It is not over yet but we are almost there! A point on the board next week against Blackburn Rovers away and we will have made the play-off’s for the first time in more than a decade.
Manager Mick McCarthy made just one change from the last match and this was enforced. Jay Tabb became ill prior to this massive encounter and in came Stephen Hunt as his deputy and he did not disappoint as always.
Town began nervously and perhaps for good reason given the importance of what was the final home game of the season and with so much at stake in front of a 25,000 plus crowd!
The goal when it came, seemed almost made in football heaven when Town supporters started a minutes applause in memory of 21 year old Chris Reynolds from Lowestoft, who died tragically earlier this week.
Chris would surely have attended, as he was a season ticket holder and as the blues drove forward and the applause reverberated around the ground, Daryl Murphy scored his 25th goal in the Championship to send the fans wild with a stunning strike on the edge of the area having been fed intelligently by Freddie Sears.
He has now scored as many goals as Ray Crawford in season 62/63 and it is the best return for a Town striker for more than 50 years!
Town were now in the ascendency and there seemed know way back for Nottingham Forest, unless we pressed the self destruct button.
Ten minutes into the second half and we did just that when our Man of the Match from the Wolves game Christophe Berra, headed into his own net to level things, totally against the run of play.
It was a catastrophic blow to the Tractor Boys hopes of a play-off place and further bad news was to follow, as we discovered that 10 man Norwich had gone a goal in front against lowly Rotherham United!
Thankfully the home crowd stayed onside and with just seven minutes remaining, Freddy Sears battled his way through a belligerent Forest defence, before unleashing a shot that was defected massively by Michael Mancienne which gave keeper Karl Darlow no chance to the delight of the home support!
This was indeed a vital win for Ipswich Town football club and now there is a very real possibility of a play-off place; providing the blues can get something from their final game away to Blackburn next Saturday afternoon with our nemesis Jordan Rhodes bound to be in their side.
Let us not look forward too far though. Today was a reflection of where we are at with Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor at the helm.
The lap of honour meant something today and perhaps may take on even greater significance if we can overcome our Lancashire rivals in a weeks time but it is not over until the fat lady sings as they say so we will all be on tenterhooks until the final whistle blows at Ewood Part!
F.W. Vital Ipswich
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