Promotion For Town Still A Possibility

It has been a bad month so far in the Sky bet Championship for Town and in many ways a disappointing start to the New Year.

In January we were knocked out of the F.A. cup by Southampton and David McGoldrick got injured and what was definitely not part of the script was to lose to Derby and Brighton in the league.

February saw the injuries mount, as we reverted more and more to hoof ball at the expense of the passing game we employed when we played 4-4-3 for the most part of November and December.

We also lost to unfancied Reading and Rotherham – although wins against Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham and Birmingham papered over some of the cracks.

March has continued in a similar vein with stuttering performances against Norwich, Leeds United and Brentford leaving us with back to back defeats and one measly point from our last three games.

With ten matches remaining however, all is not lost. In fact we are extremely lucky that no team in this league seems capable of pulling away.

This means that even those two automatic spots are still up for grabs with four teams stuck on 66 points and another on 65!

Town find themselves one point adrift of sixth placed Brentford but perhaps to be out of the spotlight at long last helps ease the pressure?

If Town were to get something from Middlesbrough at the weekend it would be a great achievement and with David McGoldrick nearing full fitness again there is every hope of a late resurgence from the blues.

I watched Town defeat Middlesbrough at Portman Road in December last year 2-0 and what I remember most about that game, apart from two wonderfully well constructed goals from Town, was the fact that Bialkowski barely had a shot to save!

The Boro will be out for revenge of course at the Riverside but if Freddy Sears and Daryl Murphy can continue their fine form then a shock away victory is still a real possibility!


Grant Leadbitter is bound to have other ideas against his former club and he has been prolific in his midfield role for our rivals and will be a real threat at set pieces.

If only we had someone like him who can be absolutely lethal playing just behind the strikers and can take a good penalty too!

A defeat might make even our play-off chances more unlikely so once again the McCarthy mantra of a point away is always a good point, certainly applies against one of the leading contenders for one of those automatic promotion spots.

Frank Weston – Vital Ipswich