My favourite away trip of them all and what a glorious day for it. Sunshine on a crisp day, beamed down on McCarthy's resurgent town side. Decked out in all white and not a black boot between them, someone somewhere will no doubt be upset. But there is little to be dour about as a team with only Tabb replacing JET on the left trotted out over the circular-cut turf, under the auspices of fine, grand old grandstands in search of safety.

The back five were immediately on the back foot as Wednesday won a cheap freekick on the edge of the box. Antonio dove over a helpless N'Daw on the yard yard mark almost from the kickoff. A half-hearted attempt was beaten away easily and lead to a Town break. It was to mark out an early pattern of the game.

The physicality of Nouble and Murphy up top was the defining factor in Town's first half. The hosts brought the game to Town but lacked conviction in the final third. Our forwards however, tugged cruising defenders all over the channels with muscular tenacity. Murphy did many of the quiet and subtle things you come to expect from a man with his brand of understated and underrated quality. Boxing defenders in and running hard over ten yards across the back-line he won set pieces and forced rushed clearances all day long.

With the game characterised by box to box hoofs, but rarely end to end openings; skermishes and counters meant there was little in the way of clear cut chances, when perhaps there should have been. A very good ref ignored the exploits of Owls who in the face of resolute defenders; tumbled like circus midgets on a spin cycle.

The ball seemed to rarely stay on the floor and it was to prove difficult to pin down where the first goal was going to come from. Town at least when the chances arose looked markedly more determined to test Kirkland, the best chance coming from Hyam whose dipping drive with the outside of his right boot was tipped over by Kirkland. A move capping the running and interplay of Tabb, supported by Cresswell and covered by N'Daw which bore fruit soon enough.

The town lead came in bizarre fashion – a chased down defender cleared for a throw. The incoming missile misjudged, misplaced, mishandled (who knows and who cares?) as it weaved it's way past Gardner only for the hobbit-like Tabb to sweep it home from close range. Town fans took their time to go wild as the lead was acknowledged from the far end.

Jones soon saw the flow or should that be the swing of play was going against a Wednesday who looked short on belief, and a Town side who looked tired from their home heroics on Tuesday. On came Howard and the tactical intent was clear. No more swiping at the ball, it was to be sent long and direct. This was accentuated when the busy but ineffective Antonio tried to beat his man down the flank and seemed to let the ball trickle out for a corner much to our derision. A hand was soon clamped to his hamstring and only minutes later he hobbled off long before the interval.

Two subs and a goal down, the home side barraged Town, ballooning balls all over the place. The back-line were rarely bothered, while the strikers capitalised on the midfield's solid and scrappy efforts to supply them with something more substanstial. Lita did eke out a good chance from ball drifting out and wide. It fell loose at the near post, Loach dived spectacularly but it was Murphy who blocked the shot, the follow up likewise Town removed from danger swiftly and emphatically. The break came with little hope of change for either side.

Town started the second period brightly. N'Daw dinked, Murphy flicked, Nouble ran on to it and exchanged to Edwards who ran the ball to the byline and drilled across goal for the rising young striker to glance agonisingly wide. It was move which epitomised the lack of football despite the best efforts of all and sundry in white to be neat and tidy.

Wednesday went in search of a leveller pushing up a previously deep defence and lumping it high and long. It was a cruel irony that another Town counter would be then be reversed for the lead to be extinguished. A neat move down the left swept slowly across the area. Murphy jinked and showboated as he waited for a colleague to move clear, laying off to Stearman who did his own rendition of skills as Tabb peeled from left to right wing. The little man was dispossessed and Wednesday used the space where he was supposed to be to boot the ball clear. Carlos was unable to help Cresswell and Hyam cover as the ball was looped across the goal mouth. Lita was free at the back post to do what he does and restore parity with a deft finish.

Town were looking leggy but likely, even as the hosts had a small spell of pressure. Stearman was one of many to hit the deck away from play as both sides continued to kick and rush as much at each other as they did the ball. What he did I'm unsure, but he was quickly signalled as needing a sub. Kisnorbo entered the fray and the more nostalgic amongst us Town fans will be pleased to note we switched to a beloved 3-5-2. Tabb tucked in centre-left and Carlos and Cresswell became wingbacks.

It was to prove elemental to our success in stifling the hosts now on the ascendancy. The Australian oscillated in the centre of the back three like a balloon whisk – eradicating lump after lump from the hosts as each side battered one another gracelessly. Special mention must go to a textbook Hyam tackle. A move down the right saw the blonde-haired darling of Portman Road lay down in the path of danger and dig the ball out effortlessly.

The introduction of JET for Murphy and Wordsworth for Tabb saw us look to stretch the hosts and wring out a potential winner. Both offered fresh legs and fresh threat but in a tepid match full of bouncing balls neither got enough of a look in to show what they could do. One moment of menace from JET as he cut in from the right faded to nothing and he soon set free his partner in rhyme Nouble who was running on fumes and into cul-de-sacs as the game drew to a close.

It's hard to be too disappointed in a game where both teams had few chances, brief spells of belief and adversity amongst lots of hoofing, huffing and niggling away at each other. The equaliser was not all that unexpected and the fact we again failed to beat nor be beaten edges up another point on on road and on the board is bread and butter for us. Like the aforementioned dietary staple, today was satisfying if far from spectacular. “We are staying up” rang across the Lepping Lane end as the whistle went, under Mick and Terry – it's not hard for us.

6

A fine spring day, a great view at a reasonable price for myself and the boy and a point that pretty much means we should live to fight again in the slog that is the Championship. This was not a classic by any means but it was a game that encapsulated pretty much how Mick and TC have changed our fortunes. It was a display full of fight, big on effort and organisation and on the local Radio Sheffield "Praise or Grumble" phone-in we were even described by contributors as a big, physical side who at times had "bullied" Wednesday! Long gone would seem to be the "soft-centre" oft lamented by both Keane and Jewell - good riddance too!

Tabb for JET was the only change and I must say, I really liked the all-white away strip sported by the boys today - classic looking! On a firm and bouncy pitch, there was little pasing football in the opening exchanges. Town forced a few corners and Smith had a header cleared off the line from one of them. Shortly after the ten minute mark, Edwards launched a long throw into the box and the ball appeared to go in off Tabb's knee for the opening goal. Cue chants of "We are staying up!" and "You're sh*t and you're going down!" from the travelling faithful as Town took greater control. Hyam brought a fine save from Kirkland with a half volley from 20 yards 10 minutes later as Nouble in particular chased every ball down. The goal saw the re-emergence of a Town tactic that I (and I only attend about 15 away games each season) don't remember seeing since the Roy Keane era - the long throw (Edwards and Wickham if I remember rightly). Not only from Edwards but also from Cressy! Time and again they were both able to launch effective long throws into the front post. Whilst it should never be our only tactic, it is an interesting weapon that I did not realise we (still) had. The home side made two substitutions mid-way throught the first half and whilst I was pleased to see the speedy Jermaine Johnson exit with a hamstring pull, I was less content with the arrival of the battering ram that is the ageing Steve Howard. As the half progressed, we were relatively comfortable but the Owls will think Howard should have done better with a header and Loach pulled off a good close range stop with Town defenders eventually scrambling the ball clear as half time approached. A miscued clearance by Kirkland then fell to Murphy 30 yards out. With Kirkland way outside the line of the goal I think he had the chance to steer the ball goalwards first time. He elected to control it but his touch was poor and the opporunity was gone.

We started the second period the brighter. Edwards was getting some joy down the Town right and from one cross Nouble glanced a header across the goal. He should, in my opinion, have done better. Firm contact would have produced a goal. N'Daw volleyed well wide from the edge of the box and Murphy drilled a low effort just wide whilst the Owls began to resort to lumping it up to the elbows, knees and head of the aforementioned Howard. We seemed fairly comfortable with Chambers, Smith and Stearman coping well with the bombardment. Just before the hour mark though, the atmosphere changed. Edwards had been drawn out to the left and allowed the Wednesday player too much time and space, almost inviting the cross which went beyond the Town back line to Lita who drilled home the equaliser. We went quiet, Hillsborough erupted and for the next ten minutes you could see just what a jumping place this ground would be if the Owls had a decent side. The aerial assault was upped again and you could sense the nervousness of the travelling fans as a few crosses found Wednesday heads but not the Town net. It was not all one way traffic though. Edwards and Hyam both had chances to burst into the Owls' area but their chances were snuffed out and resulted in wasted corners for Town. Chambers put in a great block to prevent the home side from taking the lead and Mick was forced into a change as Stearman limped off. This caused a defensive re-shuffle as Mick elected not to replace the excellent loanee with ready made right back rooke Hewitt. He instead moved Chambers to right back and put another loanee, Kisnorbo, into the heart of the battle at centre half alongside Smith. There was relief all-round when the off-side flag chalked off a Lita header on 78 minutes. Mick made two further substitutions. Wordsworth replaced the industrious goalscorer Tabb and JET came on for the clearly tired Murphy. From another Cressy long throw that created havoc, Nouble narrowly failed to score, Pugh scrambling the ball off the line (I'm pretty sure it wasn't over the line). There were a couple more half chances for both sides but as the game entered 3 minutes of stoppage time, both sides seemed content with a point. "Super Mick" was given a rendition on the final whistle and the growing connection between the players and the travelling fans becomes more evident with every game I attend. As we listened to the full-time scores over the tannoy, the Wolves, Posh and Barnsley scores brought further "We are staying up!" chants even though it's not mathematically in the bag just yet.

Some comments on the players:
Loach - gaining in confidence with each game
Stearman - solid defender. I hope we can sign him
Smith - now the player we expected him to be when Jim first threw him into the team years ago
Chambers - warrior like for me. Proven to be a good signing - Jewell did some things right!
Creswell - another Jewell signing. Playing really well. Where did those long throws come from?
Tabb - works really hard and is surprisingly effective in the air, challenging for every ball - take note Chops! You have to be in the right place to score but it hit him more than anything I think!
Hyam - battle, tackle, block, head. All effort from Luke. Could have had a goal but for a fine save from Kirkland and burst into the box once or twice too.
N'Daw - he has his limitations (distribution) but he is also somethng of a collosus in the middle of midfield that the opposition have to get past.
Edwards - today saw the return of his long throw and he created quite a bit down the right hand flank with some pace and trickery too. I think he should have closed the ball down quicker and prevented the cross for the Owls goal though.
Murphy - won his share in the air and Murph works hard. Gave the ball away once or twice when he ought to have brought Town attackers into the game in dangerous positions.
Nouble - can't fault the big man for his effort. Chases every ball and makes defenders aware of his presence. He needs, however, to work on his first touch at times.
Kisnorbo - up for the battle that Howard gave him
Wordsworth - did OK for the time he was on
JET - did a job even if he didn't make the most of a couple of opportunities he had to run at a stretched Wednesday backline late on

Will be there for the finale at Turf Moor. Should be a good day out!

Well done to those of you who got to the end! Hope my ramblings bring something to those of you who didn't get there today. COYB

6

Well done to the two above excellent reports. I was there and these are accurate representations.

2

Once again a big thank you to Mullet and cbower for these excellent reports. You both really make the effort to provide those extra details and nuances that enable us to enjoy the read and be so much more informed.
One aspect that caught my attention is the quote from Dave Jones:
“Ipswich’s intention was to get it forward and feed off the two big brutes up there and they did it well in the first half".
This was supported by cbowers' comment:
It was a display full of fight, big on effort and organisation and on the local Radio Sheffield "Praise or Grumble" phone-in we were even described by contributors as a big, physical side who at times had "bullied" Wednesday! Long gone would seem to be the "soft-centre" oft lamented by both Keane and Jewell - good riddance too!

We can thank MM and TC for getting our defence organised and injecting some steel into the side (perhaps appropriate for a Sheffield encounter!) Next season add some creativity and goal scoring and we'll not only be at the top end of the league but attendance at PR will increase as well.

1

First half was ITFC, we had chances to make it 0-2. Second half was SWFC, they had chances to make it 2-1. Draw was fair enough. Enough to take us to within goal difference of safety. Largest urinals of all the away grounds I have been to thus far.

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