Last month everything was going to plan until those last two fixtures of the month ended in draws, and so too ended my hopes of a clean sweep! Let us look at the five games we play in March and see where we can accrue some much-needed points. We have to start converting draws into victories and that means scoring more goals. If we succeed with that the points will follow.
5th March, FLEETWOOD TOWN (away) The Cod Army are at the wrong end of the table but that counts for nothing in this league. Bolton Wanderers were struggling when we played them in January but we suffered our worst defeat under McKenna and went we went home with no goals, zero points and two goals conceded. Wes Burns will have something to prove again against his former club and as their assistant manager Barry Nicholson remarked, it has come as no surprise to see Burns scoring regularly for the Blues. Fleetwood have not won in eight matches but five of them have ended in draws. This is something we must avoid tomorrow and I predict a narrow Ipswich win. (1-2) 3 points
8th March, LINCOLN CITY (home) It’s another one of those Tuesday night fixtures at Portman Road and this might just help our cause. More recently the Imps form has dipped but with a relatively small squad they have felt the impact of injuries and the Imps have lost their last three games, leaving them just four points above the relegation zone ahead of Saturday’s home clash with in-form Sheffield Wednesday. Manager Michael Appleton is under some pressure and has had a vote of confidence from Chairman Clive Nates. Whether he is still in charge when they come to Suffolk might just depend on the result tomorrow afternoon? (3-1) 3 points
12th March, PORTSMOUTH (home) Pompey have a similar track record to us so far this season. Like us, they get great crowds, and like us, they have largely failed to deliver. We sit side by side in the table too, but let’s not forget that this outfit has two games in hand. They could be a tough nut to crack, but we do have home advantage, and we must make it count! (2-1) 3 points
19th March, OXFORD UNITED (away) This is the fixture I am most afraid of this month. If we get anything at their place we will be doing very well. As things stand, they lie in 4th place in League One and look comfortably placed to get a play-off place. An away win against them would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons, but I don’t think it will happen. (2-0) 0 points
26th March, PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (home) It’s another home fixture, and another great chance to capitalise on a side that is just above us in the league. If you remember, they were top of the pack for a while, but they have a small squad and injuries and suspensions have not aided their cause. They do have two games in hand on us though, so this would be a perfect opportunity to readdress the balance. Ipswich are currently sandwiched between Portsmouth and Plymouth in the table, so the two home games against them could prove to be crucial. (2-0) 3 points
Five games in March equates to a maximum of 15 points, but if my predictions are correct we would end up with 12 which is well above the 2 points per game target we need to attain.
Here’s my uninformed view of Town in March;
Fleetwood (a) 2-1 win
Lincoln (h) 4-0 win (just think we are due another big win)
Portsmouth (h) 1-0 win
Oxford (a) 0-0 draw
Plymouth (h) 3-0 win
Hope I’m right, 13 points out of 15 would be very handy + 9 goal improvement to our goal difference.
Onto other infinitely important matters, events in eastern Europe. I hate it when politics intrudes on sport but this is the exception to the rule for me. Our thoughts go out to the 40 million plus people in the Ukraine. A totally unprovoked attack on a democracy. Unlike in the country led by VP’s murderous regime. If he is allowed to get away with this it will set an incredibly bad precedent both in Europe and globally.
On the football front Richard, our views are pretty similar, but I hope you are right about us getting something from Oxford. I am not so sure. As for Ukraine, it is very difficult to determine what will develop there, and this is more frightening than the Cuba crisis of 1963. We all know Putin is a thug and a despicable human being, but if he is cornered like a rat then who knows what he might dispatch? I do think, however, that Nato under the heavy influence of America, has broken the promises that were made in 1990 after the wall came down, by reneging on all their agreements about not encroaching on the Russian border. This has exacerbated the situation further, and Putin knows that the Western Alliance is weak at the knees when it comes to aggressive engagement, and for good reason. The worst-case scenario could lead to World War three. No-fly zones are the recipe for disaster. European expansion has just made things worse.
Good three points today, especially with Sam Morsy getting his first goal for us. Must admit I was getting increasingly worried after an hour!
Yes, Richard, I too was becoming increasingly concerned that this might end up as another goalless draw, but thankfully, we got all three points in the end.