NovFulham CCR4H1 - 32
4 NovBirmingham A2 - 27
7 NovRotherham A2 - 22
11 NovSwansea H3 - 24
25 NovWBA A2 - 09
29 NovMillwall H3 - 13

2 DecCoventry City H2 - 16
9 DecMiddlesbrough A0 - 25
12 DecWatford A1 - 28
16 DecNorwich H2 - 28
23 DecLeeds A4 - 06
26 DecLeicester H1 - 16
29 DecQPR H0 - 09

1 JanStoke City A0 - 01
6 JanWimbledon FACR3A1 - 36
13 JanSunderland H2 - 113
22 JanLeicester A1 - 17
27 JanMaidstone FACR4H1 - 213

3 FebPreston A3 - 27
10 FebWBA H2 - 29
14 FebMillwall A0 - 45
17 FebSwansea A1 - 21
20 FebRotherham H4 - 310
24 FebBirmingham H3 - 13

2 MarPlymouth A0 - 25
5 MarBristol City H3 - 212
9 MarCardiff City A2 - 14
16 MarSheff Wed H6 - 010
29 MarBlackburn A0
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