Can Town Make It Three Out Of Three?

On paper at least, the blues stand a great chance of getting yet closer to those play-off positions if they can win at the Macron Stadium tomorrow night but as always, it is unwise to count our chickens, as we have witnessed so many times before.

Bolton Wanderers Neil Lennon has not had an easy time of it so far in Lancashire after his successful managerial spell with the giants of Scottish football Glasgow Celtic.

The Trotters find themselves at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship on just 25 points and with a minus 25 goal difference to boot so this has been something of a culture shock for the affable man from Northern Ireland.

There have been signs of late however that they are finding some form but they last narrowly away to Leeds United in their last encounter and they are 10 points short of safety with now just 11 games remaining.

Town on the other hand are revitalized having won their last two matches by a single goal and if the blues could get a win here, it would surely condemn Wanderers to the First Division, while at the same time, significantly boost Town’s chances of a play-off birth!

We all know however that there is no such thing as an easy three points in this league so it will be interesting to see how manager Mick McCarthy plays it, now that Jonathan Douglas and Cole Skuse are fit again and Kevin Bru has recovered from bout of sickness.

I would think he must keep Kevin Foley in the side but perhaps drop Luke Hyam for Cole Skuse and if Daryl Murphy passes a late fitness test, then start him from the bench if needs be?

I would like to think our manager would not tamper too much with a winning team because as that old adage goes, ‘Why try and fix it if it is not broken?’

Ben Pringle and Kevin Foley were the stand-out performers against Forest at Portman Road so they must be included.

Two clean sheets in two matches is also very encouraging from a Town perspective and Bartosz Bialkowski has been in outstanding form since he returned to the side at the expense of Dean Gerken.

It looks like Emile Heskey will miss out for The Trotters tomorrow with a hip injury and Ben Amos (ankle), David Wheater (hamstring), Dorian Dervite (ankle) and Max Clayton (hamstring) are all missing as well but there is some better news for the hosts.

Winger Wellington Silva, who is on loan from Arsenal, could come back into the team after a prolonged illness.

Pleasingly, Town have won five and lost none of their last seven games against Bolton, scoring only eight goals in the process but Bolton on the other hand, have failed to score in five of their last six against Ipswich so let’s hope this continues!

Like Forest prior to Saturday, Bolton have lost their last three Championship matches and they have not lost four in a row so far this season so this too might be a lucky omen for the blues?

If this game goes to form then the Tractor Boys would win by a single goal – just as they have done in their last eight Sky Bet Championship league victories to date.


Frank Weston – editor of Vital Ipswich