Radio Suffolk’s football analyst, former Blues captain Mick Mills, said last night that playing ‘sexy football’ is not something one usually associates with a Mick McCarthy side but conceded that on this occasion at least, this is what his team managed to produce!
It was an extraordinary game from the start because McCarthy decided that he wanted to continue the momentum gained at Leeds United by playing from the outset an attack-minded formation.
In from the cold came Martyn Waghorn and Manchester City loanee Bersant Celina and they were joined up front by the industrious Joe Garner along with the silky skills of David McGoldrick.
And it was the former Rangers pair that got the ball rolling when Garner delivered a precision cross onto the head of Martyn Waghorn who planted the ball into the back of the Sunderland net after only six minutes of play.
But before Town had time to gloat on their wonderful start the Black Cats were level when Billy Jones leveled things from the visitors first corner on 10 minutes and the feeling around the ground must have been, oh no, here we go again!
Yet the Blues were far from finished and after 27 minutes, they went in front again, when Jordan Spence powered home a header from a well-worked corner taken by Martyn Waghorn.
After the break the goals continued to flow and the architect behind most of Town’s forward play was Waghorn, who back-heeled for Bersant Celina to finish sublimely to make it 3-1, just ten minutes into an enthralling second half.
Then five minutes later David McGoldrick effectively put the game to bed when he bundled home a fourth at the second attempt.
But one had to admire Sunderland’s tenacity and they made the score a bit more respectable when Aiden McGeady curled one home from the edge of the box into the top right hand corner to the obvious delight of the travelling faithful.
As we approached what turned out to be six minutes of stoppage time, Town put the icing on the cake, when McGoldrick jinxed his way towards goal before feeding substitute Grant Ward, who evaded the keeper before striking goalwards from an acute angle.
Ipswich Town appear to have got their mojo back and the whole squad contributed to this magnificent victory.
Yes we know Sunderland are struggling but it was the manner of our victory that was so pleasing for all concerned. Cole Skuse, David McGoldrick, Bersant Celina and Joe Garner were all outstanding but the star of the show award must to go to Martyn Waghorn, who produced a performance that he will do well to ever better.
On Saturday, Ipswich Town are at home again but this time to high flying Bristol City and if the Blues continue to play this way, it will surely not be long before those empty seats are being occupied once more at Portman Road.
Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich
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