Ipswich won a match that certainly wasn’t for the football purists, but 3 points are 3 points, and no Town fan can really complain about the the lack of entertainment on offer. The game wasn’t a pretty one, and nor were the Town players, who lined up in regular Orange & Black away shirts and socks, but with their Home White & Blue shorts, Referee Ian Williamson deciding the normal Black away shorts matched those of the home team so would have to be changed.
Town lined with a 4-3-3 formation, handing Danny Haynes a first start alongside Nicky Forster & Dean Bowditch, a midfield trio of Captain Jim Magilton, Jimmy Juan and Gavin Williams, in front of back four Castro Sito, Fabian Wilnis, Jason De Vos and Richard Naylor, Lewis Price in goal.
An ugly and scrappy game ensued with neither team managing to mount any serious pressure, or for that matter trouble their opposition ‘keeper. On a less than desirable pitch, neither team seemed able to keep possesion or mount any serious goal threats, and were two as evenly matched teams as I have ever seen.
Joe Royle tried to keep things interesting with some strange ‘Tactical’ changes, with some players adopting 2 or 3 different positions throughout the course of the game.
You may have to follow me here… Sito started at right back, Wilnis at left back… half way through the first half they swapped flanks for no real apparant reason. Second half and Currie came on for Haynes as we adopted a 4-4-2 taking up the left midfield role, half way throught the 2nd half and Royle brought on Richards at left back for Bowditch moving Naylor up front with Wilnis filling in the centre and Sito swapping flanks again… still with me… after a small amount of Sheffield pressure, Royle decided to move Naylor to the back again, pushing Richards & Currie forward respectively and yes Wilnis to right back and Sito once again to left back… confused we were.
All this disruption didn’t help a Town side struggling to string together passes, but with 3 minutes of normal time remaining, Willaims returned a corner from the left into De Vos’ feet inside the area, but rather than attempting a turn and shot the Canadian passed the ball along the 6 yard box for Forster to clip home passed an unfortunate Nicky Weaver in the Wednesday goal.
Unfortunate because neither team deserved the win and certainly neither ‘keeper deserved to concede, both of them not have any real saves to make, but both handling what efforts were made on their respective goals.
Wednesdays Graham Coughlan
Joe Royle Hails defence
‘We defended magnificently throughout the game and Lewis Price only had a couple of saves to make in the 90 minutes’
‘Jason De Vos and Richard Naylor were terrific for us and the two full-backs did their jobs as well.
‘It’s been a long time since we kept a clean sheet and that and the three points are the important factors for us from the game.’
‘If we can defend like that every week then it’s gives us a great chance to get something out of the game.’
‘It was a scrappy match but it wasn’t a pitch that was easy to pass the ball on. We tried to play that way but the pitch was crumbling away.
‘While it wasn’t the most stylish win, it’s a big win and gives everyone a boost going into what will be a busy holiday programme.’
Fozzy on his goal and a Town win
‘It was a big win for us and will give us a lift going into the holiday period where the games will come thick and fast’
‘We need to build on that now and start pushing our way up the table.’
‘Hopefully the goal can give me a lift as well. I struggled a bit when I came back from my knee injury and had to work hard in the gym to build up my fitness levels.’
‘I have felt I have played a lot better over the past three or four games but the goals have not come and I’ve not really had any chances either.2
‘Hopefully getting back on the scoresheet now can provide me with the springboard to go on and score regularly over the rest of the season and help us climb the table.
‘We know we have been a little too close to the bottom of the table for comfort after drawing too many games but the win over Wednesday gives us breathing space and now we are only six points adrift of the Play-Off places.’
Wednesdays Graham Coughlan
‘I can’t believe what’s happened to us,’
‘The last-minute goals seem to be a regular occurrence. It’s been the case in a handful of games this season and it’s hard to swallow – it’s disheartening and soul-destroying.’
‘It’s a mirror image of Plymouth away, Hull last Saturday, Brighton and Watford here. It is hard to pick young lads off the floor – they are gutted. The fans are as frustrated as us. Sheffield Wednesday as a whole, players, directors, supporters and management, need a lift to pick us up.’
